The best wines to try on Malbec World Day

On April 17, wine lovers will raise a glass of full-bodied red in honour of Malbec’s remarkable rise to prominence. This popular grape was in danger of fading into obscurity in France, but it crossed the globe and reinvented itself as Argentina’s flagship variety. Malbec is now flourishing around the world, from California to China, while it continues to go from strength to strength in its Mendoza heartland.

Why April 17?

On April 17, 1853, President Domingo Faustino Sarmiento of Argentina hatched a plan to modernise the country’s wine industry. He hired French agronomist Michel Aimé Pouget, who brought a series of European vine cuttings across the Andes. Pouget experimented with a bunch of French varieties, but it was Malbec that thrived in Argentina’s diverse terroirs.

In 2011, Wines of Argentina launched World Malbec Day to celebrate the anniversary of the grape’s reinvention. It’s a popular event in Argentina, but Malbec World Day has spread around the world, with a busy schedule of tastings and events.

From French châteaux to the Andean foothills

Malbec originated in the French region of Cahors in around 150 AD. It proved popular with Europe’s elites in the Middle Ages, especially with Eleanor of Aquitaine. However, the grape – known locally as Côt – faded in the ensuing centuries. A devastating frost in 1956 then wiped out around three-quarters of France’s Malbec vineyards.

On the other side of the world, Malbec was beginning to shine. In Mendoza’s sun-drenched, high-altitude vineyards, the grape found conditions it could only dream of in France: dry air, intense sunshine, dramatic day-to-night temperature swings and virtually no rot.

Malbec responded by producing deeply coloured wines with velvety tannins, ripe dark berry flavours and its signature floral lift. Today, Argentina is home to around 85% of the world’s Malbec plantings, and the variety’s expressions range from the rich, concentrated reds of Maipú’s older vines to the elegant, mineral-driven wines emerging from the cooler, higher reaches of the Uco Valley and Salta’s vertiginous vineyards.

Scroll down to discover top-scoring Malbec wines from DWWA 2025

A versatile variety

Malbec’s appeal lies in its versatility. The grape delivers approachable, fruit-forward wines at everyday price points, but it can also produce age-worthy wines that perfectly express the local terroir, rivalling the world’s finest reds. It takes beautifully to oak, developing notes of chocolate, vanilla and tobacco, and it also works well in blends.

Beyond Argentina, it continues to thrive in Cahors – where it is enjoying a renaissance – and Malbec is also gaining ground in Chile, Australia and Californian regions like Napa and Paso Robles. They’re even making high-quality Malbec in China’s Ningxia region.

This April 17, whether you opt for a bold Mendoza classic or a brooding Côt from Cahors, pull the cork and raise a glass to one of wine’s great reinventions. Few grapes have travelled so far and come back with such a good story to tell.

Argentina

Durigutti Family Winemakers, Proyecto Las Compuertas 5 Suelos, Las Compuertas, Luján de Cuyo, Mendoza 2024
Platinum, 97 points
Multitudes of cherries, blackberries, plums and blueberries entangled in a lavish sage and lavender fragrance. Silky smooth and finely textured with svelte tannins whilst retaining a vigour and verve which flows unswervingly to the finish line. Alcohol 13%

Etchart, Single Vineyard, Cafayate, Salta 2024
Platinum, 97 points
Archetypal high-altitude Malbec exuding all the classic hallmarks: plums, blackberries and cherries underpinned by a lively herbal core. Snappy and energising, a spicy balsamic character saunters over the palate and conjoins with a stony mineral note to end. Alc 14%

Finca Flichman, Microterroir Gravel & Stone, Tupungato, Mendoza 2021
Platinum, 97 points
Incomparable splendour and sophistication emanates with layer upon layer of violets, blueberries, liquorice and dark chocolate which infuse with the rapturous tannins and bracing beam of acidity. Ample and mouth-filling with a refined mineral length. Alc 14%

Domaine Bousquet, Finca Lalande Organic, Tupungato, Mendoza 2024
Value Gold, 95 points
Brilliant blackberry and sweet cherry fruit with rippling graphite and savoury spice notes. Ripe tannin, zesty acidity and a very long finish maintain the bright focus to the last. Alc 14%

Finca Sophenia, E's Vino, Gualtallary, Tupungato, Mendoza 2024
Value Gold, 95 points
Rippling with succulent blueberry fruit and violet, floral perfume with an energising palate of plump fleshy tannins and zingy acidity, concluding with a balsamic twist. Alc 14%

Huichaira, Cielo Arriba, Jujuy 2022
Gold, 95 points
The epitome of a wine from incredibly high altitudes; layers of blackcurrant, sweet spicy herbs and florals are enmeshed in satin texture and tannins with breath-taking acidity to boot. Alc 14%

Majestic, Zuccardi Definition, Uco Valley, Mendoza 2022
Value Gold, 95 points
Tenacious ripe blackberries, blueberries and cherries rumble over the savoury spice and smoky oak core. Firm and powerful with bold, grippy tannins and a peppery finale. Alc 14.5%

Marks & Spencer, Collection Susana, Uco Valley, Mendoza 2024
Value Gold, 95 points
Splendid blue fruit and violet perfume interweaves nicely with the plush tannins and densely structured palate, with a bite of mineral fresh acidity to finish. Alc 14%

Santa Julia, Family Reserve, Mendoza 2024
Value Gold, 95 points
Abundant red and blue fruits with hints of violet and mint. Richly structured with chalky tannins, cocoa notes to fill out the fruit and vivacious acidity: generous Mendoza classicism. Alc 13.5%

Viñalba, Mendoza 2024
Value Gold, 95 points
A buoyant parade of damsons, plums and cherries with a fresh herbal energy kept in check by the soothing acidity and softening tannins. Charm personified. Alc 13.5%

Chile

Viña Undurraga, Red Field Blend, Maule 2022
Gold, 95 points
Aromatic blackberry, violet petals and pink peppercorn notes provide interest and intrigue with a mouth-watering juiciness driving through the palate. Soothing, smooth and reassuringly long. Alc 14.5%

China

Mountain Wave, Helan Mountain East, Ningxia 2021
Gold, 96 points
Hugely concentrated damson florals, black cherries and plums with a bewitching clove and vanilla aspect. Stylish and plush with silky tannins and a lofty, lingering acidity. Superb! Alc 14%

France

Château de Haute-Serre, Grand, Cahors, Southwest France 2023
Platinum, 97 points
A spine-tingling drive of energy and allure: sweet damsons, red berries and fragrant spices permeate the impeccably structured palate, complete with sleek tannins and an inviting acidity. Attractive and beautifully fresh with a moreish finish. Alc 14%

Clos Triguedina, Cahors, Southwest France 2021
Gold, 95 points
Towering with intense black fruit, black pepper and sweet oak spice which unfolds over the velvety structure and confident tannins displaying great typicity and charisma. Alc 13%

United States

Clos du Val, Stags Leap District, California 2022
Gold, 95 points
A powerhouse of crushed blackberries, plums and blueberry vanilla compote with a slick smoky cedarwood persistence. Structured and bold with decisive tannins and a lively finish. Alc 15%

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