I'm a drinks writer — stop buying Malbec and try these Argentinian wines instead

Rob Buckhaven at an Argentinian vineyard and bottles of Argentinian wine.
Argentina has more to offer wine lovers than just Malbec (Picture: Rob Buckhaven)

Argentina produces 75% of the world’s Malbec. I’ll let that sit with you for a minute…

Yes, Malbec, the luscious, spicy, plummy red that is as inextricably linked to Argentina as baguettes are to France, pizza to Italy or tequila is to Mexico.

We crave the predictability and consistency of a decent, mid-range Argentine Malbec, it’s rare to pour a duff drop of the stuff. Plus, it’s never ruinously expensive but equally, won’t have people thinking you’re on the breadline either. Basically, it’s in the running to be the perfect red wine, but could there be whispers of Malbec-fatigue?

Like all good love stories, our relationship with Malbec is evolving, and let’s just say, it’s complicated. I actually went to Mendoza in September, Argentina’s principal winemaking region. Bizarrely, it wasn’t the Malbecs that blew me away, but two grapes I hadn’t associated with Argentina before: Chardonnay and Cabernet Franc.

I felt naughty, like I was cheating on Malbec, but sometimes you just want to speak to someone else at the party. You know?

I recently travelled to Argentina and was blown away by the wine I tried (Picture: Rob Buckhaven)

The Cabernet Franc proved that Argentina isn’t just a one grape wonder, earning accolades for its flavours of red currants, bell pepper and smoked mulberries. It thrives in the cooler regions of the Uco Valley and Patagonia, sneaking up on us, quickly becoming the star of the Malbec spinoff show.

Then, there’s Chardonnay, about the furthest thing from a run-of-the-mill white wine you can sip. The high altitudes have given it vibrancy, complexity and there’s little-to-no oak ageing used these days, keeping things crisp and pure.

So, why this change? Because, like any creative hub, Argentina is moving away from being a monocultural shrine to the Malbec grape, into a hotbed of viticultural diversity.

Modern wine-making regions, like the Uco Valley, are popping up like coffee shops in West London boroughs, experimenting with altitude (some of their vineyards are more than two thousand metres above sea level), soil types and grape varieties. In fact, they’ve taken to digging ‘soil pits’ around the vineyards to better analyse their soils, which can differ massively within a single vineyard.

Winemakers are acting like teenagers in lab coats who’ve just discovered grunge music and microscopes (good album title), making wines that are seducing sommeliers and swaggering onto restaurant wine lists. There’s now a natural wine scene in Argentina, a (small) production of orange wines, pet nat sparkling wines, amphora-aged wines – it’s a new era for Argentina and I left it feeling a buzz of energy, like I’d just been plugged into the mains.

So, what’s the prognosis for poor old Malbec? The outlook remains positive, in that Argentina’s not ditching it, just redefining it. Malbec is still the rock, the steady hand, the grape that keeps the lights on in the wineries. But the new wave Malbecs are fresher, more nuanced, less brooding and more complex.

Here are five of the top new-wave Argentine wineries you should have on your radar, and drinks you should try…

Chakana

Trendiest haircuts in the biz, at Chakana Wines (Picture: Rob Buckhaven)

Speaking of grunge, if you spotted the Chakana team playing the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury, you wouldn’t bat an eyelid. Young and hipster-like with the best hairstyles I saw in Argentina throughout the whole week I was there (and I went to Buenos Aires). They’re also making wines that tear up the rule book, leaning towards the natural wine style of production. They’ve been organic since 2012 and biodynamic since 2016 with their Finca Nuna vineyards, 80km of what is one of the largest biodynamic vineyards in Argentina.

Try: Chakana Ayni Malbec, £25.95, Fortnum & Mason

The Malbec grapes are grown in the top-tier Altamira region of the Uco Valley, between 1-2K metres above sea level. This is both organic and biodynamic, and tastes of dried blackberries, plums and vanilla pod. Pure and totally delicious, though pricey due to its scarcity. Alternatively, you could try Fortnum’s Argentinian Malbec, £14.50, for something more budget friendly, also made by Chakana.

Finca Decero

The incredible view at Finca Decero (Picture: Rob Buckhaven)

I audibly gasped when I first saw Finca Decero winery, the Andes mountains sitting behind it, looking like a dramatic greenscreen on a Zoom call. Bearing in mind, this vineyard oasis with a meticulously curated ecosystem is located in a desert, which Mendoza is, you can only imagine the amount of time and energy it took to get here. We had an asado grill lunch, under the Andes, and it remains one of the most vivid memories of the trip. Decero (meaning, ‘from zero’) a relatively young winery, making high-altitude wines from grapes including Petit Verdot, Tannat and Syrah.

Try: Finca Decero Mini Ediciones Cabernet Franc 2018, £27.30, winedirect.co.uk

The star red grape for me, Cabernet Franc is the daddy of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. These grapes are harvested at high altitude, by hand, to ensure their ripeness. The Mini Ediciones is a range of wines made in limited quantities from rare varieties. They use the finest Bordeaux clones to deliver perfumed plum and earthy graphite notes.

Catena Zapata

The Catena Zapata winery in Agrelo, Mendoza (Picture: Rob Buckhaven)

Perched amongst the stunning foothills of the Andes like a Mayan pyramid, Catena’s iconic winery is a shrine to the art of wine production. Award-winning winemaker, Nicolás Catena Zapata is redefining the country’s winemaking reputation from some of the highest vineyards in the world, some are a towering 5,000 feet. For more than a century, Catena has been the preeminent winemaking family, nay royalty, in Argentina.

Try: Catena Zapata ‘Catena Alta’ Chardonnay, £21.00, Ocado

A serious wine, with flavours of apricot and preserved lemon and serious power behind it. It’s considered one of the most outstanding Chardonnays to come out of Argentina, and you can see why. It’s full bodied and creamy with an outstandingly zesty energy.

Argento

Argento Winery is Argentina’s largest organic grape producer (Picture: Rob Buckhaven)

Argentina’s largest organic grape producer has 284 hectares certified, focussing on organic (obviously) and low-intervention winemaking. That just means, leaving mother nature to do her thing without interference, as much as possible. Juan Pablo Murgia is the young winemaker, in fact, he was named ‘Young Winemaker of the Year’ back in 2021. This is an innovative and exciting producer (they’re even making wines in Patagonia), with a massive commitment to sustainability.

Try: Artesano de Argento Organic Malbec Cabernet Franc, £10.25, Sainsburys

This is a Fairtrade blend of 70% Malbec, 30% Cabernet Franc from the high-altitude Luján de Cujo region. Superb value for money, it’s considerably cheaper than the others I’ve recommended, though not as premium. The grapes have been partly aged in French and American oak, with the Cabernet Franc stepping in with a delightful leafiness. Lots of smoky blackcurrant and creamy cherry flavours running alongside it.

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I’m a drinks writer — stop buying Malbec and try these Argentinian wines instead

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