The Catena family is entering its second century of winemaking in Mendoza, Argentina. Named after Nicolas Catena Zapata's youngest daughter, the Adrianna Vineyard is located at almost 5,000 feet elevation in Mendoza. The soils in this 1.4 hectare parcel are filled with scattered limestone and marine deposits that covered the region millions of years ago. In 1898, Nicola Catena left his homeland of Italy, and sailed for the land of plenty and opportunity: Argentina. It wasn't long before Nicola planted his first Malbec vineyard in Mendoza in 1902. Although traditionally used as a blending grape in Bordeaux, Nicola believed in the potential of Malbec as a single varietal wine, and suspected that it might uncover its hidden splendour in the cooler climes of the Andes. Flash forward a few decades, to where Nicola's grandson, Nicolas Catena Zapata, has taken over the management of the business. He sold off the bulk producing parts of the company, focusing instead on producing premium Mlabec and Cabernet. To that end, he began searching for the best sites in Mendoza to plant. In 1992, he settled on Gualtallary Alto - the highest and moste Western part of Tupungato. Today, the wines of Bodega Catena Zapata are sourced from six historic estate vineyards: Angélica, La Pirámide, Nicasia, Domingo, Adrianna and Angélica Sur.

Medium purple hue. Ripe blackberry & black cherry with hints of fresh tobacco. Upfront, it is all juicy and dark fruited - ripe plum, tangy blueberry with a touch of ribena sweetness - but to follow, a hint of smoky cured meatiness and fine chalky tannin serve to make the finish savoury yet muy refrescante. Fermented in open stainless steel vats on skins for 14 days. Gentle pressing off skins via airbag press. The brainchild of Guy Anderson and Thierry Boudinaud, Fat Bastard Wines came into being via an exclamation, "Now that is what you call a Fat Bastard!" The comment came in response to a barrel of experimental Chardonnay that Thierry had left on lees for an extended maturation. Both Guy and Thierry felt that the wines had to be shared with the world, and so Fat Bastard Wines was born. Now, the pair work with wineries and vineyards from all over the world, sourcing fruit and juice from a myriad different regions and countries. But one factor remains the same: they make unapologetically full-bodied wines, packed with flavour and vibrancy.

Super tasty Malbec dominant blend is another shining example of why Steve Pannell is rightly lauded as one of the world's greatest wine makers. The additional splashes of Shiraz, Touriga and the exotic Tinata Cao come together beautifully and result in a fleshy & juicy drink that packs a punch and is perfect paired up with anything you can put your hands on to throw on the BBQ. Built for good time drinking.

This new release from Little Giant is an absolute cracker! Sourced from dry grown vineyards across South Australia, this is a classic looking Malbec with a deep crimson colour in the glass. Dark berry aromas are complemented by floral hints and a subtle sweet tobacco influence that is so typical of this varietal. The palate is bursting with juicy black fruits, a touch of oak and a soft easy-going tannin structure making it a perfect match for any kind of barbecued meats. At 14% abv, this stunning Malbec is terrific to drink now, but will cellar extremely well and soften over the next 2 - 6 years.

This superb wine abounds with intense cherry, chocolate and spice flavours. Like the Gauchos its velvety smooth on the outside but mucho macho on the inside. Salud!

Argentine Malbec doesn't get much finer than this. From a Bordeaux wine family, Hervé came to South America to look for a vineyard and fell in love with old vine Malbec. He not only bought vineyards but also made his home there. Having started in Mendoza, he now has an estate in Patagonia too. He runs his properties like a top Bordeaux château, with impressive barrel cellar and meticulous attention to detail. This hugely impressive cuvée comes from 30 year old Malbec vines grown in Patagonia's Río Negro. Made like a fine claret, the juice was pumped over to extract colour from grape skins during fermentation then aged for 12 months in French oak barriques. Silky with violet and liquorice aromas and dense black fruit, it's perfect with beef.

Moreishly fruity, Alambrado is from Familia Zuccardi, one of the finest cellars in all Argentina. Zuccardi are three times winner of Argentina’s ‘Top Value Brand’, presented by IWC, and family head José Alberto Zuccardi was given a lifetime achievement award by IWC in 2016. The family enjoy state of the art facilities in Maipo and Uco, yet remain committed to employing the local families who have served the company since José’s father’s time. This smooth, fruity Malbec is simple and tasty, with lots of easy-going fruit. A perfect midweek wine, with or without food, and here in a handy quarter size.

The fruit for this impressive malbec is picked from young vines grown at altitude in Mendoza. The altitude contributes to the vitality of this generously flavoured red. There is good integration of oak whilst the wine remains focused on a fresh fruit profile on the palate, and is complemented stylishly by violet aromatics.

Malbec has proven to be one of the most successful red grape varieties in Argentina. This example from Santa Julia is full-bodied rich and spicy with well balanced tannins on the palate. A great match for matured cheeses.

Located in the far southerly growing region of Altamira en La Consulta, the Nicasia vineyard is the only planting of the special Catena Selection of Malbec cuttings in this traditional area for Malbec. La Consulta was Nicolas Catena's father Domingo's preferred Malbec location. In 1898, Nicola Catena left his homeland of Italy, and sailed for the land of plenty and opportunity: Argentina. It wasn't long before Nicola planted his first Malbec vineyard in Mendoza in 1902. Although traditionally used as a blending grape in Bordeaux, Nicola believed in the potential of Malbec as a single varietal wine, and suspected that it might uncover its hidden splendour in the cooler climes of the Andes. Flash forward a few decades, to where Nicola's grandson, Nicolas Catena Zapata, has taken over the management of the business. He sold off the bulk producing parts of the company, focusing instead on producing premium Mlabec and Cabernet. To that end, he began searching for the best sites in Mendoza to plant. In 1992, he settled on Gualtallary Alto - the highest and moste Western part of Tupungato. Today, the wines of Bodega Catena Zapata are sourced from six historic estate vineyards: Angélica, La Pirámide, Nicasia, Domingo, Adrianna and Angélica Sur.