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All the medal-winning wines from the 2022 Global Malbec Masters

This year’s competition saw some exciting Malbecs from the variety’s Argentinian heartland and its birthplace in southwest France, as well as excellent examples from many other countries and regions. By Patricia Stefanowicz MW.

Malbecs and Malbec-dominated expressions frequently produce exceptional ‘black wines’. The quality of those we judged in our 2022 Global Malbec Masters competition was remarkably high, from inexpensive to extremely high-priced. To use the much maligned phrase, Malbecs are by-and large ‘food wines’. However, they are not only fit to accompany grilled Argentinian beef, they can be just as good with something like Cajun gumbo with a bit of home-made salsa.

This year, the lion’s share of entries came from South America, with Argentina dominating the medals, especially Golds and Silvers. Chilean wines also showed very good balance and concentration.

Mendoza and, especially the cooler part of Uco Valley and Luján de Cuyo, produce stunning wines; intense but elegant, with abundant silky-textured tannins and aromatic overtones, crushed orange-coloured roses and hints of acacia honey. Weightier wines come from the lower, warmer slopes here, though the wines retain balance and integrity. At every price point, these wines deliver. Some of the biggest excitement among the judging panel this year, however, came from Malbec’s birthplace – southwest France. Exceptional examples came notably from Cahors and the Dordogne. The latter is the home of Pécharmant, and these made up some of the most elegant wines we tasted, in particular, wines from the Georges Vigouroux group – that high-class, French Malbec extraordinaire.

The rest of southern France is also a good place to search out high-quality Malbec wines, with some superb styles from the Languedoc. Brisk acidity, wellcontrolled tannins and appropriate use of oak with high alcohol less evident are all attractive features in these wines, which did not envoke palate-fatigue, even at the end of an extensive ‘black-wine’ tasting day. More crowdpleasers this year came via blends of Malbec and other, mostly Bordelais, varieties, including Petit Verdot. Many of these blends are succulent and aromatic, showing how well Malbec can work with other grapes, adding extra dimension and filling the sometimes slightly hollow mid-palate, making the wines feel more complete. An interesting aspect of this year ’s Global Malbec Masters is that we received more blends from outside of France than previous years, from the likes of Argentina, Chile and other parts of the globe, including Australia, suggesting that it’s not just single-varietal Malbec that producers are pursuing with earnest. Up in the more stratospheric price brackets, many of the wines were stunningly delicious, with great fruit, well-measured oak accents, bright acidity and velvet tannins. You can discover a number of these layered, complex wines over the following pages and they are worth every penny.

Rosé Malbec

Winery Name of Wine Region Country Vintage Medal
Under £10
Trivento Bodegas y Viñedos Reserve Rosé Mendoza Argentina 2022 Silver

Unoaked 100% Malbec

Winery Name of Wine Region Country Vintage Medal
Under £10
Bodega RPB El Supremo Mendoza Argentina 2020 Silver
Finca Flichman Estate Malbec Mendoza Argentina 2022 Silver
Aldi Ireland S/S Argentinian Malbec Uco Valley Argentina 2021 Silver
£10-£15
Agostino Wines Crux Malbec Mendoza Argentina 2020 Silver
Domaine Bousquet Alavida Organic Kosher Malbec Gualtallary, Uco Valley, Mendoza, Argentina Argentina 2021 Silver
£20-£30
Bodegas Bianchi Famiglia Bianchi Organic San Rafael Argentina 2021 Silver

Oaked 100% Malbec

Winery Name of Wine Region Country Vintage Medal
Under £10
Agostino Wines Estate Malbec Mendoza Argentina 2019 Gold
Graffigna Genuine Collection Mendoza Argentina 2021 Silver
Finca Flichman Finca Flichman Reserva Mendoza Argentina 2021 Silver
Trivento Bodegas y Viñedos Trivento Private Reserve Mendoza Argentina 2021 Silver
Viña Indómita Zarper Bío Bío Valley Chile 2020 Silver
Viñedos Puertas Aguanegra Gran Reserva Curicó Valley Chile 2020 Silver
Bodegas y Viñedos Pascual Toso Toso Estate Malbec Mendoza Argentina 2021 Bronze
Bodega Norton Barrel Select Malbec Mendoza Argentina 2021 Bronze
Graffigna Graffigna Glorious Selection Uco Valley Argentina 2019 Bronze
£10-£15
Viña Las Perdices Graham Norton’s Own He-Devil Mendoza Argentina 2020 Gold
Bodega Norton Winemakers Reserve Malbec Mendoza Argentina 2021 Silver
Doolhof Wine Estate Single Vineyard Malbec Limietberg South Africa 2020 Silver
Trivento Bodegas y Viñedos Private Reserve Malbec Uco Valley Argentina 2021 Silver
Agostino Wines Crux Xtra Malbec Uco Valley Argentina 2019 Silver
Finca Flichman Paisaje de Tupungato Malbec Mendoza Argentina 2021 Silver
Sur Andino Argentina Los Cardos Private Collection Malbec Mendoza Argentina 2021 Silver
Bodegas y Viñedos Pascual Toso Toso Estate Malbec Mendoza Argentina 2021 Bronze
Bodega Norton Colección Malbec Mendoza Argentina 2021 Bronze
Bodega Norton Winemakers Reserve Malbec Mendoza Argentina 2020 Bronze
La Celia Pioneer Uco Valley Argentina 2020 Bronze
Antigal Winery & Estates Uno Malbec Mendoza Argentina 2019 Bronze
Yedi Bilgeler Solon Attica İzmir Turkey 2021 Bronze
Viña Sur Andino Argentina Cigar Box Old Vine Malbec Mendoza Argentina 2021 Bronze
Doña Paula Doña Paula Estate Malbec Mendoza Argentina 2021 Bronze
Serre de Bovila Vignobles Romain Alexandre South West France 2020 Bronze
£15-£20
Bodegas y Viñedos Pascual Toso Pascual Toso Reserva Malbec Mendoza Argentina 2020 Gold
Viña Sur Andino Argentina Malbado Malbec Mendoza Argentina 2021 Gold
Pyros Wines Pyros Appellation Malbec San Juan Argentina 2019 Silver
ACW Trisquel Series Malbec Curicó Valley Chile 2020 Silver
Emiliana Organic Vineyards 57 Rocas Malbec Colchagua Valley Chile 2020 Silver
Trivento Bodegas y Viñedos Golden Reserve Malbec Mendoza Argentina 2020 Silver
Doña Paula Single Vineyard El Alto Mendoza Argentina 2020 Silver
Marcelo Pelleriti Signature Malbec Mendoza Argentina 2019 Silver
Château Saint-Didier-Parnac Prieuré de Cénac Occitanie France 2020 Silver
Domingo Molina Domingo Molina Malbec Cafayate Argentina 2018 Silver
Bodega Piedra Negra Malbec Reserve Uco Valley Argentina 2021 Silver
La Celia Elite Uco Valley Argentina 2020 Bronze
Kraft aus Rust X Bec Burgenland Austria 2018 Bronze
£20-£30
Bodegas y Viñedos Pascual Toso Pascual Toso Alta Malbec Mendoza Argentina 2020 Master
Pyros Wines Pyros Vineyard Block 4 Malbec San Juan Argentina 2018 Gold
Bodegas Clunia Clunia Malbec Castilla y León Spain 2019 Gold
Bodega Norton Privada Malbec Mendoza Argentina 2020 Gold
Bodegas Bianchi Gran Famiglia Mendoza Argentina 2020 Gold
Finca Flichman Dedicado Gran Mabec Mendoza Argentina 2019 Gold
Salentein Numina Malbec Mendoza Argentina 2020 Silver
Bodega Norton Altura Malbec Mendoza Argentina 2020 Silver
Terrazas de los Andes Apelación de Origen Las Compuertas Luján de Cuyo Argentina 2020 Silver
Alpamanta Estate Alpamanta Malbec Mendoza Argentina 2020 Silver
Terrazas de los Andes Apelación de Origen Los Chacayes Uco Valley Argentina 2020 Silver
Agostino Wines Agostino Legado Malbec Mendoza Argentina 2017 Silver
Hacienda el Condor Paya de Millaman Curicó Valley Chile 2019 Silver
Bodega Foster Lorca Mauricio Lorca Poético Malbec Mendoza Argentina 2019 Bronze
£30-£50
Doolhof Wine Estate Bloedklip Malbec Limietberg South Africa 2018 Master
Tapiz Black Tears Uco Valley Argentina 2017 Master
Finca Flichman Dedicado Microterroir Sand & Silt Mendoza Argentina 2019 Master
Viña Sur Andino Argentina Altaluvia Malbec Mendoza Argentina 2019 Master
SAS Rigal Rigal Le Vin Noir Cahors France 2018 Gold
Bodega Alpamanta Terroir Malbec Mendoza Argentina 2014 Gold
Salentein Single Vineyard Los Cerezos Malbec Mendoza Argentina 2018 Silver
Bodega y Viñedos Catena Catena Alta Malbec Mendoza Argentina 2019 Silver
Catena Zapata Angélica Zapata Malbec Mendoza Argentina 2018 Silver
Finca Flichman Dedicado Microterroir Gravel & Stone Mendoza Argentina 2019 Silver
Finca La Anita Magna Finca Luján de Cuyo Argentina 2019 Silver
Lupa Wines Lupa Malbec Mendoza Argentina 2018 Silver
Bodegas Bianchi Bianchi Particular San Rafael Argentina 2019 Silver
Doña Paula Selección de Bodega Malbec Mendoza Argentina 2019 Silver
Bodega Norton Lote La Colonia Mendoza Argentina 2019 Silver
Tabali Tabali Talinay Lítico Valle de Limarí Chile 2017 Silver
Bodegas Bianchi Bianchi IV Generación Uco Valley Argentina 2019 Silver
Bodega Foster Lorca Mauricio Lorca Gran Malbec Mendoza Argentina 2019 Silver
Tabali Roca Madre Limarí Valley Chile 2018 Bronze
Salentein Single Vineyard El Tomillo Malbec Mendoza Argentina 2018 Bronze
£50-£70
Georges Vigouroux SAS Château de Haute-Serre, Géron Dadine South West France 2019 Gold
La Celia Heritage Uco Valley Argentina 2019 Gold
Salentein Salentein Single Vineyard Los Jabalíes Malbec Mendoza Argentina 2018 Silver
Terrazas de los Andes Grand Malbec Mendoza Argentina 2019 Silver
£70-£100
Pyros Wines Pyros Vineyard Limestone Hill Malbec San Juan Argentina 2018 Master
Doña Paula Parcel Los Indios San Carlos Argentina 2019 Master
SAS Baldes Jean-Luc Triguedina The New Black Wine Cahors France 2016 Master
Bodega Foster Lorca Enrique Foster Firmado Mendoza Argentina 2018 Gold
Catena Zapata Malbec Argentino Mendoza Argentina 2020 Silver
Terrazas de los Andes Parcel N° 2 W Los Castaños Uco Valley Argentina 2019 Silver
Doña Paula Parcel Alluvia Mendoza Argentina 2019 Silver

Unoaked Malbec Blend

Winery Name of Wine Region Country Vintage Medal
Under £10
Cono Sur Bicicleta Malbec Central Valley Chile 2021 Silver
Aldi Ireland Pierre Jaurant French Malbec Syrah Languedoc-Roussillon France NV Bronze

Oaked Malbec Blend

Winery Name of Wine Region Country Vintage Medal
Under £10
Cono Sur Organic Malbec Colchagua Valley Chile 2021 Silver
La Celia La Celia Reserve Uco Valley Argentina 2021 Silver
£10-£15
Viña Luis Felipe Edwards LFE Gran Reserva Malbec Colchagua Valley Chile 2020 Silver
Via Wines Chilensis Reserva Malbec Maule Valley Chile 2019 Bronze
£15-£20
Langmeil Winery Black Beauty Malbec Barossa Australia 2021 Silver
£20-£30
El Enemigo Wines El Enemigo Malbec Gualtallary Argentina 2019 Gold
Bodega Norton Lote Negro Mendoza Argentina 2020 Silver
Bodegas Bianchi Famiglia Bianchi Mendoza Argentina 2021 Silver
Doña Paula 1100 Uco Valley Argentina 2019 Silver
Viña Valdivieso S.A. Caballo Loco Grand Cru Curicó Curico Chile 2020 Bronze
£30-£50
Georges Vigouroux SAS Château de Haute-Serre, Les Seigneurs South West France 2019 Master
Georges Vigouroux SAS Château de Mercuès, Les Evêques South West France 2019 Silver
£50-£70
El Enemigo Wines Gran Enemigo Blend Gualtallary Argentina 2018 Master
Viña Luis Felipe Edwards LFE 900 Malbec Colchagua Valley Chile 2019 Silver
Finca El Origen PHI Mendoza Argentina 2020 Silver

About the competition

With high-quality judges and a unique sampling process, The Global Malbec Masters provides a chance for your wines to star.

The 2022 competition was judged on 16 September at Humble Grape, Fleet Street, London, employing experienced judges. The top wines were awarded Gold, Silver, or Bronze medals according to their result, and those expressions that stood out as being outstanding in their field received the ultimate accolade – the title of Malbec Master. This report features the medal winners only. Please visit the Global Masters website for more information, or, to enter future competitions – giving you the chance to feature online and in print – please call: +44 (0) 20 7803 2420 or email Sophie Raichura at: sophie@thedrinksbusiness.com.

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