- The Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling Review (& Top Bottle Recommendations!) - July 10, 2022
- Syrah vs Petite Sirah – Find the Best Grapes and Flavor! - July 7, 2022
- The Best Yellowtail Wine Varieties – All You Need to Know! - July 5, 2022
Every seasoned wine drinker is familiar with the various types of wine selections that are available on the market, which is why everyone has their own preference when it comes to the specific type of wine they enjoy drinking on a regular basis. Because there are so many different wine selections available on store shelves, it can be hard for you to find the right type of wine that will best suit you.
Each wine variety is made of different ingredients and is fermented using various strains of grapes and techniques, because of this, the taste and overall quality of wine that you experience will largely depend on these processes. Another important factor that plays a huge role in the final taste of a wine that you experience is the region in which it is grown.
Virtually every country is known for a specific type of wine that is dominant in the region, these types of wines are often named after the type of grapes that grow in abundance in the nearest region.
One very popular region for specialty wine production in Argentina, the region is known for producing high-quality wine selections that vary in terms of tasting notes, quality, purity, and more. Argentinian Malbec is one of the most commonly sought-after types of wine options largely due to its unique taste and overall profile.
Argentinian Malbec is made using Malbec grapes which are a purple grape that is commonly used in the process of making red wine selections. Malbec grapes tend to be very dark in color and come with a robust set of tannins in the mixture which adds an extra level of depth to the variety overall. Malbec grapes are one of the six total approved grape varieties that are allowed to be included in red Bordeaux wine products.
Aside from being one of the main ingredients in Argentinian wine, Malbec grapes have also been growing in popularity at Argentinian festivals which happen every year in the country.
Recently, instead of making full-bodied wine selections that incorporate mixtures of different wines, many wineries and winemakers across the country are beginning to make 100% Malbec based wine selections that taste great and contain little amounts of potentially harmful sedimentary contaminations.
If you’re someone who enjoys a nice glass of wine, Argentinian Malbec may be just what you’re looking for. There are a lot of different wineries and brands out there that produce Malbec wine varieties of all sorts which gives you plenty of different options to choose from.
However, as someone who is new to Argentinian Malbec wine, it can be hard trying to figure out the exact elements that you should pay attention to when trying to pick the right wine variety.
If you’re one of those individuals, you’ve come to the right place, in this guide, we’re going go to provide you with all of the critical information that you need to know about Argentinian Malbec wine and what goes into its creation process.
Table of Contents
What is Argentinian Malbec wine?
Argentinian Malbec wine is made using the Malbec grape variety that you can find in many different vineyards spread through the region of Argentina. Argentinian Malbec is a red wine variety that has a rather dark colour and robust taste thanks to the Malbec grape which are used in its creation.
Argentinian Malbec wine comes in a lot of different varieties and types all of which vary depending on the winery that makes the product and how the grapes are grown.
Argentinian Malbec wine is, in fact, its own classification of wine, which means that it’s similar to wine selections such as Chardonnay, Rose, Moscato, and others. the wine is often characterized by it’s unique and velvet-like texture in addition to it’s a deep and intensely fruity flavor.
There are a lot of different Malbec wineries and vineyards scattered throughout the country of Argentina including in locations such as San Juan, Buenos Aires, La Rioja, and others.
Now that we’ve covered exactly what Argentinian Malbec wine is, lets dive straight into our top Argentinian Malbec Wine Recommendations.
Our Top Argentinian Malbec Wine Recommendations
There are a lot of really great-tasting Argentinian Malbec wine selections available for you to choose from on store shelves. This can make it quite difficult for you to find the perfect bottle of Malbec wine that comes with all of the tasting notes and hints that you desire.
In the following section, we’re going to provide you with our top recommended Argentinian Malbec wine varieties that are currently available for sale so that you can see first-hand why this particular wine variety is so popular.
Keep in mind, while all of these wines classify as Argentinian Malbec selections, they do vary in terms of their overall taste and texture.
$12-$20 Price Range – Kaiken Ultra Cabernet Sauvignon
Kaiken Ultra Cabernet Sauvignon is a high-quality and affordable wine selection that tastes great and comes packed with tons of great taste and flavours. If you’re looking for a high-quality wine selection that is filled with rich flavor, this is definitely a bottle that you’ll want to pick up. Find the Kaiken Ultra Cabernet Sauvignon here.
$20-$50 Price Range – Mendel Unus
Mendel Unus is a great tasting wine variety that has roots dating back 65+yrs when ago, this particular wine ages in French oak barrels for 16 months at a time. The wine is kept inside of a bottle for at least one year before it’s released to the public. You can find the Mendel Unus here.
$50-$250 – 2011 Tres 14 Tinto de Garage
2011 Tres 14 Tinto de Garage is a premium red wine selection that is elegant and includes tasting nots of oak, red fruit, red berry, and more. This particular wine has a full body that is backed by a spicy finish and a lean pencil flavor. This particular wine selection also has notes of blackberries sprinkled throughout which makes it very refreshing. Click here to find the 2011 Tres 14 Tinto de Garage.
#1 Salentein Single Vineyard Finca El Tomillo Malbec
Salentein Single Vineyard Finca El Tomillo Malbec is cultivated in the Uco Valley region of Argentina and is made with grapes that are not locally grown. This particular wine selection has a very rich and deep red candied taste to it that is rounded off quite nicely by a balanced black candied flavor that makes this wine very robust on the tongue.
This wine also has a prominent taste of herbal traces all throughout its blend in addition to remnants of thyme. The wine also carries with it underlying tones of smokiness, a juiciness thanks to the fruit, rich tannins, and a lot of other unique and distinctive tasting elements.
Overall, the wine has a nice and refreshing taste to it that can be enjoyed with a variety of different food pairings. Salentein Single Vineyard Finca El Tomillo Malbec
#2 Valle Arriba El Pucareño Malbec
Valle Arriba El Pucareño Malbec is unique because it is classified as a high-altitude wine which means that it was produced in an area that has a high elevation. Because of this high-altitude environment, the ingredients in this particular wine are allowed to blossom in ways you can’t experience anywhere else.
This wine selection is filled with a very bold and intense flavor that is dominated by a fruity red overtone which sums up the entire flavor profile of this wine quite nicely. You will also find predominant notes of black fruit in this wine which adds another layer of depth to the overall taste.
This wine surprisingly doesn’t have a nasty after taste that most wine drinkers complain of, which rounds off it’s a smooth and subtle profile with ease. Valle Arriba El Pucareño Malbec
#3 Achával Ferrer Bella Vista Malbec
Achával Ferrer Bella Vista Malbec is a wonderful Malbec wine selection for a wide range of different reasons. This particular wine is a red wine variety that has a lot of different layers to it. This wine also has a moderate level of tannins sprinkled throughout which adds a nice complexity to the overall flavor profile.
This wine selection also includes notes of oak, fruit, and spice to provide you with a well-balanced drinking selection that hits your tongue from all angles. This wine has a very unique freshness to it that will excite your taste buds each time you take a sip. This wine has a very intense flavor that will make you want to keep coming back for more. Achával Ferrer Bella Vista Malbec
Where to Buy
Argentinian Malbec wine is available in many different stores and liquor retailers across the United States. You can also purchase a bottle of premium Malbec from any official wine distillery’s official website. typically, wherever you find regular wine selections, you will also find Argentinian Malbec wine as a potential option to pick up for your next special meal or event.
These are some of the best Argentinian Malbec wine varieties that you can come across, if you have questions about the wine as it relates to storage or serving, continue reading below.
FAQs
The average ABV content of Argentinian Malbec wine is somewhere in the range of 13.5-15%.
The optimal serving temperature of Argentinian Malbec wine is in the range of 60-68-degrees Fahrenheit.
The recommended decanting time for Argentinian Malbec wine is about 30 minutes.
History of Argentinian Malbec Wine
Argentinian Malbec wine is growing in popularity largely due to the fact that the Malbec grape variety was commonly found solely in France, however, recently the amount of Malbec grapes in France has significantly declined but their numbers are surging in Argentina.
The Malbec grape has grown so much in popularity that it has become a national grape variety in the country. The Malbec grape was first introduced to the country in the 19th century, this was a result of the provincial governor at the time who was Domingo Faustino Sarmiento.
Sarmiento told the French agronomist to bring Malbec grapevine cuttings from France into Argentinian, this is what led to the first Malbec wine roots being planted in Argentina. During the 20th century, the country was facing some hectic situations which caused farmers to uproot their Malbec vines in order to replace them with vines used to make jug wine.
Fast forward to today, Malbec grapes are the main variety in the region and as of 2003, there are currently over 50,000 acres of Malbec grapes that are planted throughout the country. The Malbec grapes grown in Argentina are significantly different from their predecessors that were grown in France. They vary in the fact that they have smaller berries located in smaller and tighter clusters than what you find in France.
The large abundance of Malbec grapes in Argentina is one of the primary reasons why it’s such a popular selection with residents of the area and foreigners alike. Malbec grapes were also very popular in California before the prohibition era, during this time period the wine was mainly used to produce blended bulk wine varieties that are found on store shelves all over the world.
During the 1990s after the prohibition era, Malbec wine became popular again due to the increase in circulation of the Bordeaux-style wine variety that was beginning to make its way onto the market.
Now that we’ve gone over some of the history behind Argentinian Malbec wine and the grapes used in its creation process, it’s time to take a look at what key factors you need to look for when choosing the right Malbec wine variety for your desired tasting needs and preferences.
How to choose the right Argentinian Malbec Wine
There are several different factors and elements that you need to consider when choosing the right Argentinian Malbec wine for your desire drinking preference. Before picking up a bottle of any Argentinian Malbec wine, you need to make sure that it has all of the key attributes you enjoy most when drinking this variety.
To ensure that you choose the right Argentinian Malbec wine selection, we’re going to give you all of the important information that you need to know when looking at all of the various brands and options available on the market.
By the time you finish this section, you will be able to understand and choose an Argentinian Malbec wine variety based on the accurate data that is behind their creation and fermentation process. Make sure you read this entire section in full so that you will be able to make an educated decision about which Argentina Malbec wine selection will be best for you.
Extended Aging
Argentinian Malbec is a rather highly sought-after wine variety which is why many wineries who produce this variety age it for extended periods of time before releasing the bottles to market. In general, the longer that a glass of wine is allowed to age, the better that it will taste once inside of the bottle.
As a common practice in the industry, Argentinian Malbec wine varieties are aged for about a minimum 15 to 24 months at a time, this allows the wine to mature to a point where the deeply embedded flavors in the mixture are brought out into the front of the mix so that you can enjoy the marvelous grapes used in the production process of this wine variety.
Argentinian Malbec wine can be aged in several different forms including the inside of an oak tank, it can be oaked, or it can be aged inside of tanks that are made from oak.
Tech Notes
When you hear the term tech notes as it relates to Argentinian Malbec wine, it is referring to the acidity level of the wine that you’re selecting. The acidity will play a huge role in how sour the wine that you’re drinking tastes which is why this is an important factor to consider before buying any bottle of Argentinian Malbec wine that you will find out on the market.
The typical acidic level of any Argentinian Malbec wine selection will rest between 5-7 g/L and the pH content will range between 3.65-3.75 which is acceptable for some of the highest-rated wine selections in this category.
The amount of residual sugars found in Argentinian Malbec wine varieties is fairly little to almost no detection.
Manual Harvested
One of the best ways to gauge the quality of a particular wine selection is by looking at how the grapes used in its creation were harvested. The best quality wines will almost always be harvested by hand, this is what is known as a hand-harvested wine variety.
While automated harvesting technology has improved in recent years, there is still no match for an experienced hand-harvester that knows exactly what to look for in identifying the critical features that determine what a suitable grape is for winemaking.
When you begin looking for a premium Argentinian Malbec wine, you should always try to pick up a bottle that has been hand-harvested.
Region Specific
The region in which your desired Argentinian Malbec wine is cultivated will play a huge role in determining the overall quality of your selected drink. In Argentina, the top-rated Malbec wine cultivation regions are primarily located in the Lujan de Cuyo which is in Mendoza in addition to the Uco Valley.
If you’re purchasing a Malbec wine from outside the region of Argentina, you should look for those selections that are cultivated and created in areas such as France, Cahors, Washington, and Oregon just to name a few.
Now that we’ve gone over all of the most important factors and elements that you need to consider when choosing the right Argentinian Malbec wine for you, it’s time to take a look at a general rule for pricing in terms of how much you should pay for an Argentinian Malbec wine variety.
General Pricing Rules: Pricing the Best Argentinian Malbec wine
The price will also play a huge role in determining the overall quality of the Argentinian Malbec wine that you decide to purchase. As a good rule of thumb, the more expensive the wine selection is, the higher the quality it will be. Argentinian Malbec wine is sold at many different price points ranging from $20-$250 and even higher.
To help you choose the perfect bottle of Argentinian Malbec wine that will suit your taste buds according to price, we’re going to provide you with a detailed breakdown of what kind of quality you should expect to see in each Argentinian Malbec wine that you come across based on its price.
$12-$20 Price Range
Wines that come in this price range are often known as entry-level wines which are commonly produced in very large quantities at one given time. Wines in this price range tend to put more of an emphasis on the smooth and fruity flavor of this wine variety as opposed to the deeper more powerful flavors that can be extracted from the variety by using a high-quality aging method.
That means that in these types of wines, you won’t likely find much oak flavoring or flavors at all like when compared to the higher quality Argentinian Malbec wine options that are out there.
$20-$50 Price Range
Argentinian Malbec wines in the $20-$50 price range are generally considered to be mid-shelf selections that are of higher quality than the price range below them however still not top quality as some of the other options available on the market. Argentinian Malbec wines in this price range tend to go through a process known as extended aging and this is accomplished using either a tank or oak aging method.
You can find $20-$50 Argentinian Malbec wine selections being made by wineries of all types and sizes across the globe. The extended aging process that these particular wines go through helps to bring out the underlying velvety textures and rich chocolate undertones that you’ll taste when drinking them.
$50-$250 Price Range
Argentinian Malbec wines in this price range typically come from the premier regions of Argentina which include Uco Valley and Agrelo just to name a few. Wines from this region are well-known for reaching easily over the $100 mark so you can expect to pay a nice amount of money if you want to experience top-shelf Argentinian Malbec wine. There are also some premium Argentinian Malbec selections that go for sale in the $50 range however these wines are oftentimes made by much smaller wineries.
Conclusion
We’ve covered all of the most important elements and factors that you need to consider when selecting the right Argentinian Malbec wine variety for your desired tasting preferences. Before making a final purchase decision, make sure that you use all of the tips and information we’ve included in this informational guide so that you can begin enjoying your wine from the very first sip. You might also want to try wines from Lebanon, Napa, Califonia, and Oregon.
We partnered with FirstLeaf Wine Club to bring you this special offer: 6 wines for $39.95 + Free Shipping. All you have to do is Take the Quiz and let FirstLeaf take care of the rest.