22 top Malbecs and Malbec blends to try

Above 1,600m in Gualtallary, Andrea Mufatto and Gerardo Michelini buy grapes from a highly chalky vineyard. After a year of ageing in old barrels, this red shows a firm, tense structure, with mineral tones and herbal notes. The acidity seems to have claws, the flavours complex and profound. Charming.

This shows an accent in the freshness of the fruits and herbs, far from the maturity and unctuousness usual in the wines of this winery. A new release, it has fine and firm acidity, and a powerful and ample body, but all in a refreshing and tense balance.

Finca Sophenia is the creation of Roberto Luka, sometime president of Wines of Argentina, its name from an amalgam of daughters Sophie and Eugenia. Rogelio Rabino is head winemaker, with Matías Michelini in a consulting role. The vines are spread over 130ha of sandy and rocky soils at an altitude of 1,200m. Among their most treasured holdings here are the plantings of low-yielding Malbec clones. Following fermentation, the grapes are macerated with the skins for 10 days, after which the wines spend around a year in oak. Phil Crozier: Very deep and dark aromas unfold onto a palate flaunting a breathtaking concentration of fruit. Looks, feels and tastes expensive. Paz Levinson: Intense aromas of floral-tinged black cherry and blueberry fruit, with a beautiful length and elegance of herbal and floral black fruit on the palate. Patricio Tapia: This is absolutely what Gualtallary should deliver: a feast of fruit and flowers, bright acidity and bags of tension.

From the La Encerrada vineyard, one of the highest and most chalk-rich spots in Gualtallary, this Malbec represents a shift in the house style towards much fresher and more tense reds, less focused on the wood and more on the fruits and the expression of the place.

Oz Clarke: Big and toasted; rich and ripe. Deep, sweet cherry and plum fruit with some scent. Fat and toasty but good. Sarah Jane Evans: Aromatically it’s roasted Victoria plums in vanilla syrup. The palate overflows with flavour too, alive with juicy Malbec plumpness and a seasoning of spice. Tina Gellie: Deliciously vibrant and juicy black fruit pastille notes, with vanilla sugar. Brambly and plush with a good grip of tannins. A very moreish Malbec. Recommended by Andy Howard MW

Paz Levinson: This is a very floral wine, backed by a nice combination of black and red fruit. Exemplary balance of ripe fruit and crunchy acidity. Drink this slightly chilled on a warm summer evening. Patricio Tapia: Ripe, but refreshing and easy to drink; this is light and fruity.

Paz Levinson: A lovely perfumed nose, though it needs time to open up. Smoky notes need to integrate. This is pure black fruit deliciousness. Patricio Tapia: A generous core of raspberry and blackberry fruit. A simple style that's refreshing and straightforward.