Value Argentinian Malbec: panel tasting results

Alistair Cooper MW, Dirceu Vianna Junior MW and David Williams tasted 149 wines, with 15 Highly Recommended.

Value Argentinian Malbec panel tasting scores

149 wines tasted

Exceptional 0

Outstanding 0

Highly recommended 15

Recommended 92

Commended 40

Fair 1

Poor 1

Faulty 0

Entry criteria: producers and UK agents were invited to submit their latest-release vintage Argentinian red wines containing at least 85% Malbec

We received a whopping 149 samples for this marathon tasting, illustrating just how competitive this sector of the Malbec market is.

Having recently taken part in the impressive premium Malbec tasting for Decanter, I was keen to assess the value proposition at the more affordable end of the market.

Disappointingly I was left underwhelmed and somewhat confused as to the direction that producers are pursuing at the grass roots level.

Scroll down for the top-scoring value Argentinian Malbec wines

Stylistic uncertainty seems to be the key issue, as well as inconsistency.

At the premium end we had seen a refreshing move away from over-extraction and over-oaking towards an emphasis on purity and expression of place. Yet here we saw too many clumsy wines, with winemakers favouring style over substance.

David Williams made an interesting observation: ‘In Spain, the focus at this price-point has shifted, with an emphasis being placed on drinkability. It seems that here there is almost too much ambition, such as pushing the fruit too far (ripeness) or being heavy-handed in the winery. I would like to see winemakers trust more in purity of fruit.’

For me, old-fashioned heavy oaking was one of the biggest problems; I thought that we had moved away from it. This led us to wonder whether producers believe that consumers expect oak-led wines at this sub-£20 price point otherwise they will feel short-changed – especially given the association that exists now between full-bodied Malbec and steak.

Dirceu Vianna Junior MW added: ‘There seems to be a lack of concentration of fruit, so I wonder what yields they are working with? Consumers want fruit exuberance, and there seemed to be too much of the winemakers’ imprint over varietal typicity rather than well-managed fruit in the vineyard.’

See all 149 wines from the Value Argentinian Malbec panel tasting

Vintage variation was an interesting factor in this tasting. I was surprised by the poor display of wines from the acclaimed 2019 vintage. All too often the wines were dry, stripped, with marked tannins. In contrast, the 2020 and especially the 2021 vintages fared better, showing brighter fruit and a perception of freshness as well as increased concentration overall.

Another question we asked was whether at this price point producers may wish to consider blending in other varieties in small amounts to add brighter fruit? Perhaps a dash of Bonarda, or even Cabernet Franc? Or perhaps just eschewing oak in favour of more neutral vessels such as concrete or cement tanks might be a cheaper and easier way to achieve this brightening effect?

Vianna suggested that maybe we just had our expectations set too high and should consider the results from another point of view. ‘Of the 149 wines, 107 of them were rated Recommended (86pts) or above,’ he said. ‘So perhaps in some respects it is not a disappointment and we are simply being too demanding!’ This is an interesting take, and certainly should be considered.

But on the flip side, only two wines scored higher than 90 points (with 13 at 90pts), and that, too, is telling. In short, fans of Malbec are unlikely to experience many highs under £20, but equally should be generally satisfied at the entry-level end of the market.

Top-scoring value Argentinian Malbec: 

The judges

Alistair Cooper MW is a wine consultant, writer, broadcaster and educator with a particular focus on South America. President of the Cata d’Or wine awards in Chile, he is also consultant wine buyer for United Cellars in Sydney.

Dirceu Vianna Junior MW is a wine writer, consultant, educator and broadcaster. Moving to the UK in 1989, he spent much of his career as wine director for some of the UK’s most prominent wine distributors, and in 2008 he became the first South American male to obtain the Master of Wine title.

David Williams is a regular contributor to Decanter on all things Spanish. He is also wine correspondent for The Observer, deputy editor of The World of Fine Wine, and a columnist for trade magazine The Wine Merchant.

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