History

Malbec arrived in Mendoza in 1853 from Cahors, France, via French agronomist Michel Aime Pouget at the request of governor Sarmiento. The grape thrived at 1,000-1,500 m altitude where it failed in France. Catena Zapata's Nicolas Catena Zapata in the 1980s pushed the high-altitude vineyards (Adrianna, Gualtallary) that made Argentine Malbec world-famous.

Common allergens: Sulfites

Make it at home

Yield Serves 4 (flight tasting)Hands-on 10 minTotal 30 minDifficulty Easy

Ingredients

  • 1 bottle entry-level Mendoza Malbec (Lujan de Cuyo)
  • 1 bottle Uco Valley Malbec (mid-range)
  • 1 bottle high-altitude Malbec from Gualtallary or Salta Calchaqui
  • 1 bottle aged Reserva or Gran Reserva Malbec
  • 4 ISO tasting glasses per drinker, or rotate one set
  • 100g hard Argentine cheese (sardo or reggianito), cubed
  • Crackers or grissini

Method

  1. Chill the bottles to cellar temperature (16-18C). Too warm and the alcohol dominates.
  2. Open all four 30 minutes before serving. Decant the aged Reserva.
  3. Pour 40ml of each wine into four glasses per drinker, in order: entry-level, Uco, high-altitude, Reserva.
  4. Taste each blind first (sight, swirl, smell, sip). Compare colour depth, fruit profile and tannin grip.
  5. Note tasting impressions: entry-level Lujan is plummy and rounded; Uco brings florals; Salta and Gualtallary are linear and high-acid; the Reserva shows leather and tobacco.
  6. Pair with cubes of sardo cheese between wines to reset the palate.

Tip from the editors. Argentina makes great Malbec at every price level. Spend 30 USD on four bottles, not 100 USD on one.

This is the TableJourney editorial recipe, modelled on the canonical bistro / counter version. The first place to try the dish in its city of origin is below.

Where to eat malbec wine flight

Malbec Wine Flight in Buenos Aires

Aldo's Vinoteca ★ 4.6

microcentroMon-Sat 12:00-00:00

Aldo Graziani's wine-led restaurant in Monserrat: 600-plus labels selected via blind tasting; bottles at retail plus modest corkage. Deep by-the-glass list.

Signature pour: Cabernet Franc from Lujan de Cuyo

Wine focus: Argentine focus, 600-plus labels, Malbec and Cabernet Franc

Food: Argentine bistro with parrilla

Moreno 372, C1091 Buenos Aires

Lo de Joaquin Alberdi ★ 4.5

palermo-sohoMon-Sat 11:00-21:00

Palermo Soho wine shop-bar focused on small-batch Argentine bottles. Knowledgeable team, daily by-the-glass list and Friday tastings; a discovery counter.

Signature pour: Single-vineyard Malbec by the glass

Wine focus: Argentine boutique producers, small-batch Malbec

Food: Picada plates

Jorge Luis Borges 1772, C1414 Buenos Aires

Vico Wine Bar ★ 4.3

villa-crespoDaily 19:00-02:00

Self-pour Villa Crespo wine bar with 100-plus Argentine labels on Enomatic machines; prepaid card, pour your own half or full glass, tapas to share.

Signature pour: Self-pour Malbec flight

Wine focus: Self-pour: 100+ labels by the glass

Food: Tapas and Argentine charcuterie

Gurruchaga 1149, C1414 Buenos Aires

Pain et Vin ★ 4.4

palermo-sohoTue-Sat 18:00-00:00

Half bakery, half wine bar in Palermo Soho. Naturally fermented bread, country charcuterie, small-producer wines from Patagonia and the Calchaqui Valley.

Signature pour: Patagonian Pinot Noir

Wine focus: Argentine natural and small-producer

Food: Sourdough sandwiches and charcuterie

Gorriti 5132, C1414 Buenos Aires

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