Terrazas De Los Andes, Malbec, 2020
Terrazas De Los Andes, Malbec, 2020
- 75cl
- 14%
- Red Still
- Malbec
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Optimal drinking window: Now - 2030
Terrazas de los Andes Malbec 2020 is classic Mendoza Malbec with a nice bit of altitude behind it. A blend from more than 100 plots across the higher vineyards of the Uco Valley and Las Compuertas in Luján de Cuyo, it has plenty of ripe fruit but keeps the freshness that comes with mountain-grown grapes. The 2020 shows fresh red and black fruit, violets and a little well-integrated toast from oak. On the palate it’s generous and rounded, with sweet, supple tannins, a juicy middle and enough freshness to keep everything moving.
It’s the sort of Malbec that knows exactly what it’s doing: ripe and generous without becoming heavy. At 14.3% alcohol, it’s a natural match for grilled steak, slow-cooked beef or game, but I’d happily put it alongside a good cheeseboard too.
The 2020 is drinking well right now and has been since release — the oak integration is already comfortable and the fruit is generous and open. Over the next two to three years, the primary plum and currant fruit will deepen slightly, with more dried fruit character coming through. By 2028 or so it will likely be at its most complex, with the oak fully absorbed and a little more savoury depth emerging. It is not a wine built for extended cellaring and we would not push it much beyond 2030.
What the critics say:
"Red plums with some crushed-stone and tile undertones. Some graphite and fresh flowers, too. Full-bodied with juicy tannins and a fruity, firm and juicy palate overall. Plenty of malbec character, but tensioned and not heavy. Solid structure. Sustainable. Drink now."
Tasting Notes
AppearanceDeep violet-ruby, dense at the core with a bright purple rim that speaks to the vintage's freshness.
NoseRipe plum and dark currant up front, with a distinctive waft of violet that is very much Malbec's calling card at altitude. Underneath, graphite and a light vanilla from the oak sit quietly without dominating.
PalateThe fruit is generous and concentrated — this is Mendoza being Mendoza — but the altitude gives it a freshness that stops it feeling heavy. Tannins are soft and well-integrated after 12 months in oak, with a mid-palate that rounds out into dried cherry and a suggestion of dark chocolate.
FinishMedium-long, with a pleasant drying quality and a faint pruney sweetness that lingers.
Overall impressionGenerous, polished, and very drinkable — a dependable Mendoza Malbec that does exactly what it promises.
Food Pairings
In Mendoza, this kind of Malbec is practically inseparable from the asado — Argentina's great communal barbecue tradition, where whole cuts of beef, ribs, and chorizo criollo are slow-cooked over wood embers for hours. A bone-in ribeye cooked a punto, with little more than salt, is the classic pairing. Grilled sweetbreads or morcilla (blood sausage) are typical asado accompaniments that work brilliantly with the wine's dark fruit and soft tannins. Away from the grill, empanadas filled with spiced beef and olives are a natural match, as is a slow-braised lamb shoulder with chimichurri.
We think this wine would go well with
Serve at around 17°C — any warmer and the alcohol starts to feel heavy. A 30-minute decant will open it up nicely, softening the tannins and letting the violet aromatics come forward; it does not need longer than that. A large-bowled Burgundy-style glass works well, giving the fruit room to breathe without the wine losing its concentration.
The vineyards sit above 1,000 metres in the foothills of the Andes, where thin mountain air means intense UV exposure during the day and genuinely cold nights — that swing in temperature is what keeps the fruit fresh and the aromatics lifted despite the concentration you'd expect from Mendoza's powerful sun. Soils here are sandy loam over alluvial gravel and clay, draining freely and stressing the vines just enough to focus their energy. Snowmelt from the Andes feeds the irrigation, and at this altitude the growing season stretches long enough for tannins to ripen fully without sacrificing acidity.
Mendoza is Argentina's most significant wine region, producing the vast majority of the country's serious red wine and acting as the global benchmark for Malbec. Within Mendoza, altitude is everything — sub-zones like Luján de Cuyo and the Uco Valley command attention for their elevation and cooler conditions, while the broader Mendoza designation covers a wide range of styles. There are no strict yield or winemaking rules equivalent to a European AOC, which gives producers latitude to experiment but also means quality varies enormously across the appellation.
Nobody will confuse 2020 with a boring vintage in Mendoza. The growing season brought everything from late spring frost scares to a mercifully cool summer that kept the grapes hanging longer than usual, building flavour without the punishing heat that can bake the life out of Argentine reds. When harvest finally arrived, it stretched later into April for many producers, giving them time to pick with precision rather than panic.
The result is a vintage that feels both powerful and controlled—Malbec shows real depth without the jammy weight that sometimes plagues warmer years, whilst Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc have a freshness that makes them sing in the glass. We're drinking the wines now with genuine pleasure, though the best examples have the structure to reward patience over the next decade. This is one of those vintages where the extra time on the vine paid dividends in wines that taste like they know exactly what they want to be.
FAQs
What does this wine taste like?
Rich, ripe plum and dark currant with a floral violet lift that is very characteristic of high-altitude Malbec. The oak adds a gentle vanilla and graphite quality, and the finish has a pleasant dried cherry and dark chocolate note. It is generous and smooth without being heavy.
When is the best time to drink it?
It is drinking very well right now and will continue to do so until around 2030. The fruit is open and approachable, and it does not need further cellaring to be enjoyed — though a year or two more will add a little extra depth.
What food works best with this wine?
Grilled or roasted red meat is the natural partner — a ribeye, lamb shoulder, or beef short ribs. It also works well with meaty sausages, empanadas, or anything with a bit of char and fat to match the wine's fruit concentration.
Should I decant it?
Yes, but not for long. Thirty minutes in a decanter is enough to open it up and let the aromatics come forward. It does not need hours of air — it is a wine built for pleasure, not endurance.
Is this worth buying by the case to cellar?
It is a reliable, well-made Mendoza Malbec and good value at its price point, but it is not a wine we would cellar beyond 2030. Buy it to drink over the next few years rather than to lay down for a decade.
How does this compare to other Mendoza Malbecs?
It sits comfortably in the mid-tier of Mendoza Malbec — more polished and consistent than entry-level bottles, with the altitude giving it genuine freshness and aromatic lift. It is not as site-specific or as complex as single-vineyard expressions from the Uco Valley, but it is a very solid ambassador for the style.
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Terrazas de los Andes
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