Malbec World Day is celebrated every year on 17 April, a date firmly rooted in wine history.  

The story begins on 17 April 1853, when Argentine president Domingo Faustino Sarmiento invited French agronomist Michel Aimé Pouget to bring vine cuttings to Argentina. Among them was Malbec—then a regional French variety with potential, but no clear future on the world stage. 

 While Malbec’s origins lie in Cahors, south‑west France, where it is still known as Cot or Auxerrois, its modern home is unmistakably Argentina. Today, the country grows around 47,000 hectares of Malbec—about 75% of the world’s total—and it remains Argentina’s leading red wine export. 

In style, Malbec has never been more diverse. The category now spans fresh, juicy, lightly styled wines meant to be enjoyed young alongside serious, high‑altitude cuvées built for ageing, breaking the grape’s old one‑dimensional image. Classic expressions still deliver inky colour, polished tannins, and flavours of black plum and blueberry, lifted by violet, cocoa, and gentle spice, while France offers a leaner, savoury contrast.
 

Looking ahead, premiumisation, clearer expressions of terroir, and a growing focus on sustainability are shaping Malbec’s next chapter. Maintaining balance—avoiding heavy oak and managing alcohol levels—will be key to preserving freshness and identity. 

HK$188/bt - 60 bts available
92 points James Suckling
Red berries, cherries, minerals and hibiscus on the nose with a very juicy, medium-bodied palate and fresh veins of tannins. The elegant, medium-long finish is vibrant and full of good pristine fruit. Drink now.
 

HK$180/bt – 60 bts available
90 points Wine Advocate
Sourced from Luján de Cuyo and Uco Valley, the 2023 Reserva Malbec was fermented in concrete and aged for 12 months in second-use barrels. Opening with a dark, savory nose of red and black fruits with woody accents, the palate is straightforward and precise, concluding with a chalky, integrated and harmonious finish.

 

HK$180/bt – 60 bts available
93 points Wine Advocate
The 2022 Malbec Argentino combines destemmed fruit from Lunlunta's Angélica Vineyard and Nicasia Vineyard in Altamira, and it was fermented with whole clusters. It leads with a rich, savory, black-fruited nose, introducing a similarly assertive and voluptuous palate. It concludes with a lush, staining and drying finish that retains the fine-grained precision that runs through the Catena Zapata roster.

 

 

 HK$220/bt - 60 bts available
92 points Vinous
The 2022 Malbec Old Vine hails from La Consulta, Paraje Altamira and Pampa El Cepillo. This purple-hued wine features aromas of tea, violet, blackberry and hints of lavender. It is juicy with a smooth texture, showcasing plush tannins and a degree of compactness. The palate offers a hint of oak and the wine is broad with intense flavors. The 2022 vintage delivers a balanced and concentrated mouthfeel. .

 

 

HK$180/bt - 60bts available
90 points James Suckling
Nice fruit from this vintage. Fresh red plums, cherries and a touch of licorice. Medium-bodied with sleek, soft tannins and a fruity finish.

 

 

 

HK$368/bt - 60 bts available
94 points James Suckling
A perfumed nose of dark cherries, plums, bark, orange zest, baking spices, and vanilla. Full-bodied with tense and creamy tannins. Long and polished. Drink now or hold.