Touraine Rouge "Les Côts Hauts," Mikaël Bouges - 2018

Côt, or Malbec, is a grape variety that can produce wines of dramatically varying character depending on where it is grown. One can sample 20 expressions of Malbec from Argentina and have it pegged as a plush, fruit-forward, New World steak wine. Try one from Cahors, where Malbec originated, and these adjectives will be replaced with spicy, structured, Old World, and robust. Think you have it cornered again, and you run into Mikael Bouges’ “Les Côts Hauts” to turn everything you thought about the grape on its head. This is acid-driven and minerally, with fresh black fruits, a medium body, a lean texture, and none of the robust tannins of a Cahors, nor the plush mouthfeel of an Argentinian Malbec. It calls more for grilled vegetables and rabbit confit than steak. And at under $15, it's a steal for Loirephiles and Malbec adventurers alike!