Are there in fact any from Bordeaux any more? I can't think of any.

From Cahors, Lagrezette is always on everyone's list, maybe because it's imported. I'm not a fan for the most part. But as it happens, I just noticed my notes from a Malbec tasting last spring, so here are those that I liked. Some are imported into the US, most aren't. There were over a hundred wines and I'm not about to put up all of my notes, but here are those that stood out.

2007 Chateau Haute Borie - lots of tobacco on the nose, quite dry finish, ripe fruit

2005 Haute Serre (10% merlot, 5% tannat) - great nose of spice and pepper that makes me predisposed to love the wine. It's actually got great ripe fruit and wonderful follow up too, so it's one of my faves.

2007 Rigal - Les Terasses (has 30% merlot) - again tobacco, forest floor/humus, very earthy, dark fruits

2005 Domaine Clos Siguier - cuvee - a big monster of a wine, plums and dark cherries but with an underlying acidity reminiscent of pomegranates or something similar. Quite good.

2005 Chateau les Hauts d'Aglan - smoky, tarry, tasty, balanced. Might be my favorite of the tasting.

2006 Chateau la Reyne - kind of a funky, leathery nose, on the palate notes of tar and dark fruit and a little of the same leathery quality. One of the best of the day.

2005 Chateau Eugenie (10% tannat) - complex, deep, very ripe fruit but not sweet, something seems to be hidden in the wine, maybe it needs decanting or time, but it's very promising.

2005 Chateau Rouffiac - oaky as hell, smells like butterscotch and toffee and pretty discernable oak on the palate but great fruit to support it. Very different from some of the Spanish wines with this nose, not as soft and it has bigger but rounder tannins. This would be something to hold on to for a couple of years. Nice.

2005 Chateau le Chambert - lots of vanilla, really ripe fruit, but also tannic as hell and very drying on the finish. Another that should be good in a few years.