World Malbec Day on 17th April is a day to celebrate the renaissance of Malbec as one of the world’s best loved grapes. And what better way to do that then by celebrating with some of the best Malbec wines from Argentina?
To celebrate Malbec Day, I’ve pulled together some of my top Terroir Selection picks from The South America Wine Guide book to guide you through the best wines regions for Malbec and the distinctive terroir expressions you can find in Argentina, as well as some bonus track wines from Chile!
Best Malbecs from Argentina
Malbec is King in Argentina, dominating plantings with over 44,000 hectares accounting for almost a fifth of Argentina’s wine. When Malbec was first planted in Argentina in the mid-1850s it was barely known or recognised as a good quality grape variety, simply known as the cepa francesa for most of its lifetime. It wasn’t until the quality revolution of the 1990s that Malbec stepped into the limelight and was recognised as the distinctive variety it is today – able to express each of Argentina’s different terroirs in a unique way.
Best Malbec wines from Northern Argentina
Explore Northern Argentina through these exciting Malbec wines:
CORAZON VALIENTE, Vino Tinto
Q. de Humahuaca / $ / Drinking window <15 years
A newcomer in Jujuy, but stepping out with a delicious debut, Mendoza winemaker Lucas Niven’s interpretation of Quebrada de Humahuaca is an intense wine on the nose with lashings of red fruit, mountain herbs, cacao and ash, but in the mouth it is fresh, juicy and vibrant. One for empanadas on the grill to kick off the evening.
EL PORVENIR, Río Seco Malbec
Cafayate (Salta) / $$ / Drinking window <10 years
From a special lot with a high percentage of limestone, this is a rather elegant and juicy Malbec from Cafayate. Filled with blue fruit and fresh forest berry aromas, it is a smooth and lively expression of Malbec with a deep colour and fine tannins. See full tasting note
COLOMÉ,
Molinos (Salta) / $$$$ / Drinking window <15 years
Coming from one of the highest Malbec vineyards in the world, this is the icon wine of the impressive Colomé estate. Each of the Colomé wines embodies the high altitude terroir, and this is the crème de la crème: concentrated and focused with compact blackberry fruit. One that will cellar well.
Best Malbec wines from San Juan
Pedernal / $$$ / Drinking window <15 years
Coming from a special plot of vines planted on extremely calcareous soils on the foothills, this Malbec is all about its vertical structure and chalky texture. With some wild herb and red fruit notes, it has a long but refreshing finish.
Pedernal / $$$ / Drinking window <15 years
Daniel Pi is one of San Juan’s most experienced winemakers and here he turns his hand to making seriously fine wine in Pedernal for the Bemberg family. Brooding dark fruit and wild herb aromas marry with meaty complexity and a crushed stone minerality. A Malbec that lingers. See full tasting note
Best Malbec wines from Mendoza
ESTANCIA USPALLATA, Malbec
Uspallata / $$$ / Drinking window <10 years
Coming from an altitude of over 2,000 metres, this Malbec has tension, texture and vibrancy. With an intense nose of wild herbs, meadow flowers and black olives, and a spicy, fresh and invigoratingly long finish. Great to drink now, but will also cellar well.
DURIGUTTI, Proyecto Las Compuertas Malbec 1914
Las Compuertas GI / $$ / Drinking window <15 years
Taken from ungrafted vines planted in 1914, this is part of the mission of brothers Héctor and Pablo to restore value to the old vines of Las Compuertas. This Malbec is a triumph: notes of dried cranberries, black raspberries and pink peppercorns lure you on the nose, and the glass finishes with finesse, freshness and tension.
ALTOS LAS HORMIGAS, Appellation Gualtallary
Gualtallary (Alto) / $$ / Drinking window <25 years
With ‘Doctor Terroir’ Pedro Parra on their team, Altos Las Hormigas have been making wine in Gualtallary since 2011 and each year their wines become more expressive and linear. There’s so much energy in this Malbec with its chalky tannins, vibrant fruit and incredible length. And it is excellent value for such a thrilling wine. See full tasting note
CATENA ZAPATA, Adrianna Vineyard Fortuna Terrae
Gualtallary (Alto) / $$$$ / Drinking window <30 years
The Catena family were among the original pioneers of this region and have come to prize their Adrianna vineyard as their real-life Shangri-la. This wine exemplifies their modern quest to make world-class reds at altitude. Elegant yet complex, this beautiful Malbec reveals layers of floral, spice and juicy fruit notes. A mouth-watering and worthy iconic wine that exudes good taste. See full tasting note
SUSANA BALBO, Nosotros Single Vineyard Nómade
Los Chacayes GI / $$$$ / Drinking window <20 years
Susana Balbo and Edy del Popolo are obsessive about finding the top terroirs for their iconic wines, and it has certainly paid off with Nómade: an elegant but powerful Malbec with fresh notes of red and black forest fruit, violets and liquorice. Firm but fine tannins are encased in this full-bodied red, which is alive with verve and energy. Gorgeous. See full tasting note
PIEDRA NEGRA, Chacayes
Los Chacayes GI / $$$ / Drinking window <20 years
This is the iconic wine of François Lurton’s estate and he rightly names it after the sub-region he pioneered. This Malbec exudes the bright red fruit character of Chacayes, with rich concentration, full body, taut, fine- grained tannins and lively acidity. This will cellar well and improve with age. If you are too impatient to wait, try L’Esprit — the fresher, younger second-label. See full tasting note
VIÑA COBOS, Bramare Chañares Vineyard Malbec
Los Árboles / $$$ / Drinking window <15 years
This Malbec smells like you are walking through the vineyard: with wild notes of native jarilla and brush herbs so typical of the area, intermingled with black fruit and spicy aromas. This is a wonderfully savoury interpretation of Malbec with a bold personality and firm, peppery tannins. A full-bodied fireside wine from the powerful, high-altitude terroir of Los Árboles.
ZUCCARDI, Finca Piedra Infinita Supercal
Paraje Altamira GI / $$$$ / Drinking window <25 years
This is an exemplary wine from one of Argentina’s leading new generation vignerons, Sebastián Zuccardi. Power and finesse overarch a mille-feuille of violet, mineral and juicy black forest fruit aromas. It has a precise, long, chalky and somewhat breath-taking finish that lingers for moments. A grand cru of Altamira, which will age well. Its little brother ‘Piedra Infinita’ is of similar ilk and another top pour from the region. See full tasting note
La Consulta / $$ / Drinking window <10 years
Perhaps the wine Karim Mussi is best known for, after he discovered pre-phylloxera blocks of century-old Malbec wines in La Consulta. With a lovely perfume, clove notes and a firm structure from oak-ageing, this wine has beautiful breadth and concentration but also great balance and freshness. A bonafide classic.
MONTEVIEJO, Lindaflor Malbec
Campo de los Andes / $$$ / Drinking window <25 years
One of the early icons of Uco Valley Malbec, Lindaflor is incredibly distinctive for its brooding black plum and violet aromas with silky tannins, full-body and smooth, lingering finish. It’s a wine that ages really well and shows all the sweet Malbec fruit in its youth but really comes into its own with some age, revealing layers of cedar, dark chocolate and perfume. La Violeta is the exclusive wine above this, but Lindaflor is an icon in its own right. See full tasting note
Best Malbec from Patagonia
NOEMIA, J Alberto Malbec
Río Negro / $$$ / Drinking window <12 years
Hans Vinding Diers makes his stellar Noemia label from Malbec vines planted in 1955, but his second label, J Alberto, is one of my favourites. Violets, red berries, spice and cedar aromas.
Best Malbec from Chile
MIGUEL TORRES, Los Inquietos 01 Malbec
Maule / $$ / Drinking window <20 years
Extremely old Malbec vines (over 80 years old!) come to life in this delicious wine from Eduardo Jordan at Miguel Torres. One of the most exciting new Malbec wines to come from old vines! See full tasting note
VIÑA TABALÍ, Talinay Lítico Malbec 2017
Limarí / $$ / Drinking window <20 years
This is a sublime coastal Malbec from the limestone soils of Tabali’s Talinay vineyard. It is all about the mineral profile rather than fruit, with freshness, chalky tannins and a nose of crushed rocks. For terroir nuts. See full tasting note
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