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

Unoaked Rosé Malbec

Unoaked 100% Malbec

Oaked 100% Malbec

Oaked 100% Malbec (continued)

Oaked 100% Malbec (continued)

Oaked Malbec Blend

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