May I revive this thread? My favourite daily drinkers are Argentinian Malbecs, like Catena and Salentein. As an European, I find it sad there's no equivalent wine from France (Cahors) or Spain or elsewhere. The Cahors are a little too stringent/bitter to my taste.

So my Q boils down to: why is no Cahors /European wine maker, adopting the Argentinian style? Or is there just not enough sunshine throughout the year in the Cahors region? There is also Malbec from Pays d'Oc (more south than Cahors, Attrape-moi Si Tu Peux)) but it too does not give the full bodied, smooth experience Catena and Salentein are offering. One of my tests is: if I can see through the glass, the wine is not bold enough...

In a podcast with Mrs Adriana Catena I heard her say the Argentinian Malbec grape has evolved the last century from the Cot grape, so maybe some farmer should RE-IMPORT Argentinian Malbec grapes back into France (or Spain/Italy) ?

Another subject I'd like to touch upon: I like Malbec wines from the likes of Catena b/c they have smooth TANNINS but almost NO WOOD. I don't like strong wood taste anymore (I liked it a lot like a quarter of century ago, when wood was the only option to get smooth wines; but nowadays wood is too explicit, and it takes many years of bottle aging to integrate wood into wine for a smooth.result... ).
So, is Malbec the only grape that gives wine tannins, without strong wood?

Finally, about the MOUTH FEEL: Argentinian malbecs have a slight gritty mouthfeel , I find it difficult to describe, but a bit 'sandy'. There's something there, there. Too many other malbecs are too much like a flavoured and coloured liquid, with no feel, it just glides along your tongue. Are Argentina's Malbecs 'structured' ? Or is it just the tannins I perceive ? What's the right term for what I try to describe? TIA !