In addition to being the best-known red grape variety in Argentina, it is also grown in neighboring Chile. It has a number of synonyms, including Côt and Auxerrois, as it is known in much of France. Malbec tends to have an inky dark color and robust tannins and needs a lot of sun to mature. It often has a rich and fruity palate—with notes of dark berries and cherries—and a smoky and sometimes chocolate, and leather-infused finish.

It is an important grape in Argentina, a country that is home to more than 75 percent of all the acres of Malbec planted in the world, according to Wine Folly. Argentine wine producers are often credited with having revived the grape and encouraged interest in it in many other countries.