Malbec is a great grape. Traditionally blended in Bordeaux, you rarely see it in that part of France any more. Now, almost everything that says Malbec on it is from Argentina and is hard to distinguish from any number of other big, high-alcohol, oaky wines from anywhere in the world.

But the real Malbec is still around. It has an earthiness and spiciness to it that is unique, often layered on top of juicy dark fruit. It is noticeably tannic, but the tannins aren’t heavy or muddy — instead, they tend to cascade lightly over the mouth, like a stream of pebbles. And you’ll find these wines both in Argentina and its original home in France. Here is some traditionally styled Malbec for you to try:

Agua de Piedra ($9) – One of the best values in our shop, this is how all Argentinian Malbec was styled 30 years ago.

Weinert, Carascal Tinto 2005 ($14) – Weinert is the most famous of the Argentinian Malbec houses still producing in an old-world traditional style. Here the Malbec is blended with other grapes like in old times in Bordeaux.

Clos Suigier, Cahors 2006 ($14) – Super naturally made Malbec from Cahors, the one region of France where Malbec is queen.

One last great source of natural, traditionally made Malbec is the Loire Valley, where the grape is called Cot. We just sold out of Puzelat’s “In Cot we Trust”, a great example of this — but watch this space because more is on the way.