Best Malbec wine: Top Argentinian bottles

Wonderfully expressive, generous nose of perfumed black cherry and ripe black berries; iris and violets. Well balanced palate with fine, silky tannins. Exemplary finesse and natural freshness underpinning impressive depth of velvety black fruit. Gently unfurling layers: smooth cassis, limpid red fruit, chalky minerality, pot pourri, milk chocolate, fresh herbs... More is certainly waiting be to revealed with time. A wine to savour slowly.

A serious Malbec, built for the long haul. Intense, harmonious black fruit aromatics; hints of spice, savouriness and a whisper of florality, opening up with time in glass to include notes of richer black cherry and mulberries. Ageing in concrete and old oak foudres for 12 months gives fine tannins and a silkiness to the mouthfeel. Incredible depth of spicy cassis fruit, with a base note of dry earthiness and ground black spices. Layers unfurl as the palate opens up: ripe plum, velvety mulberry and raspberry notes, a touch of pomegranate, underpinned by fresh acidity. Poised, with a long, lingering finish.

The Finca Ambrosia vineyard is planted at 1,307m in Gualtallary. Ripe cassis and black cherries mingle with pot pourri, smoky tones and savoury wafts of pulled pork and salami. Tightly coiled sleek black fruit wraps around fine tannins on the palate, with dried Mediterranean herbs - notably oregano – spice, dark chocolate and sweet cedar. Aged in new French oak for 18 months, with a further 12 months in bottle; shows considerable elegance now, but still young; should mature beautifully.

A selection from top barrels, with the blend changing from year to year: the 2017 uses fruit from Tupungato, La Consulta and Altamira. There's a tightly coiled energy to this wine, both on the nose and palate. Bright black berry and peppery spice aromas. Precise black fruit, minerality and freshness, and a touch of florality, with fine tannins that will soften with more time in bottle. Spicy finish with hints of juicy blackcurrant fruit pastilles. Will continue to open up over time.

The Naoki Vineyard is planted on a steep east-west slope at 950m in Agrelo, producing this expressive Malbec, which is hand-harvested and aged for 12 months in new and used French oak. Elegant black fruit aromas, edged in vanilla, spice and floral notes. There's lovely depth of velvety black fruit, interwoven with spice, plus fine tannins and a savoury bite to the finish. A cracking match for steak.

The 20ha Eolo vineyard was planted in 1912 at 983m in Luján de Cuyo. Appealing aromas of ripe black berries, mulberries and raspberries, dusted with chocolate and dried herbs, alongside a savoury character. Structured, elegant and lifted palate, with the concentration of old vine fruit and notable high-altitude freshness. Spicy black and red fruit; still tightly coiled around a dark, savoury core with fine tannins. Spending 14 months in French oak, with a further 12 months in bottle before release, this will certainly continue to develop if you hang onto it.

A blend of Malbec grapes from three high-altitude vineyards, ranging from 920m to 1,450m. Bright and juicy berry aromas: black cherry, blueberry and raspberry, prettily edged in violets. On the palate there's a mouthful of silky, ripe berries, balanced by high-altitude freshness, with rounded tannins. Spice and vanilla notes linger on the black cherry finish. Tons of drinking pleasure and such good value for money!

Over 200 growers across the Uco Valley contribute fruit to the good-value Estancia Mendoza range, but this single-vineyard expression is sourced from a single site in Vista Flores with 20- to 25-year-old vines. Full-bodied and smooth, it's well made, with attractive violet-edged black cherry and berry aromas. Only 30% of the wine is oaked, allowing juicy black currant fruit pastille notes to shine, balanced by fresh acidity and rounded tannins. Great for steak!

A field blend from 90-year-old vines planted at 1,050m in Las Compuertas: 94% Malbec and 6% Petit Verdot. Elegant black-fruited nose, interwoven with cherries, floral and savoury notes. Fine tannins on the black fruit palate, with juicy acidity, flashes of ripe red fruits, peppery black spice and a core of minerality. Long, spicy cassis and black cherry finish.

The Pedernal Valley sits at 1,400m in the province of San Juan. Flinty limestone soils lend a mineral character to this dense, earthy, black-fruited wine, which has also has notes of cinnamon spice, sweet cedar, herbs and sour cherry. Notable freshness and fine tannins.

From high-altitude organic vineyards in Alto Gualtallary; hand-harvested and aged in French oak for eight months. Black fruit and baking spices on the nose. Appealing, juicy palate, packed with smooth black fruit: ripe black cherry and fresh blackcurrants, with smooth tannins and good persistence on the finish. A super match for steak.

A blend of grapes from La Zulema vineyard at 979m in Agrelo and Viñedos de Don Antonio at 1,200m in the Uco Valley. Ripe, rich and spicy aromas of black berries and raspberry, with a floral edge. Smooth palate, with marked freshness from the high altitude vines and good depth of clean black fruit. Ageing for 12 months in second- and third-use French oak lends structure and spice. An assured and enjoyable Malbec.

From organic vineyards planted at 1,100m in the Uco Valley. Aromas of red berries, black cherry and blueberries, with an edge of toasty spice. Juicy and ripe palate with lush black cherry and mulberry fruit. Soft, rounded tannins are balanced by freshness on the finish, with some savoury, mineral and dried herb notes. A lovely match for steak and good value too.