Looking for some seasonal inspiration to spice up your wine rack?
Come rain or shine, World Malbec Day has always been celebrated on April 17 – and with the date falling on a Friday this year, there couldn’t be a better time to drink in a little bit of happiness with one of the world’s most popular wines.
With its deep inky colour, fruity softness and generous plummy personality, malbec offers wine lovers a soft landing all the way – especially if you don’t feel like getting spendy.
As our thirst for mighty malbec continues apace, there’s a variety of styles at favourable price points to be found on supermarket shelves. And these easy-drinking, high-altitude reds are made from grapes that bask in more than 300 days of sunshine a year – a drop of joy!
So, whether you’re raising a glass with a virtual party, catching up with your mates via zoom, or hunkering down with your other half on the sofa, these top drops will go down a treat… Salud!
1. Asda Extra Special Malbec, San Juan, Argentina (£7.50, Asda stores)
For the price, this is a gorgeous malbec with bags of deep colour and lush fruit, Asda’s senior wine buyers reckon. Bursting with dark red fruit flavours, a touch of toasty oak and a little spice make it a perfect partner for roast meat, BBQ’s at home or lightly spiced dishes.
2. Tesco Finest Argentinian Malbec 2019, Mendoza, Argentina (£8, Tesco stores)
Instantly inviting, this malbec is floral and perfumed with a delicious combination of blackberry and plum flavours, alongside lighter notes of blueberry and white pepper. Velvety smooth with a long, fruity finish enriched by ripe black berries, it’s another savvy buy.
3. Estancia Malbec Reserva 2018, Uco Valley, Argentina (£8, Morrisons stores)
There’s a wonderful concentration to this full-bodied beauty, with vibrant aromas of cherry and blackberry, plus notes of vanilla and caramel. It’s all generously laden with rich black fruits and topped with a lovely long, succulent finish.
4. Valdivieso Winemaker Reserva Malbec Curicó 2019, Chile (£8.49, Waitrose)
Chile likes to turn its hand to most grapes – and you can’t go wrong with this little cracker. A perfect parcel of fruit, cushioned with a generous core of cassis, blueberries and sweet spice, lifted by lovely floral notes and a bright, fruity finish. Waitrose suggest this tastes softly plumier compared with an Argentinian malbec; another winner without a lofty price tag.
5. Vinalta Malbec 2017, Mendoza, Argentina (£9, Marks & Spencer stores)
Another gorgeous glass that’s bursting with plums, strawberries and spice with hints of lavender, this wine’s full of energy and has a vibrant, fruity elegance and no oak influence. Indeed, M&S suggest this malbec is versatile enough to be served lightly chilled, or pair with Thai food or pasta as well as your favourite cut of steak.
6. Mendel Malbec 2017, Mendoza, Argentina (£23.99, Winebuyers)
Wonderfully complex, this is a couple of notches up the scale price-wise but worth splashing out on. Seductive and smooth as a silk stocking, the winemaker recommends decanting this wine ‘due to the intensity of the fruit, it’s body and volume’. You’ll be rewarded with an elegantly perfumed bouquet with touches of violet, a rhapsody of rich, black fruits and a finish as long as a runway. Gorgeousness in a glass.
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