It’s not surprising that reds dominate the wine scene in Argentina given its mostly dry, sunny climate and serious love for steak. But it is malbec that reigns supreme and has sealed the country’s wine reputation. Introduced to Mendoza from France by European immigrants in the 19th century, its expression here ranges from gentle and red-fruited to deep, rich and dark, making wines that are usually softer than the more rustic, tannic offerings found in malbec’s birthplace of Cahors, France.
Five of the eight Argentine reds we recommend for our latest installment of Buy Now – our series geared toward helping readers choose from affordable wines currently available on the market that we rated 93 points or higher – are malbecs. A fantastic example is the Tapiz Malbec Mendoza Black Tears 2018, with its ultra-fine, polished texture. It’s a gorgeously complex and aromatic wine to drink now, and while there are tannins aplenty, they glide seamlessly across the palate.
Another generously plush and polished malbec is from Laura Catena’s winery, Luca: the Luca Malbec Valle de Uco Old Vine 2019. Catena, who is also managing director of her family’s Bodega Catena Zapata, was the first to bottle old-vine malbec in Argentina, and fruit for this wine comes from vines with an average age of over 50 years, planted throughout Mendoza’s Uco Valley. It’s deep and intense and will mellow with more time in the cellar.
Compare this with Bodega Catena Zapata’s high-altitude, single-vineyard malbec, the Paraje Altamira Nicasia Vineyard 2020. Perfumed and elegant, it has peppery and floral undertones, and is made from fruit grown at just over a kilometer above sea level in Altamira, where the sunlight is intense and temperatures plunge at night. The wine is beautiful already but will be even better in a couple of years.
Also from Altamira is the Zuccardi Malbec Valle de Uco Paraje Altamira Concreto 2020. It’s full of purple fruit and hints of clove-like spice, but there’s no wood here, instead fermented and aged in concrete vessels. And at just $30, it’s a steal.
On the other side of the valley, malbec is grown at even higher altitude on the eastern foothills of the Andes in Los Chacayes. the Bodega Piedra Negra Valle de Uco Los Chacayes Chacayes 2017 is a blend of 50 percent malbec fermented in new barrels and 50 percent of cot (French malbec) fermented in amphoras. The vines are uniquely planted at a high density of 20,000 vines per hectare. It’s pure and transparent, juicy and full-bodied, with immense power and intensity.
While malbec shines in Argentina like nowhere else, some of the top wines from the country are made from other Bordeaux varietals. The Susana Balbo Wines Agrelo Luján de Cuyo Brioso Single Vineyard 2020 is cabernet sauvignon-based, blended with malbec, cabernet franc and petit verdot. It’s a more refined expression showing an elegant balance of red and black fruit combined with mineral elements. Meanwhile, cabernet franc takes the lead in El Enemigo Mendoza Gran Enemigo Gualtallary Single Vineyard 2017, blended with a small proportion of malbec, to give pretty notes of blue fruit and flowers and a long, silky palate.
We’ve included a pinot noir, too, from Bodega Chacra down south in Patagonia’s Rio Negro Valley. The Chacra Pinot Noir Patagonia Sin Azufre 2021 is made from the same biodynamically farmed plot of old vines used to produce Chacra’s Cinquenta y Cinco, vinified without sulfur. It’s produced in smaller quantities and yet can be found for less than $40, so don’t wait too long to snap up a bottle and enjoy the extreme freshness, tension and minerality that sets this pinot apart.
– Claire Nesbitt, Associate Editor
Bodega Piedra Negra Valle de Uco Los Chacayes Chacayes 2017 – JS98
Zachys.com: $74.99
Catena Zapata Malbec Paraje Altamira Nicasia Vineyard 2020 – JS97
KLWines.com: $99.99
El Enemigo Mendoza Gran Enemigo Gualtallary Single Vineyard 2017 – JS97
JJ Buckley.com: $94.94
Chacra Pinot Noir Patagonia Sin Azufre 2021 – JS96
Zachys.com: $39.99
Tapiz Malbec Mendoza Black Tears 2018 – JS96
Wine.com: $49.99
Luca Malbec Valle de Uco Old Vine 2019 – JS95
Wine.com: $36.99
Susana Balbo Wines Agrelo Luján de Cuyo Brioso Single Vineyard 2020 – JS95
KLWines.com: $44.99
Zuccardi Malbec Valle de Uco Paraje Altamira Concreto 2020 – JS95
KLWines.com: $29.99
Wine.com: $31.99
