Many of these blends were succulent and aromatic, showing how well Malbec can work with other grapes. In particular, adding extra dimension and filling the sometimes slightly hollow mid-palate make the wines seem more complete. “At the stratospheric price levels, many of the wines are stunningly delicious: great fruit, appropriate oak accents, bright acidity and velvettextured tannins, layered, complex wines, worth every pound.”

Most of the wines came from South America with Argentina dominating the ‘harvest’ of medals, especially of top silvers and golds. Chilean wines can be good when properly ripe and we found a few more-thanrespectable examples, showing good balance and concentration. With high-quality judges and a unique sampling process, The Global Malbec Masters provides a chance for your wines to star, whether they hail from the great vineyards of Europe or lesser-known winemaking areas of the world. In the glass, this Argentine wine shines in a strong ruby red with purple reflections. The nose reveals intense notes of juicy plums and plums, ripe cherries and raspberries - accented by hints of chocolate. On the palate, this red wine presents a fruity, juicy, subtly mineral character, accompanied by a gentle tannic framework. The finish radiates red fruits once again and convinces with a wonderful length. Vinification of the Trapiche Malbec Pure In fact, it was pretty much a continuum of increasing richness, oak influence and alcohol levels as the price increased, which can get boring. But now, we see more ethereal wines succeeding at the top end.” About The Global Malbec Masters

How we make a difference

This year it was another nation that came into the spotlight – France, and above all Cahors, an area in the southwest of the country that’s thought to be the native home of the grape.

OVER THE years we’ve been running The Global Malbec Masters, we’ve witnessed a number of changes taking place among the wines made from this fashionable grape. Many of these have concerned the Malbecs from Argentina, and primarily Mendoza, where we’ve seen a gradual shift from almost over-ripe styles, sometimes overlaid with sweet barrel-sourced flavours, to brighter wines with less overt oak influence.Enjoy this dry red wine from Argentina with cozy barbecues with family and friends or with Italian pasta and casseroles. Awards for the Malbec Trapiche Pure After the grape harvest, the mash is fermented in stainless steel tanks. There it remains on the lees for a total of 8 months (sur lie aging). Subsequently, this wine continues to rest in concrete tanks. A special way to develop a wine and therefore also 100% unoaked. Food recommendation for the Pure Malbec Trapiche Indeed, Catena seems to be providing the most powerful argument for an upwards revision of Malbec’s quality potential, and an improvement of its global reputation – and, to add controversy to this compliment, even provide a reason to elevate the grape to ‘noble’ status alongside the likes of Cabernet. Please read on to see the results in full from this year’s competition, as well as our judges’ comments, and further information about The Global Malbec Masters. In 2021 I’m pleased to say Argentine Malbec appears to have reached an attractive middle ground, with wines generally featuring fully ripe grapes, but not dried fruit, and while the style veers towards something fresher and lighter, the flavours are not green.