Dark, tannic and very robust, a Malbec is the wine that really flexes its pecs and Tesco’s has a swaggeringly good selection from Argentina.

Some say Malbec is named after a Hungarian who spread the variety through France, but today some of the best Malbecs are found in South America. l.

The grape is thick-skinned and needs a lot of sun and heat, both of which are in ample supply in South America, which is why Malbec, while still produced in France, largely around Cahors where the grape is called Auxerrois or Côt Noir; is now usually thought of as an Argentine varietal where frost, its bitter enemy, rarely troubles it.

Argentina’s most sought after Malbec wines come from Mendoza’s wine regions of Luján de Cuyo and the Uco Valley in the foothills of the Andes mountains.

And some of the best, affordable, Malbecs come from Tesco’s.

Flagship is the the Gran Reservado Malbec made with grapes hand-picked and selected for a long, slow fermentation. The wine is then aged for 12 months in new French oak barrels. Expect black cherry on the nose as well as hints of violets and liquorice. A rich smooth wine.
Viñalba Gran Reservado Malbec – £16.00 

Tesco Finest The Trilogy Malbec comes from high altitude vineyards, and boasts a dark violet colour, and ripe plum and chocolate on the nose. Get this one out with the barbecue.
Tesco Finest The Trilogy Malbec – £12.00 

D.V. Catena (Domingo Vicente) Tinto Historico Malbec is not pure Malbec, but a blend of 95% Malbec, 3% Petit Verdot and 2% Bonarda and was made to honor Don Domingo’s legendary abilities as a master blender. Coming in at a hunky 13.5% ABV, this wine’s rich black and red berry aromas are almost chewable.
DV Catena Tinto Historico Malbec – £12.00 

Malamado is the first Argentinian fortified wine with an 18% ABV punch. In the 1940s, engineer Alberto ‘Tito’ Zuccardi arrived in Mendoza from northwest Argentina where his Italian grandparents had settled. His skill at irrigation systems led him to plan a vineyard in the Maipú region in 1963.where formerly it had been to hard to grow grapes. Classic fermentation creates residual sugar which is then fortified to make this wine sweet and it’s then aged for over two years in aged French oak.
Malamado Fortified Malbec – £9.00 50cl

Made by Argentina’s Catena Family winemakers using hand picked grapes, from the foothills east of the Andes. Mendoza has some of the best winegrowing regions of Argentina with high altitude desert vineyards watered by mineral-rich snowmelt from glaciers and snowfields. This is an elegant wine ideal for pasta and mushroom dishes. 
Tesco Finest Argentinian Malbec – £8.00 

San Juan in Argentina is 1400 meters high and hidden behind hills and the Andes mountain range. It’s an unique terroir far from civilization and a very extreme and wild environment. Finca Las Moras are modern winemakers, unafraid to innovate. The result is a Malbec with intense color, fruity flavor and delicate aromas.
Finca Las Moras Malbec – £6.0