Great Value Wines: 8 Chilean Malbecs for Under $30
Argentina has long been the go-to destination for consumers looking for malbecs that deliver premium quality at a reasonable price, but its neighbor, Chile, is a darkhorse in the category as it increasingly diversifies away from traditional Mediterranean varieties amid unpredictable climate patterns.
In fact, quite a few malbecs in our annual Chile tasting report made us sit straight up in our chairs, and their value for money is on a par with some of the best from Argentina. In dry and warm years like 2020, we found that Colchagua’s old-vine, dry-farmed malbecs fit well with the new climate context. One of our top wines from the country, the Neyen Malbec Valle de Colchagua Espíritu de Apalta Limited Edition 2020, comes from vines over 100 years old. Producers like Polkura and Viña Montes also showed their dedication to more affordable malbecs with outstanding quality.
“The beauty is that malbec from Chile is totally different from Argentina,” Aurelio Montes Jr., the technical director and chief winemaker at Montes, said during a Zoom interview, reminding us that malbec first arrived in Chile before it traveled to the other side of the Andes in the mid-19th century. Indeed, the malbecs produced in Colchagua tend to be a little less brooding than their Argentine counterparts, and are often juicier, more elegant and vibrant with berry fruit. Even though Chile’s commitment to serious malbecs is a recent occurrence, we feel that interest is on the rise in making finer, more drinkable malbecs than what Argentina offers.
“Malbec is a great niche and shows an interesting aspect of Chile,” said Sven Bruchfeld of Polkura, whose Polkura Malbec Valle de Colchagua Marchigue 2020 (we have the 2016 vintage listed below) is a gem of a wine that overdelivers on quality for a bottle in the $30 price range. And according to Montes founder Aurelio Montes Sr., the Montes Malbec Valle de Colchagua Alpha 2020 is one of the wines that highlights the promising future for malbec in Chile and for the Montes winery, even though it is not yet as commercially important as a few other wines in their Alpha range.
In Aconcagua, Seña’s inspirational debut of its second wine this year, the Rocas de Seña Valle de Aconcagua 2020, underlines the importance of malbec for premium blending in Chile. The wine included a significant portion of malbec (38 percent, according to winemaker Francisco Baettig), along with 25 percent syrah, 15 percent cabernet sauvignon, 14 percent grenache and 8 percent petit verdot, making it a unique expression based on malbec and Mediterranean grapes amid Chile’s warming climate.
While Colchagua looks like the malbec hub for Chile right now, both Maule and Maipo are also bursting with energy on that front. Below are eight wines we selected for around $15 to $30 that might amaze you with Chile’s potential for quality malbec.
– Zekun Shuai, Senior Editor
Polkura Malbec Valle de Colchagua 2016 – JS94
U.S. Price: $24
Montes Malbec Valle de Colchagua Alpha 2020 – JS93
Vivino.com: $22.99
Viu Manent Malbec Valle de Colchagua San Carlos Single Vineyard 2018 – JS93
Vivino.com: $26.99
Concha y Toro Malbec Valle de Colchagua Gran Reserva 2020 – JS92
Average Price: $18
Calcu Malbec Valle de Colchagua Gran Reserva 2018 – JS91
Wine.com: $16.99
Clos de Luz Malbec Valle de Rapel Massal 1945 Family Vineyard 2019 – JS91
KLWines.com: $19.99
Santa Ema Malbec Valle de Maipo Gran Reserva 2019 – JS91
International Price : $15
Viña Morandé Malbec Valle de Maule Malmau 2019 – JS91
International Price : $17