Bodegas Alamos Malbec 2024

Alamos is the accessible label from Catena Zapata, the family that put Mendoza Malbec on the world map, drawing on high-altitude vineyards in the Andes foothills. Deep ruby with violet hues, the 2024 layers dark cherry and blackberry with aromas of violet, spice and vanilla. The palate is velvety and expansive, with balanced tannins and a long, smooth, lingering finish — the definition of a reliable midweek steak red.

The 2024 comes off Uco Valley vineyards sitting between 900 and 1,500 metres up the Andes. The sun is intense at that height, the nights run cold, and the vines drink snowmelt from the mountains. That combination is what concentrates the flavour in the fruit.

The house recipe rounds the Malbec out with a little Bonarda and Syrah. Fruit is destemmed and crushed, then cold-soaked for three days before a week-long ferment in upright conical tanks. Pump-overs draw out colour and flavour. The wine then goes through malolactic and spends six to eight months in 225 litre French barrels at medium toast.

Beyond steak, it suits lamb, pasta with a rich sauce, roasted vegetables and blue cheese. A square of dark chocolate at the end of the bottle works too.