There are red wines… and then there are red wines.
The ones which welcome you with open arms, don’t challenge you with complex characteristics but combine charming aromas with a smooth, velvety texture and flavours enlivened by high-altitude freshness… malbec.
Approachable, food-friendly and delicious from word go, these purple grapes flourish in sun-kissed vineyards where the dry, cool climate has made malbec a magnet for wine lovers seduced by the softness, superb concentration of fruit and sheer drinkability.
In honour of National BBQ Week (June 3 to 9), we’ve rounded up these ace Argentinians and champ Chileans to get the juices flowing…
1. Tilimuqui Fairtrade Organic Malbec 2023, Famatina Valley, Argentina, £7.50 from £8.50, now until June 4, Co-op, in-store
A simple, straightforward style with pretty florals, this is a great example of how these wines cloak the palate with generous brambly fruits, soft spice and succulent finish.
2. Morrisons The Best Uco Valley Malbec 2021, £10, Morrisons
Fabulously fresh and flavoursome with bags of blackberry, blueberry and plummy fruit accompanied by hints of violet, sweet spice; topped with lavender aromas and smooth, silky finish. Super satisfying.
3. La Fama Malbec 2022, DO Valle Central, Chile, £12.99, Virgin Wines
Ripe, intense, with vanilla, oak and smoky accent on the nose to enhance your favourite cut of steak, burger or bangers; the forest floor of fresh brambly fruit and toasty notes shape a very delicious wine indeed.
4. Doña Paula El Alto Malbec 2021, Mendoza, Argentina, £15.99, Waitrose
Perfumed, rich and broad, with a lovely sense of mountain freshness to the fragrant fruit, with notes of blackberry, plum, violets and dark chocolate alongside a touch of tobacco, finishing smooth and long.
5. Trivento Golden Reserve Malbec 2021, Mendoza, Argentina, £16, Tesco
Super-approachable and gorgeousness in a glass, ripe red and black fruits are laced with notes of cherry, violets, vibrant blueberry, vanilla and well-integrated oak. With enough grip to handle those tasty marinades.
6. Terrazas De Los Andes Malbec 2021, Mendoza, Argentina, £19, Sainsbury’s
A real beauty with a bouquet of richly scented fruit and fragrant florals, it’s packed with a refreshing combination of plummy, blackberry and lavender fruit, with an enticing spicy note radiating on the plush, persistent finish.
