The Charms of Argentinian Malbec

Wine review: 

Easy to love, easy to find and easy to understand. Is it any wonder that when it comes to breezy, laid-back grape varieties, malbec is a gateway wine? I guess many of us came to wine through it, good examples of which have the moreish, sweet scent of violets, blueberries, mulberries and redcurrant. It wasn’t always the case. In the 1950s it was largely forgotten, reduced to a poor-quality blending partner in Bordeaux. You can still find some malbec in Cahors, southwest France, where it takes on a more rustic, deep black character. It’s glorious with a torn-off piece of baguette and some pâté.

Argentina, though, is its new home and, from a pretty low base in the early 1990s, it is now the country’s most planted grape variety. Like chardonnay, or other ubiquitous wine styles, wine snobs can often decry it for a lack of complexity or being too fruity.

This is to miss the point. In Argentina, estates such as Achaval Ferrer, Catena and Cheval des Andes are reaching new heights with tangy acidity that reminds me of good Chianti classico. Above all, it needs meat, preferably meat that has been close to some sort of fire. Sirloin steak is a shoo-in, as are bangers and mash. But the glory of malbec is that it shouldn’t be overthought — just sit back and enjoy its immediate charm.

2017 EXQUISITE COLLECTION ARGENTINIAN MALBEC
Aldi, £6, Argentina
It’s difficult to find fault with this wine for the price. It’s made in the fashionable Uco Valley, where the vineyards are planted at altitude, which translates into a fresh, elegant wine with plenty of dark fruit. The finish isn’t long, but for £6 it’s a cracker.

2015 FAIRTRADE MALBEC 
Co-op, £7.50, Famatina Valley, Argentina
Made in northwest Argentina by Rodolfo Griguol, this medium-bodied wine has a vivid, dark-violet colour and hits you immediately with its intensity and ripe, succulent flavour. It finishes with mouth-filling notes of chocolate and cocoa too.

2015 VINALBA MALBEC, MENDOZA
Morrisons, £8, Argentina
The Viñalba range is always worth looking out for. This is classic Argentine malbec, made with a European touch by the Bordeaux-born winemaker Hervé J Fabre. Full of dark fruit and some oak, it demands food and goes well with barbecued meat.

2013 GOUGUENHEIM FLORES DEL VALLE BLUE MELOSA MALBEC
Tanners, £14.50, Mendoza, Argentina
Patricio Gouguenheim left his job in banking in 2002 and started a winery 3,600ft up in the Uco Valley. His Blue Melosa malbec is a gloriously rich wine, with inviting, dark berry flavours and a lingering hint of vanilla.

2015 GAUCHEZCO RESERVE MALBEC
Slurp, £16, Mendoza, Argentina
A wine made in the heart of Mendoza from grapes grown in vineyards that date back to the 19th century — and it’s the quality of the fruit that makes this an absolute standout. There is a soft, floral element to it, with notes of red fruit such as raspberry.

2016 DONA PAULA 1100 
Morrisons, £14, Argentina
A blend of malbec, cabernet sauvignon and syrah, Doña Paula 1100 is made from grapes grown in the high vineyards of the Uco Valley. Medium-bodied, with a deep colour, the wine has a certain silkiness to it, plus floral notes of violet, underpinned by a soft layer of oak.