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All the medallists from the Global Malbec Masters 2023

Malbec is changing, and for the better – as the judges at this year’s Global Masters blind tasting of the grape were delighted to discover. Patrick Schmitt MW reports.

What a difference a decade makes. That was my feeling following a particularly fine set of results in this year ’s Malbec Masters – a competition that featured an impressive quantity of top-scoring wines, and far more, I would imagine, than we would have seen 10 years ago. Why do I think that? Over the years of running Malbec-only blind tastings, we’ve witnessed shifts in style and quality to a point today where it appears that a happy medium has been struck.

In contrast, during the 2000s, one might taste something more rustic and relatively dilute made from Côt – the synonym for Malbec in its native home of Cahors – or a drop that was more jammy, oaky and alcoholic when grown in the grape’s more famous base: Argentina. Between then and now, we’ve watched the Malbecs of southwest France gradually soften, fill out and improve, and the versions from South America move from fat to skinny, sometimes green, and then a little bit back again to a position, right now, where they are generous, ripe, but also refreshing.

Indeed, commenting on this year ’s competition, after the day’s tasting was over, Jonathan Pedley MW, a fellow chair of the judges, recorded the same trend. “I was particularly struck by the fact that several of the negatives that characterised previous editions of the Malbec Masters hardly featured today,” he said.

“In other words, very few wines were over-extracted, over-oaked, over-tannic and/or over-alcoholic … On the contrary, the tasting demonstrated what super wines Malbec and Argentina are capable of creating across the price spectrum.” In terms of styles and prices, under £10 there was a good standard of wines, but nothing outstanding, as one would expect, considering the constraints of making inexpensive drops at the moment.

But moving beyond this psychological price point, the standard of wines took a leap forward, with several Golds and even a Master awarded, proving that Malbec, particularly from Mendoza, is capable of producing good-value wines with immediate and broad appeal. “The fruit character became more succulent and appealing, with oak adding a bit of richness and complexity; there was more length on the finish as well,” reported Pedley, who said it was such wines that “put a smile on consumers’ faces”.

But it was the £20-£30 category that was declared “the sweet spot” by the judges, with plenty of Malbecs showing the variety’s hallmark combination of fleshy dark berry fruit, black peppery spice and complementary notes of toast and vanilla from maturation in barrels. Such wines were not delicate, or subtle, but have made Malbec popular, especially among diners chewing on marbled red meat.

Finally, at the very top end, over £30 and up to £100, there were samples to show that Malbec can be the basis of fine wine. And not just from the top spots in Argentina – but France too, with La Roche Mère from Crocus in Cahors picking up a Master, putting it alongside famous South American producers such as Salentein and Terrazas de los Andes.

Speaking of the most prized, if priciest, wines of the Malbec Masters 2023, Pedley said: “The best wines here had a refinement not present in the less expensive categories: the fruit was ripe but not stewed, the tannins were polished and the finishes were long.”

Unoaked White Malbec

Winery Name of wine Region Country Vint. Medal
Under £10
Trivento Bodegas y Viñedos Trivento Reserve White Malbec Mendoza Argentina 2023 Bronze

 

Unoaked Rosé Malbec

Winery Name of wine Region Country Vint. Medal
Under £10
Trivento Bodegas y Viñedos Trivento Reserve Rosé Malbec Mendoza Argentina 2023 Bronze
Bodega Argento Artesano de Argento Organic Fairtrade Malbec Rosé Mendoza Argentina 2023 Bronze

 

Unoaked 100% Malbec

Winery Name of wine Region Country Vint. Medal
Under £10
Trapiche Trapiche Pure Mendoza Argentina 2022 Bronze
£10-£15
Uco Valley Wines (Kauzo Estates) Malacara Malbec Mendoza Argentina 2022 Silver
£15-£20
Domaine Bousquet Gaia Nouveau Organic Malbec Gualtallary Argentina 2022 Silver
Bodegas Bianchi Famiglia Bianchi Mendoza Argentina 2022 Bronze

 

Oaked 100% Malbec

Winery Name of wine Region Country Vint. Medal
Under £10
Bodega Doña Paula Cigar Box Malbec Mendoza Argentina 2022 Silver
Kavaklidere Saraplari Egeo Malbec Aegean Turkey 2021 Silver
Finca Flichman Estate Malbec Mendoza Argentina 2023 Silver
Graffigna Graffigna Reserve Uco Valley Argentina 2021 Silver
Bodega Argento Minimalista Malbec Mendoza Argentina 2023 Silver
Trivento Bodegas y Viñedos Trivento Reserve Malbec Mendoza Argentina 2022 Bronze
Graffigna Elixio Insigne Mendoza Argentina 2022 Bronze
Trapiche Trapiche Reserve Mendoza Argentina 2022 Bronze
£10-£15
Fecovita Los Helechos Reserva Malbec Mendoza Argentina 2020 Gold
Bodegas Doña Paula Estate Malbec Uco Valley Argentina 2022 Gold
Trapiche Tesoro Mendoza Argentina 2021 Gold
Bodega Doña Paula Smoked Malbec Luján de Cuyo Argentina 2022 Silver
Terra Organica Malbec Mendoza Argentina 2023 Silver
Susana Balbo BenMarco Malbec Uco Valley Argentina 2021 Silver
Yedi Bilgeler Solon Attica Izmir Turkey 2022 Silver
Trapiche Expedición Sur Neuquén Argentina 2021 Silver
Graffigna Glorious Selection Uco Valley Argentina 2021 Silver
Finca El Origen Reserva Malbec Uco Valley Argentina 2022 Silver
Bodega Norton Winemaker’s Reserve Mendoza Argentina 2022 Silver

Oaked 100% Malbec (continued)

Winery Name of wine Region Country Vint. Medal
£10-£15 (continued)
Sur Andino Argentina Malbado Malbec Luján de Cuyo Argentina 2022 Bronze
Susana Balbo Crios Malbec Uco Valley Argentina 2022 Bronze
Bodegas Etchart Cafayate Estate Salta Argentina 2021 Bronze
Brown Brothers/ Brown Family Wine Group Brown Brothers Origins Series Malbec Heathcote Australia 2020 Bronze
Finca Flichman Reserva Malbec Mendoza Argentina 2022 Bronze
La Celia Elite Uco Valley Argentina 2021 Bronze
Trivento Bodegas y Viñedos Trivento Private Reserve Malbec Uco Valley Argentina 2022 Bronze
£15-£20
Bread & Butter Bread & Butter Mendoza Argentina 2022 Master
Mascota Vineyards La Mascota Mendoza Argentina 2021 Gold
Bodega Foster Lorca Enrique Foster Single Vineyard Los Altepes Mendoza Argentina 2020 Silver
Trivento Bodegas y Viñedos Golden Reserve Malbec Luján de Cuyo Argentina 2021 Silver
Bodega Doña Paula Single Vineyard El Alto Malbec Luján de Cuyo Argentina 2022 Silver
1853 Old Vine Estate Selected Parcel Uco Valley Argentina 2020 Silver
Domaine Bousquet Gaia Organic Malbec Gualtallary Argentina 2021 Silver
Pyros Appellation Malbec Pedernal Valley Argentina 2020 Silver
Bodegas Salentein Barrel Selection Malbec Uco Valley Argentina 2021 Silver
El Esteco El Esteco Cafayate Argentina 2022 Silver
Trapiche Medalla Mendoza Argentina 2020 Bronze
El Esteco Old Vines Salta Argentina 2022 Bronze
£20-£30
Bodegas Salentein Numina Malbec Uco Valley Argentina 2021 Gold
Mascota Vineyards Gran Mascota Mendoza Argentina 2020 Gold
Bodegas Bianchi Bianchi Particular San Rafael Argentina 2020 Gold
Château de Haute-Serre Georges Occitanie France 2020 Gold
Alpamanta Estate Respect Malbec Mendoza Argentina 2021 Gold
Bodegas Bianchi Enzo Bianchi Uco Valley Argentina 2020 Gold
Bodegas Salentein Single Vineyard Los Cerezos Malbec Uco Valley Argentina 2019 Gold
Wakefield/Taylors Wines Taylor Made Malbec Clare Valley Australia 2022 Gold
Domaine Bousquet Ameri Single Vineyard Organic Malbec Gualtallary Argentina 2021 Gold
Terrazas de los Andes Origen Las Compuertas Mendoza Argentina 2021 Gold
Trapiche Terroir Series Finca Ambrosia Mendoza Argentina 2019 Silver
Bodegas Bianchi Gran Famiglia Uco Valley Argentina 2021 Silver
Bodegas y Viñedos Pascual Toso Pascual Toso Alta Malbec Mendoza Argentina 2021 Silver
Maison Rigal Rigal Les Pierres Blanches South-West France 2015 Silver
Château de Mercuès Les Évêques Occitanie France 2020 Silver
Pyros No 4 Malbec Pedernal Valley Argentina 2019 Silver
El Esteco Fincas Notables Salta Argentina 2020 Silver
Bodega Norton Privada Mendoza Argentina 2022 Silver
Millaman Wines Paya de Millaman Curicó Valley Chile 2020 Silver
Culmina Family Estate Winery Malbec Okanagan Valley Canada 2019 Silver
Fecovita Los Helechos – Designado Uco Valley Argentina 2020 Silver
Bodega Foster Lorca Mauricio Lorca Poético Malbec Uco Valley Argentina 2020 Silver
Emiliana Organic Vineyards 57 Rocas Malbec Colchagua Valley Chile 2020 Bronze
Bodega Norton Altura Uco Valley Argentina 2022 Bronze
Sur Andino Argentina Altaluvia Malbec Uco Valley Argentina 2020 Bronze
Terrazas de los Andes Origen Los Chacayes Uco Valley Argentina 2021 Bronze
Finca Flichman Gran Reserva Malbec Mendoza Argentina 2021 Bronze
Bodegas Clunia Clunia Malbec Castilla y León Spain 2020 Bronze
Fecovita Cruz Del Sur – Gran Austral Uco Valley Argentina 2017 Bronze
£30-£50
Bodegas Salentein Single Vineyard La Pampa Malbec 2019 Uco Valley Argentina 2019 Master
Alpamanta Estate Alpamanta Malbec Mendoza Argentina 2021 Gold
Bodega Norton Lote Single Vineyard – La Colonia Mendoza Argentina 2022 Gold
Bodega Doña Paula Selección de Bodega Malbec Uco Valley Argentina 2020 Gold
Finca Flichman Dedicado Gran Malbec Mendoza Argentina 2020 Silver
Maison Rigal Rigal Le Vin Noir South-West France 2018 Silver
Fecovita Los Helechos – Ensamblados Uco Valley Argentina 2018 Silver
Bodegas Bianchi IV Generación Uco Valley Argentina 2020 Silver
Finca Flichman Dedicado Microterroir Sand & Silt Mendoza Argentina 2019 Silver
Terrazas de los Andes Grand Malbec Mendoza Argentina 2020 Silver
Crocus Le Calcifère Occitanie France 2020 Silver
Bodegas Salentein Primus Malbec Uco Valley Argentina 2020 Silver

 

Oaked 100% Malbec (continued)

Winery Name of wine Region Country Vint. Medal
£50-£70
Finca Flichman Dedicado Microterroir Gravel & Stone Mendoza Argentina 2019 Gold
Château de Mercuès 6666 Occitanie France 2020 Gold
Bodega Norton Lote Single Vineyard – Lunlunta Mendoza Argentina 2022 Gold
Bodega Norton Lote Single Vineyard – Agrelo Mendoza Argentina 2022 Silver
Château de Haute-Serre Géron Dadine Occitanie France 2020 Silver
£70-£100
Crocus La Roche Mère Occitanie France 2020 Master
Bemberg Estate Wines La Linterna Malbec Finca El Tomillo, Parcela #5 Uco Valley Argentina 2016 Master
Terrazas de los Andes Terrazas de Los Andes Parcel Los Castaños Uco Valley Argentina 2020 Master
Bodega Foster Lorca Enrique Foster Firmado Uco Valley Argentina 2019 Master
Bodega Foster Lorca Mauricio Lorca Grandes Varietales Malbec Uco Valley Argentina 2019 Master
Catena Zapata Malbec Argentino Mendoza Argentina 2021 Gold
Pyros Pyros Limestone Hill Malbec Pedernal Valley Argentina 2019 Gold
Terrazas de los Andes Parcel Licán Uco Valley Argentina 2020 Gold
Terrazas de los Andes Parcel Los Cerezos Mendoza Argentina 2020 Silver
Terrazas de los Andes Parcel El Espinillo Uco Valley Argentina 2020 Bronze

 

Oaked Malbec Blend

Winery Name of wine Region Country Vint. Medal
Under £10
Viña Luis Felipe Edwards LFE Reserva Malbec Colchagua Valley Chile 2022 Silver
Bodega Argento Artesano de Argento Organic Fairtrade Malbec/Cabernet Franc Mendoza Argentina 2022 Silver
La Celia La Celia Reserve Uco Valley Argentina 2021 Bronze
Viña Luis Felipe Edwards LFE Gran Reserva Malbec Colchagua Valley Chile 2022 Bronze
£15-£20
El Enemigo Wines El Enemigo Malbec Mendoza Argentina 2020 Gold
Viñedos Calcu Calcu Tiny Blocks Malbec Colchagua Valley Chile 2020 Silver
£20-£30
Domaine Bousquet Bousquet Gran Organic Malbec Gualtallary Argentina 2021 Gold
Bodega Norton Lote Negro Uco Valley Argentina 2022 Silver
Susana Balbo Signature Malbec Uco Valley Argentina 2021 Silver

About the competition

With high-quality wines and a unique sampling process, The Malbec Masters provides a chance for your wines to star. The 2023 competition was judged on 10 August at Holmes Hotel London in Chiltern Street, 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 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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