8 Delicious Argentinian Malbec Wines for Every Budget

Relatively unknown decades ago, Malbec is now one of the most reliably delicious wines on any wine list. But that doesn’t mean you should just settle for picking any old bottle!

In particular, we love Argentinian Malbec at The Three Drinkers. Whether from Salta, Patagonia or Mendoza, the variety of flavours is always a delight and only getting better!

Whether you like your Malbec easy-drinking and fruity or rich and robust, these are gems that overdeliver no matter your budget.

Malbec for UNDER £10

Catena Zapata Alamos Malbec

This is a fantastic value high altitude Malbec using grapes grown at some of Mendoza’s highest vineyards, filled with intense flavour from bright sun, cool evenings, and mineral-rich mountain water. Juicy plum is at the fore, supported by notes of dark cherry and blackberry from some additional Syrah and Bonarda added in. For the price, it’s so well balanced and would go down a treat with grilled meat and veg.

Size: 750ml
ABV: 12.5%
Find here: UK £7.50 (usually more!) // US $16.99

Graffigna Reserve Malbec

Sticking with the high altitudes, we’ve loved this Uco Valley Malbec for a while now. Voluminous, fresh, and fruit-forward, it’s rich and chocolatey with standout notes of ripe blueberry and black cherry as well as a welcome touch of spice. At this price, it’s a steal.

Size: 750ml
ABV: 13.5%
Find here: UK £7.50 (usually more!) // US $12.99

Graham Norton’s Own He Devil

Graham’s range of wines has proved pretty interesting, particularly the Sauvignon Blanc and Prosecco. This Mendoza Malbec is no different, filling your mouth with luscious deep purple and jammy plum. There are more complex Malbecs out there, but for something smooth, easy-drinking and well-rounded under £10, you can’t go wrong.

Size: 750ml
ABV: 14.5%
Find here: £9.50

Malbec for £15-£20

Luigi Bosca Malbec Selección De Vistalba

Bodega Luigi Bosca is one of the oldest family wineries in Mendoza, and this benchmark Malbec is made using grapes from 50-year-old vines followed by 12 months of oak ageing. For under £20, the result is superb. It’s rich and plush with floral aromas, followed up with ripe red and dark fruits. A little liquorice and toasted spice add alluring complexity too. This really is exceptional, and we’d recommend taking it in on its own, though it will be fantastic served with a steak or any hearty stew-type dish too.

Size: 750ml
ABV: 14%    
Find here: £16.99

El Enemigo Malbec

El Enemigo translates as The Enemy, and if the saying goes, ‘keep your friends close but enemies closer’ then we’re absolutely fine with that because this Uco Valley Malbec is delicious. It’s lighter than most Malbecs, with an acidic spine perfect for hearty meals. There’s so much depth of flavour too, with harmonious notes of peach, orchard fruits and blackberry as well as a woody earthiness and minerality. It works so well! Random fact: lead winemaker Alejandro Vigil even has a tattoo of the Malbec grape on his arm, so you know how much love has gone into this!

Size: 750ml
ABV: 13%
Find here: UK £18.20 // US $29.99

Alpasión Malbec

In the Uco Valley, a group of friends sat around and decided to start a winery. That winery is Alpasión, and they’ve now got a reputation for stonking Malbec. There’s elegance in the velvety texture and balance of dark fruits and chocolatey oak, but also serious power and body to it that keeps you wanting more. Classy and classic Argentinian Malbec done masterfully.

Size: 750ml
ABV: 13.5%
Find here: £19.99

Malbec for £20+

Susana Balbo Signature Malbec

If you’re talking about Argentinian Malbec then it’s only a matter of time before Susana Balbo is mentioned. She’s one of the most renowned female winemakers in the country, known for her influential portfolio of elegant blends. This brings us to her Signature Malbec. With raspberry, plums and currants intertwining alongside delicate smokiness, this is such a good example of making the most out of this varietal. A dash of Cabernet Sauvignon is added for even more structure and depth in a wine that you can explore for hours. Rich, luxuriating, smooth, bold... it’s just everything you want from a quality Malbec.

Size: 750ml
ABV: 14.5%
Find here: UK £21.99 // US $24.99

Chacra Roka Malbec

This is a Malbec that seems to do everything right. The nose is surprisingly floral and jammy, which leads into a finely textured vibrant core of chocolate-covered purple fruits as well as subtle tobacco. The biodynamically grown grapes give a really fresh and natural character to a Malbec that has that inviting depth of flavour whilst remaining light. A very unique and inventive expression indeed!

Size: 375ml
ABV: 13.5%
Find here: £49.95

If you love Malbec as much as us, find out more about its story and its home in the beautiful Uco Valley here!

The Story of Malbec and the Uco Valley

This article is brought to you by Graffigna Genuine Collection Reserve Malbec from the Uco Valley, with its silky chocolate tones, concentrated black and red fruit notes, a hint of graphite and spice. 

Arguably the best loved red wine grape worldwide, Malbec is enjoyed by novices and experts alike. It’s usually one of the most reliable wines on a wine list and at its price point, it over delivers. Let’s take a quick look at why the quality of Malbec from Argentina particularly is only going one way. 

A brief history of Malbec

Malbec vines have been around a long time; as long ago as Roman times apparently. It first, famously found favour with Eleanor of Aquitaine and Francis I in southwest France, where these ‘black wines’ still feature Malbec as the key grape in the appellation of Cahors. So prized was it by the French royalty, they had Malbec planted around France, where it made its way to the blender’s paradise of Bordeaux where it was used in the famous red blends. When the phylloxera aphid plague decimated Europe's vineyards in the nineteenth century, it did not fare well eventually, much of it was replaced by the hardier Cabernet and Merlot varietals. To this day however, Malbec is still officially permitted in Bordeaux wines and is affectionately known as Pressac in some parts.

Luckily for Malbec, a group of Argentine winemakers, some of them European immigrants, sought the advice of a French agronomist called Michel Pouget to look at how to improve wine quality in the country. Being French, Monsieur Pouget looked to the fine wine region of Bordeaux in France and brought out a variety of grapevines, including Malbec, to Argentina. In these dry, sunny vineyards, Malbec thrived in quite a different way to how it had in France, making wines that were more fruit-driven, soft and in today’s terms, commercial. Quickly establishing itself as Argentina's flagship red grape, it spread out to all wine provinces from Salta in the north to Patagonia in the South, via, of course, Mendoza. 

Malbec across Argentina

Plantings of Malbec across the core winemaking provinces of Argentina of Salta, Patagonia and Mendoza have done much to showcase the diversity of the grape. Very generally speaking, for example, the Malbecs from the particularly high altitudes of luminous Salta, often give a deeper coloured Malbec, like dark, salted chocolate. Down in Patagonia, the style seems to be more on the crunchy, red raspberry side and in Mendoza, Malbec is more about baked blueberries and raspberries dipped in milk chocolate and wrapped in velvet. 

In more recent years, different terroirs within these key provinces have been identified, where each gives their own nuance to the grape and therefore, the wine style. Mendoza, for example, which is the largest wine province by far, responsible for 76% of the country’s area under vine, is divided into five large sub-regions. These are the Uco Valley (includes the departments of Tunuyán, Tupungato and San Carlos), the Primera Zona (including Luján de Cuyo and Maipú), the Northern Oasis (Lavalle and Las Heras), the East (San Martín, Rivadavia, Junín, Santa Rosa and La Paz) and the South (San Rafael, Malargüe and General Alvear). 

World Class Malbec in the Uco Valley

Much new research, investment and development has been done in Argentina to get the most out of its diverse terroirs and vines. It is the Uco Valley in the southwest of the region however, running along the Tunuyán River, that is largely considered to be the finest wine producing region not just in Mendoza, but in the whole of Argentina. Here, a killer combination of high altitude, snowmelt from the Andes and brilliantly draining alluvial soils combine with over 250 days of sunshine every year and huge temperature swings between night and day. The result is exceptionally high quality grapes that give wines that are particularly intense in aroma and flavour, deeply coloured and richly fruited. And it’s not just about Malbec here, although that is the key grape to be found; Semillon, Chardonnay, Torrontes, Cabernet Franc, Bonarda and Barbera grow exceptionally well here too, so look out for wines made with these!

The Uco Valley has also seen great investment in its wine tourism, so it’s a fantastic place to visit, not just to taste incredible wine, but to stay in luxury boutiques with top class restaurants and take in the epic views while walking, hiking, horse riding and much more.

Try this:
Graffigna Genuine Collection Reserve Malbec, 2020 (£9 from Sainsburys £7.50 when on promotion)

A fresh and fruit-forward Malbec, showcasing black cherry and plum notes blending harmoniously with a touch of spice from the oak. It’s a voluminous wine, friendly and intense, with a very good , full and complex midpalate and excellent tannic structure. Taste it with grilled or roasted meats and vegetables or alone with a blanket by the fire.

If you’ve enjoyed this, make sure you check out more wine content here.

What are the key styles of Malbec?

It’s World Malbec Day on the 17th April! As if we needed an excuse to open a bottle of this chocolatey, velvety wine. To celebrate, let’s get up close and personal with some of the keys styles of Malbec, from France to Argentina. 

While Malbec may be the flagship red wine grape of Argentina these days, its heritage is actually French. It hails from the small French appellation of Cahors in France, which lies inland from Bordeaux on the river Lot. Malbec here is better known as Côt or even Auxerrois in some places and will be found in bottles labelled ‘Cahors’ (remember, in France, wines are very often named after place rather than grapes). When from Cahors, Malbec is darker; more inky, tannic and intense than in its fruitier, Argentinian guise. 

It was only in the 1780s that the grape was planted in Bordeaux by a Monsieur Malbeck and the name for this ‘new’ Bordelais blending grape stuck. It flourished here for a while but gradually got replaced with Merlot as it was a hardier grape for the weather. Its real moment came in the 1880s when French immigrants arrived in Argentina, bringing with them vine cuttings from Bordeaux. Malbec, who had not exactly shone in Bordeaux with the cool weather, flourished here in the sunny dry conditions and the rest is history!

Here’s a Cahors and three Malbec wines from Argentina’s three key provinces: Patagonia, Mendoza and Salta.

Cahors, France

Malbec from its homeland in Cahors is full-bodied and inky black with notes of dark, mulberry spice and a flash of baked red fruit. This is an approachable starter Cahors. The more you go up the price scale, the more intense and heavy they become. Try with hard nutty cheese and braised meats!

Cahors, M&S

Find this one for £8 at M&S

Patagonia, Argentina

Cooler than the more famous region of Mendoza, Patagonian Malbec from the south of the country tends to have a little more elegance, silkiness and freshness with crunchy raspberry and black cherry notes. Think of frozen raspberries dipped in dark chocolate! This one has a bit of age on it too so enjoy those secondary aromas of spice and leather. 

Vinalba Patagonia Malbec

Find it for £10 at Morrisons

Mendoza, Argentina

Mendoza is the best known wine region in Argentina and for good reason. Its warm, dry climate and fabulous light give Malbecs that are ripe and velvety, packed with baked blueberry and milk chocolate notes. Seek out higher altitudes such as this one and you’ll be rewarded with more concentration and complexity. It’s a Fairtrade Malbec made sustainably from grapes grown in the Finca Altamira vineyard in the premium sub region of Uco Valley, 1,100 metres above sea level. It’s aromatic and vibrant red wine with notes of red fruits, herbs, and a great mineral character.

Argento Altamira Single Vineyard Organic Malbec

Find it for £13.50-£13.99 from urbangrapes.co.uk and allaboutwine.com.

Salta, Argentina

Way up in the north of Argentina with extraordinarily high altitude vineyards (think 1700 ml ASL and above!) and exquisitely pure sunlight, is the province of Salta. Within Salta, sits the town and region of Cafayate, which is surrounded by the dramatic, red rock and desert Calchaquí Valleys. Wines from Salta have their own personality. As the light is so strong here and the attitudes bring huge diurnal temperature swings, the malbec grapes develop a thicker skin here (like their own sun protection), which gives the wines a darker colour and more tannic structure together with a cool elegance. Think sea salted dark chocolate with mint at that’s the style. Yum!

Cafayate Estate Malbec

Find this one for £11 at Sainsbury’s 

See more of what we have tasting on the Thursday Club with Mike Graham on talkRADIO TV here!

Thursday Club with Talk Radio: Malbec

With International Malbec Day being celebrated around the world on April 17th, today on The Thursday Club with Mike Graham on talkRADIO, we look at this red grape that has shot to fame over the last ten years and won hearts for its chocolatey texture, its blueberry and raspberry notes, its affordability and general approachable character. While Malbec’s spiritual home is around Southwest France, where it is still the flagship grape of Cahors AOC, it is in Argentina where this grape has shone in recent years, thriving in the bright sunlight and dry climate at high altitudes. Here are three Argentinian beauties to try. 

Specially Selected Argentinian White Malbec

White Malbec? Yes you heard that right. Red wines are usually only red because the skins of the grape give colour as they are macerated with the juice. If you remove them, you get white wine! In this case, there’s a very faint pink colour, which is very pretty. Bone dry with subtle notes of red fruit but what we love is the texture. A unique version of Malbec alright and well worth trying. It would make a great food wine - ideal with hard cows cheese and fish dishes. 

Find it for £6.99 from Aldi here.

Zuccardi Q Malbec, Vista Flores, Uco Valley, Argentina, 2019

Mendoza is the most famous wine region in Argentina and the Uco Valley is a small sub region within it at high altitude, known for particularly high quality wines. Add to that a superstar winemaker called Sebastian Zuccardi and you know you have a serious wine on your hands. Smooth and supple while benign very concentrated with characteristic, savoury, smoked meat notes balanced by blueberry and plum. This wine would love a steak. 

Find it for £11.99 Mix six price from Majestic here.

Rutas de Cafayate, Malbec Elegante, Salta, Argentina, 2020

Cafayate is located in Salta: Argentina’s other, lesser known wine region in the northwest of the country. It’s an area that deserves attention for its mega high altitude vineyards, its desert-like land and incredible incredible sunlight, which can give its wines extra structure, concentration and complexity, or if made simply, just a beautiful purity of fruit. This wine is the latter; rather than a more typical, dark chocolate with sea salt note for Salta wines, it’s vibrant and juicy with smooth red and blueberry notes. Very easy drinking but not confected.

Find it at Sainsbury’s here for £8.50

See what else we’ve tasted on the Thursday Club with Mike Graham, here, here and here.

Best Wines for a Beef Sunday Roast

Fluffy Yorkies, crispy spuds, slivers of tender beef… who doesn’t love a Sunday roast? And it tastes even better when you’re washing it down with a cracking wine. Read on for some top grape varieties guaranteed to match the meaty gorgeousness of a beef Sunday roast, whether or not you choose to smother yours in gravy…

Cabernet Sauvignon

Are you a Sunday roast purist? Then you can’t go wrong with Cabernet Sauvignon – perhaps the most classic match there is. It really makes the beef shine; the wine’s tannins and structure hold up brilliantly against the meat’s robust texture and help bring out its flavour. Styles of Cabernet vary quite a bit depending on where they’re from, so shop (and sip) around to find one you like. Those from Bordeaux are typically lighter than those form the sunny ‘New World’ and are often blended with Merlot, so expect a balance of lovely black and red fruit. California, meanwhile, is known for bold and powerful, age-worthy fruity numbers and if you want something in the middle, look to South Africa, Chile or Southern France.

Affordable: Apothic Cabernet Sauvignon UK £9 // US $8.98
Mid-Tier: Slingshot Cabernet Sauvignon UK £21.50 // US $25.19
Top-End: Mt Brave UK £79.99 // US $99.99

Malbec

This one’s a bit of a no-brainer. Argentina, where some of the world’s best Malbecs are made, also produces some of the world’s best beef so, obviously, the two will go together! Inky and rich, Malbec’s soft tannins and juicy, ripe sweetness make it a good pairing with everything else you’ve got going on the plate too, such as roasted carrots and crisp roasties. Don’t just stick to Argentina though; try Malbecs from Chile or for a more savoury, structured style, head to Cahors in the south of France, which is in fact the grape’s original homeland (and where it is known as cot).

Affordable: Tesco Finest Argentinian Malbec £8
Mid-Tier: Bramare Malbec Lujan de Cuyo £29.44 // US $39.99
Top-End: Catena Zapata Malbec Argentino UK £81.95 // US $119.99

Shiraz / Syrah

Whether in its more concentrated, richly-fruited, juicy and peppery form (Shiraz) or a more meaty, herbaceous style (Syrah), this versatile grape variety is a delicious match for beef. Old-World style Syrahs such as those from the grape’s original home in the Northern Rhône, can often be quite savoury and earthy, so make a good match for the all-important side veg (carrots, parsnips, you name it). Meanwhile, wines labelled as Shiraz, usually from Australia, are typically robust and juicy enough to make the beef stand out. Great halfway styles between the two classics can be found in California or cool climate, Northern Chile.

Affordable: McGuigan Reserve Shiraz £6
Affordable: The Black Stump Durif Shiraz £11.99
Mid-Tier: Penfolds Bin 28 Kalimna Shiraz UK £29.95 // US $27.99
Top-End: Mclaren Vale Yangarra Estate Ironheart Shiraz UK £89.97 // US $121.88

Grenache

It’s not hard to love Grenache. This grape’s got plenty of body, great for meaty dishes like Sunday roast beef but, thanks to soft tannins and lower acidity, it’s also seriously approachable and fruity (read: dangerously drinkable) with notes of wild strawberry and spice. You can easily sip it before, during and after the meal – it’s just as tasty on its own as it is with food, so it’s a prime pick if you’re draining a few bottles with friends over a pub meal where everyone has ordered something different. Spanish wines will label it as Garnacha, while Australian or Rhone ‘GSM’ blends see it blended with Syrah/Shiraz and Mourvedre, aka Mataro.

Affordable: Waitrose Cotes du Rhone Villages £7.99
Mid-Tier: Anayón Garnacha £22.15
Top-End: Orin Swift 'Abstract' UK £39.99 // US $37.99

Tempranillo

One word: Rioja. Savoury, spiced and bursting with strawberry, licorice and leather notes, this medium-bodied wine basically goes with loads of different foods and that means every bite of your sautéed cabbage (if you like that kind of thing with your roast) is going to taste just as great as those roasted potatoes or green beans. While the region of Rioja offers us the most famous expression of Tempranillo, you’ll also find the grape grown elsewhere in Spain and in countries like Australia, where styles are sometimes fuller and more juicy, with chocolate and black fruit notes.

Affordable: Il Carretto IGT Rosso di Puglia £8.75
Mid-Tier: Altos de Baroja Rioja Joven £10.95
Top-End: Marqués de Murrieta Gran Reserva Rioja £48.95

Pinotage

South Africa’s flagship red grape, brooding, earthy Pinotage will give love to the roasted, charred flavours on your plate with its plum, blackberry and dark cherry flavours. Don’t be put off by the ‘burnt rubber’ character that it’s sometimes described as having; the very best-made wines have plenty of fruit, structure and, as they age, develop notes of smoke and spice., especially when you choose a more premium wine made from older vines.

Affordable: Swartland Private Collection Pinotage £8.29
Mid-Tier: The Bernard Series Bush Vine Pinotage £22.90
Top-End: Hamilton Russell Ashbourne £37.95

Sangiovese

Even if you’re not fully ‘au fait’ with the Sangiovese grape, you’ve probably drunk it. For example, ever had Chianti or a Brunello? This Italian grape’s fresh acidity and earthy character makes it infinitely matchable with food, and it can take on a trad British roast just as successfully as Nonna’s finest lasagne. It’s also one of the rare grapes that loves acidic tomato sauces, If you’re looking for something quirkier, try Sangiovese grown in California (you’ll find some interesting takes in the Napa Valley) or Australia. 

Affordable: Caparzo Sangiovese Toscana UK £11.15 // US $12.99
Mid-Tier: Le Volte dell' Ornellaia £28.99
Top-End: Antinori Tenuta Tignanello 'Marchese Antinori' Chianti Classico Riserva UK £34.79 // US $49.99

Looking for some fun Easter drinks gifting? Why not try these Delicious Chocolate Alcoholic Drinks and while you’re at it why not check out these Epic Whisky and Chocolate Pairings?

Marvellous Malbecs under £15 for Malbec Day

Words by Helena Nicklin

Friday 17th April 2020 is World Malbec Day! It’s fair to say that globally, Malbec is now one of the world’s best-loved red wine grapes, thanks to its ability to make wines that are gloriously velvety, fruity and chocolatey at relatively inexpensive prices. It’s easy to see why for years it was seen as the best value wine on a restaurant list. While much of the Malbec that the world has fallen in love with in recent years has been from Argentina however, the grape actually has a French heritage...

A Brief History of Malbec

Malbec was widely planted in south-west France and found favour with royalty such as Eleanor of Aquitaine, Henry II and Francois I, who was such a fan, he had a Malbec vineyard planted at Fontainebleau, just outside Paris. The south-west region of Cahors has always lauded this grape and to this day, any red wine labelled Cahors must be at least 70% Malbec. The style there is inky black and tannic, with spicy, savoury notes.

Malbec was also widely planted not far away from Cahors in Bordeaux. In fact, until a particularly hard winter in 1952, up to 60% of the blend for red Bordeaux wines could be Malbec - a grape chosen for its softness, to help balance the harder tannins of its more muscular cousin, Cabernet Sauvignon. Malbec however, was not its happiest in Bordeaux. Late ripening, delicate and low yielding, it became too much of a risk for the winegrowers at the time who were seeing colder winters. From the harsh winter of 1952 then, producers decided that a replacement was needed that could balance the beefy Bordeaux Cabernet, yet deal with the weather much better. Merlot was the answer and so most Malbec vines were grubbed up and replaced. 

Malbec moves to Argentina

Before Bordeaux made the big move from Malbec to Merlot, the reputation of Bordeaux wines was second to none. The famous great classification of 1855 had solidified the reputation of certain producers, so the world now knew that some of the finest wines in the world came from Bordeaux, France. At around this time, the president of Argentina, Domingo Faustino Sarmiento, who was partial to a glass of good wine, commissioned French agronomist Michel Michel Aimé Pouget to bring cuttings of the finest French vines back to France which at the time, included Malbec. In the dry, warmer climate and incredible light of Argentina, Malbec thrived in a way it never had before. 

New World Vs Old World Malbec

Try some Malbec from Cahors against some from its new home in Argentina…

The Original: Cahors

La Patrie, Cahors Malbec, France. £7, Sainsburys

Dark and powerful with lots of structure, this wine is heavy with black fruit flavours and cocoa powder notes. Ballsy and rustic but also satisfying and great value. 

Jean-Luc Baldès, Malbec du Clos, Triguedina. £7.99, Waitrose

A step up in silkyness from La Patrie, there’s more bramble fruit and elegance in this wine , which is just crying out for cold cuts, paté and a fat steak. 

Le Vassal de Mercues, Georges Vigouroux, 2016. £13.99 Majestic (£11.99 mix 6)

While some Cahors needs a lot of time to come round, this one is drinking very well now. Expect more tannin than its Argentinian friends and a whiff of barbeque meat, lots of spice and serious substance. With a hard, nutty cheese or a fat piece of meat, this will shine.

The Newcomer: Argentina

Exquisite Collection Malbec, Uco Valley, 2019. £5.99 ALDI

I’m usually sceptical of wines this cheap, especially from the Uco Valley, which is a premium region within Mendoza, but this Malbec is an excellent example of type: soft, with juicy, ripe blueberry and milk chocolate. At this price, you can stock up (provided you can get online…)

Benmarco, Susana Balbo, £14.99 (£12.99 mix 6), Majestic

This voluptuous wine is why people love Malbec. Think chocolate muffin with a splash of red fruit and spice, but a complexity that will make it shine with food. A classic Mendoza Malbec but with a brain.

Don David, Blend of Terroirs Malbec, £9 COOP

From Argentina, but not Mendoza. Salta is an Argentinian province to the northwest of the capital city. Malbec from here is a little different thanks to some epic high altitudes, which bring more defined day/night temperature swings and lots of sunlight. The result is thicker skins, so drier and with more dark chocolate, saline and minty notes. This one is that, with a touch of red berry fruit.

Also try:

Intipalka Malbec, Vinos Queirolo, 2018, Peru £10.75 Corney & Barrow

A Peruvian Malbec! Quite different in style but incredibly delicious. Crisp, fresh and light on its feet, with notes of cool raspberry, red cherry and liquorice spice. 

Like this guide? Try Cheap wines that taste expensive, or perhaps 5 reasons to love English wine