High-altitude Malbec: Top 20 to seek out

Any discussion of viticulture in Argentina will inevitably include the Andes and the effect of high-altitude landscapes on the country’s wines, especially Malbecs. The intense, flavourful character that red wines develop in this South American country is a direct result of the arid, sunny terroirs that can be found in the Andean foothills.

Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for 20 high-altitude Malbecs

Over the past 20 years, however, wine-growers and oenologists have been working hard to better understand the effects of high-altitude terroirs. This has led to a striking evolution in the wines being produced.

Many have come to the conclusion that vineyard plantings need to go even higher up the mountains to obtain fresher, more precise styles. Hence the term ‘High-Altitude Malbec’ has come into vogue, in order to differentiate the refined but vibrant wines made at these extreme heights.

High ambitions

For years, it was believed that the main determining factor at altitude was the intense solar radiation. It’s true that grapes receive more UV rays the higher you go – encouraging the development of thicker skins and thus more colour, tannic structure and body in the Malbecs. But it’s also the case that temperatures get cooler.For every 150m you go up a mountain, the temperature drops by 1°C.

Traditionally, the vineyards of Argentina were located in warm, arid, sunny areas. So it was inevitable that Argentinian Malbec’s association with the Andes is firmly established. But in recent years wine-growers are going even higher in their quest for freshness and precision. Our expert’s selection of top reds well illustrates the benefits of these high-altitude terroirs winemakers looking for cooler conditions that would help to create greater natural acidity would be tempted to go further up the slopes, pushing the boundaries ever higher.

That quest for the vibrant natural freshness that creates more elegant wines started in Mendoza – Argentina’s main wine-growing region – with the development of promising areas of the Uco Valley. Here, vineyards start at about 1,000m above sea level.

For example, in Gualtallary, Argentina’s star region right now, vines are being grown as high as 1,600m by Terrazas de los Andes to produce its Parcel El Espinillo Malbec, a red of uncommon tension. Meanwhile, in San Pablo, a region that ranges between 1,280m-1,700m, Salentein, Tapiz, Trivento and Zuccardi are taking on the challenges of the height and cold to produce some superb wines.

Elsewhere in the valley, a winery in Uspallata is growing Malbec at a height of nearly 1,900m and obtaining an exquisitely fluid, fruity and herbal character as a result. Over in the province of San Juan, plantings in the Pedernal Valley, at 1,400m above sea level, have transformed the reputation of Malbec from the area.

However, further to the north in Argentina, in the Calchaquí Valleys, viticulture has always begun at a height of 1,500m. In spots such as Luracatao, Pucará, Molinos, Cachi or Payogasta, in Salta province, and the Quebrada de Humahuaca in Jujuy, terroirs can be found set at between 1,980m and 3,080m above sea level. They are producing Malbecs with bewitchingly exotic, raw profiles.

While it would be foolhardy to try to apply a general description to all high-altitude Malbecs, producers are increasingly opting to bring out the fruity, floral and herbal qualities of the grape, supported by juicier, tarter palates. This is certainly true of the 20 labels I’ve selected, as follows.

20 top high-altitude Malbecs to try

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