It’s no secret that Malbec reigns in Argentina—particularly in its famed Mendoza region—and our latest Tasting Highlights explores some of the country’s well-priced offerings that overdeliver at $30 or less, with scores up to 92 points. Even more impressive, they range from regional bottlings to single-vineyard reds, showing the scope of quality in the South American wine region.
Except for two reds, this group of Mendoza reds comes from the Uco Valley subregion. Over the past few decades, Uco has become Argentina’s epicenter for exciting Malbecs. One reason is its radically diverse array of microclimates and elevations, ranging from around 2,800 to 5,200 feet. Finca Sophenia has two wines on this list, both from its estate vineyards in the high-elevation Gualtallary area. The sites’ primarily sandy-stony soils and cool climate tend to produce elegant wines with good structures, as seen with the silky Estate Reserva bottling, which has concentrated berry flavors, a minerally spine and a firming finish. On the other hand, the Altosur red sees less time in barrel and is crafted for approachability; the latest vintage shows quaffable boysenberry notes.
This lineup also includes Tapiz’s Selección de Barricas San Pablo Single Vineyard Uco Valley 2021, one of the top scorers, which is evocative with cardamom, raspberry and violet notes. Read on to get our score and full expert tasting note for this fantastic Mendoza Malbec red and eight others.
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