Although Malbec originally comes from Cahors in southwest France, in the modern wine world we know this variety as the grape of Argentina.
Recently, we’ve also seen an increasing number of interesting expressions coming from the U.S. What began as a secondary wine in many winery lineups has now become a force of its own. Even if the grape still plays second or third fiddle to Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, producers are putting more care and effort into this variety these days. It’s as if American winemakers are falling for Malbec right in front of our eyes.
We tasted so much Malbec our teeth are still inky. But the impressive wines from California, Washington, and even Maryland made the endeavor well worth it. So if you think you know Malbec, think again, and try these 16 standout bottles.
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Why You Should Trust VinePair
Throughout the year, VinePair conducts dozens of tastings for our Buy This Booze product roundups, highlighting the best bottles across the world’s most popular wine and spirits categories.
As part of this work, VinePair’s tasting and editorial staff samples thousands of bottles every year. This helps us keep a finger on the pulse of what’s new and exciting. It also provides us with the crucial context needed to distinguish the simply good from the truly great — whether from a quality or value-for-money perspective, or both.
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How We Taste
We believe in tasting all products as our readers typically would: with full knowledge of the producer and — importantly — price. Our tastings are therefore not conducted blind.
VinePair’s tasting panel evaluates every wine on its aromas, flavors, structure, balance, and quality. We also consider whether or not the wine showed typicity for its specific grape or region.
How We Compiled This List
In order to provide our readers with the most comprehensive and thoroughly tested list of the best Malbecs to buy, VinePair invited producers, distributors, and PR firms working on their behalf to send samples for consideration. These bottles were submitted free of charge — producers didn’t pay to submit nor did VinePair pay for the products. All were requested with the clear understanding that submission does not guarantee inclusion in the final list.
For the Malbec roundup, we assigned a score to each product on a 100-point scale based upon the quality and intensity of its aromas, flavors, texture, and finish. Then we reviewed all scores and compiled an editorially driven list that meets our criteria of 16 best Malbecs to buy right now. Each wine was assessed on quality, price, and availability to compile the final list.
The Best Malbec from Argentina
Bodegas Bianchi IV Generación Gran Malbec 2019
Bodegas Bianchi is a family-owned winery that was founded in Mendoza in 1928. Today, the estate is known as a large-scale global brand with widely available Malbecs, but this single-vineyard bottling is a step up from its entry level wines. It’s made from a single block in the high-altitude Uco Valley, showcasing the terroir of the Andes mountains.
Aged in French oak for 12 months, this Malbec has an impressively rich, dark berry nose with hints of cocoa. The palate is smooth and even with a good fruit depth, balancing acidity, and medium weight.
From the 2019 vintage, this wine also shows how Malbec presents itself with some age on it. The tannins have softened into the body of the wine, while the palate still maintains prominent acid and fruit flavors.
Average price: $55
Rating: 90
The Best Malbec from Outside of Argentina
Old Westminster Winery Malbec 2020
Winemaker Lisa Hinton is onto something. Maryland is emerging as a nationally recognized wine growing state and the Old Westminster winery is leading the way. Great wine is made all across this country. It’s the skills, patience, focus and land respect of humans that make a wine excellent. Old Westminster knows this and has these tools.
We loved its Albarinño Pét-Nat last year, and are completely floored with the winery’s Malbec this year. This might be one of the most bright, beautiful, and balanced Malbecs on the market. The wine’s subtle earthy tones give a nod to the grape’s French counterpart Cahors. The nose is savory with notes of dried herbs and dark wild berry fruit. The palate has exceptional acidity and a great balance between fruit and earth.
Average price: $48
Rating: 93
The Best of the Rest:
Best Malbecs Under $25
Wölffer Estate Vineyard Finca Wölffer Malbec 2022
Although Wölffer is a Long Island staple, offering wines from grapes grown in the region, it also has a relationship with growers in Argentina. So this Malbec isn’t from Long Island, but actually comes from the famous Mendoza subregion Alto Agrelo-Lujan de Cuyo. The nose has a roasty, leathery aroma with some dark wild berry fruit. The palate shows good natural acidity lifting the medium fruit on the palate.
Average price: $18
Rating: 90
Aniello 006 Riverside Estate Malbec 2022
While most Argentinian Malbecs on your store shelf are from the country’s renowned Mendoza region, this bottling comes from Patagonia. Though it’s better known for its scenic mountains and intense hiking trails, Patagonia is also an up-and-coming wine region. This bottle is affordable, delicious, and easy-drinking. The nose pops with bright berry fruit, and the palate has great acidity and soft medium fruit for a comfy mouthfeel.
Average price: $18
Rating: 90
Best Malbecs Under $50
Abacela Winery Malbec 2022
This wine is sourced from Abacela’s estate vineyards in southern Oregon’s Umpqua Valley. Here, three different mountain ranges converge, creating a unique terroir for viticulture. So while the state is most well known for Pinot Noir, Malbec works surprisingly well in this area. The wine has a subtle nose with aromas of blackberries, vanilla, and dried herbs and a soft, even palate with a great depth of fruit.
Average price: $32
Rating: 90
Page Mill Winery Malbec 2022
Page Mill Winery was founded in the Santa Cruz Mountains in 1976, but as the production outgrew the space, it moved to the Livermore Valley in 2004. Now, the estate crafts a wide range of wines from the Livermore Valley AVA including Tempranillo, Petite Sirah, and this delicious Malbec. This wine offers a slightly floral nose with pops of ripe fruit and earth. The palate is tart with a good core of fruit and natural acidity that lifts the wine on the palate.
Average price: $36
Rating: 90
Valley View Winery Domaine Rogue Malbec 2021
This Malbec is from Oregon, south of the famous Willamette Valley in the Applegate Valley closer to the border. Here you’ll find a plethora of varieties, from Grüner Veltliner to Cabernet Franc and, like this bottle, Malbec. Winemaker Mike Brunson gives us yet another unique expression of this grape. The nose is filled with bright floral aromas and the palate pops with brambly berry notes. The fruit is fleshy and the acidity is present, accentuating the floral note.
Average price: $38
Rating: 92
Kiona Vineyards Estate Bottled Red Mountain Malbec 2021
Kiona was the first to plant vines on Red Mountain in Washington State. The winery’s legacy can be seen and tasted through its extensive yet focused and quality-driven lineup of wines produced by winemaker Tyler Williams and his team. This Malbec shows the lighter side of the variety with savory spice and leather aromas on the nose. Some of the wine is aged in new French oak for 23 months, adding a slight whisper of toasty vanilla notes. The mouthfeel is so nice with good medium fruit and a lazy, lingering finish.
Average price: $40
Rating: 92
Tower 15 Malbec 2021
Pali Wine Co. is a wine collective based in Santa Barbara County that makes wines from across the Central Coast, like this Malbec from Paso Robles. Tower 15 is one-third of the collective and focuses on “powerful, small lot, nuanced wines.” This Malbec is so metal (and not just because of the skull on the label) with deep dark and earthy on the nose with some nice wild berry fruit concentration. The palate has a good tannic grip around the edges, adding structure to the juicy fruit core.
Average price: $40
Rating: 90
Dry Creek Vineyard Malbec 2021
Dry Creek Vineyard is a longstanding family-owned and operated winery in Sonoma’s Dry Creek Valley. The winery began by planting Sauvignon Blanc, against the advice of the “experts,” and proved it could be done. It must have taken the same approach with Malbec, because it’s not a grape often seen in this region. But it’s good that Dry Creek Vineyard went for it, because this wine is delicious. It offers spiced oak on the nose and palate with a good fruit depth. The oak gives the perception of weight but the natural acidity keeps things in check.
Average price: $42
Rating: 90
Whitehall Lane Winery Rutherford Malbec 2022
Whitehall Lane is well known for its red wines. It makes wonderful Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, and here the winery applies those skills to an unlikely Napa wine: Malbec. When sipping this delicious wine you can feel the winemaking style of Whitehall Lane in the textures of the palate. It’s quite engaging, with savory wild berry fruit on the nose. It has a soft touch on the palate, similar to their Merlot — and it’s wonderful.
Average price: $45
Rating: 93
Longboard Vineyards Mystos Malbec 2021
Founder and winemaker Oded Shakked has a great quote on the homepage of the Longboard Vineyards website: “In winemaking, as in surfing, one learns to happily surrender to Nature. Control is an illusion, just remain humble and aware and react to what is given to you by the season.” This could be a lesson in life as well, but it really does apply to winemaking in this case. This Malbec hits the nose with savory, peppery aromas on first whiff. There are some toasted oak notes of vanilla and baking spices from time aging in French oak barrels, as well as wonderful, round fruit on the palate.
Average price: $48
Rating: 90
Merriam Vineyards Lower Pond Malbec 2021
Peter and Diana Merriam fell in love with Sonoma 24 years ago and decided to take the plunge and fix up an aging property and bring it back to life. They also love the French winemaking style and aim to achieve this in the Russian River Valley. Speaking of French wine, their Malbec is wonderful. It’s fully oaked — but very well balanced — on the nose. The palate offers deep, dark fruit notes of blackberries and plums with an even mouthfeel.
Average price:$54
Rating: 90
Best Malbecs Under $100
Fidelitas Red Mountain Malbec 2021
The Red Mountain AVA keeps bringing the Malbec. This bottling is a blend of four different vineyard sites, showcasing the region’s terroir. It’s soft and deep with judicious oak. It has a slight fleshy medium weight on the palate with excellent supportive acidity.
Average price: $50
Rating: 93
Canvasback Red Mountain Malbec 2021
Canvasback is a winery within Napa Valley’s Duckhorn portfolio based in Washington State’s Columbia Valley. It’s a tiny region — about 4,000 acres, with just under 2,600 under vine — but the quality is mighty. Winemaker Joseph Czarny shows us why Malbec is something to be talked about in the Red Mountain AVA. It has deep, inky fruit on the nose with a waft of coffee and dark chocolate. The palate is even deeper with just enough acidity to weigh on the palate just right. It’s a deep, soulful wine.
Average price: $58
Rating: 93
Imagery Estate Winery Malbec 2021
Sustainable winemaking has been part of the Benziger ethos since the 1970s when they settled in northern California. They went full biodynamic in 1995 and haven’t looked back. This Malbec is from their Imagery Estate collection, and shows that this kind of sustainability can lead to delicious wine. It’s subtle and earthy on the nose with a soft viscous palate, showing medium fruit depth and a nice finish.
Average price: $63
Rating: 90
FAQs
Where is the best Malbec made?
Though it originally hails from the south of France, Malbec is most notably produced in Argentina, especially in the Mendoza region.
Why is Malbec so popular?
Malbec appeals to the masses due to its affordability and approachable, juicy fruit flavors. It’s easy to drink and pairs very well with a range of foods.
*Image retrieved from BY BRAZIL via stock.adobe.com
