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Bodega Uxmal, Alto Malbec 2017
RedArgentina2017
By Daniel Min · Tasted 2020-01-21 · Published 2026-09-19 · Updated 2026-09-19
At a glance
No critic scores listed on Vivino
Market note: Korean market availability was not checked (this site covers only overseas retail and Wine-Searcher's world average price).
What this wine is
Malbec is originally from Cahors, in southwest France. Since the Middle Ages, the region was known for a deep-colored, so-called 'black wine' made from the grape, some of which was shipped off to Bordeaux for blending. But the grape didn't survive at home — phylloxera swept European vineyards in the late 19th century and growers replanted with hardier varieties, and a brutal frost in 1956 finished the job, pushing Malbec into minor status even in Cahors.
What actually saved Malbec was Argentina, across the Atlantic. In 1853, French agronomist Michel Aimé Pouget brought Malbec and other European cuttings to Mendoza and planted them (Argentina now marks April 17 of that year as the anniversary of Malbec's arrival). While Europe was losing its vines to phylloxera, Malbec took root without trouble in the cool, dry, high-altitude foothills of the Andes. By the early 20th century it was simply 'the French grape' grown everywhere in Mendoza, and after the 1990s wave of foreign investment and modern winemaking, the 'Argentine Malbec' myth we know today was complete.
Bodega Uxmal is a relatively young house, opened in 2003 in the Rivadavia department of Mendoza. Its name comes from Uxmal, the Maya ruins on the Yucatán Peninsula. It produces around 8 million liters a year for the domestic market and about 20 export markets (mainly Brazil and Europe), positioning itself around soft tannins and good-value pricing. Some retailers describe the house as a project of Argentine wine heavyweight Nicolás Catena Zapata, but I couldn't confirm that with a second, independent source — so I'm noting it here without stating it as fact.
What the world says
This 2017 vintage has 786 Vivino ratings averaging 3.7 (3,454 across all vintages, averaging 3.6). There are no listed critic scores. The flavor keywords lead with black fruit — black cherry, blackberry, plum — at 16 mentions, followed by spice (pepper, eucalyptus, 8), oak and vanilla (6), and earth notes like leather and mushroom (6). Structure: intensity 3.6/5, tannin 3.0, acidity 2.8, sweetness 2.3 — low on acid and comparatively high on sweetness, which lines up with Daniel's note about a lingering sense of residual sugar.
Looking at the vintage trend, scores climbed steadily from the 3.2 range in 2011–2013 to 3.7–3.8 in 2015–2020 — a sign the house's winemaking has improved over time. Compared with Alta Vista Serenade Malbec 2015, covered earlier on this site (4.5 stars, Vivino average 4.2 from 219 ratings), the gap is clear. Serenade is a single-vineyard Malbec from a high-altitude Uco Valley plot, made by an owner descended from a French Champagne family, while Alto Malbec sits closer to a high-volume production line — two very different Mendoza Malbecs at two different price points.
How I drank it
21 January 2020, 3.5 stars. "Oak, vanilla, creemy aroma. Red fruits, cherry, licorice flavor," the note begins, then continues: "The aroma was creamy enough that I figured it for a Cabernet Sauvignon, but then these soft, Pinot-Noir-like red fruits came through on the palate — what is this wine?? — and it turned out to be Malbec... huh. A fun wine with long residual sweetness~~^^ Came out casually at the after-party~~ Decent value for money~~"
The heart of this note is the mismatch: he guessed Cabernet Sauvignon from the nose alone, then got thrown off when soft, Pinot-Noir-like red fruit showed up on the palate. Vivino's flavor data does skew toward dark fruit — black cherry, blackberry — but the creamy oak-and-vanilla nose reading as Cabernet Sauvignon isn't far off from what the data supports either. 'Came out casually at the after-party' suggests this was an unpretentious, low-key occasion, and the 3.5 score fits that context — a good-value casual pour. It's also only 0.2 points off the Vivino community average of 3.7, so his read on the wine that night wasn't far from the broader consensus.
Vivino community data
2017 vintage rating distribution (786 ratings, average 3.7)
| 5★ | 50 (6%) | |
| 4★ | 373 (47%) | |
| 3★ | 335 (43%) | |
| 2★ | 23 (3%) | |
| 1★ | 5 (1%) |
Most-mentioned aromas
| Family | Mentions | Top keywords |
|---|---|---|
| Black fruit | 16 | black cherry 6 · blackberry 5 · plum 4 · boysenberry 1 |
| Spice | 8 | pepper 5 · eucalyptus 3 |
| Oak | 6 | oak 5 · vanilla 1 |
| Earth | 6 | leather 3 · forest floor 1 · mushroom 1 · roasted meat 1 |
| Red fruit | 3 | red fruit 2 · cherry 1 |
| Vegetal | 2 | tomato 2 |
| Dried fruit | 2 | fig 1 · raisin 1 |
Structure: Acidity 2.8/5 · Intensity 3.6/5 · Tannin 3.0/5 · Sweetness 2.3/5
Average by vintage (all vintages: 3454 ratings, average 3.6)
| Vintage | Average | Ratings |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 3.7 | 290 |
| 2019 | 3.7 | 165 |
| 2018 | 3.6 | 372 |
| 2017 | 3.7 | 786 |
| 2016 | 3.8 | 231 |
| 2015 | 3.7 | 568 |
| 2014 | 3.5 | 494 |
| 2013 | 3.2 | 61 |
| 2012 | 3.2 | 127 |
| 2011 | 3.2 | 64 |
My original note (Vivino, 2020-01-21)
“Oak, vanilla, creemy aroma. Red fruits, cherry, licorice flavor. 아로마는 까쇼인줄 괜찮게 크리미했는데 입으로 들어오면서 피노누아처럼 부드럽게 다가오는 red fruits 가 이 와인 뭐야?? 했는데 말백이었다... 허... 잔당감이 긴 재밌는 와인~~^^ 뒤풀이에서 가볍게 나옴~~ 가성비는 괜찮네~~”
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→Frequently asked questions
What kind of wine is Bodega Uxmal Alto Malbec?
A 100% Malbec red from Bodega Uxmal, a house in Rivadavia, Mendoza, Argentina. Founded in 2003, it's a relatively young operation built around soft tannins and good value. Vivino: 786 ratings averaging 3.7; no listed critic scores.
How much does it cost?
The Wine-Searcher world average price is still being confirmed (US$8 per 750ml ex-tax (Wine-Searcher, Sept 2026)). Korean retail pricing isn't covered on this site.
What food pairs well with it?
Vivino users suggest beef, lamb and pork. With tannin at 3.0/5 and a medium body, it's a comfortable match for grilled meats or stews.
Malbec is originally a French grape — why is it associated with Argentina?
Malbec originates in Cahors, southwest France, but was pushed to minor status there after phylloxera and a devastating 1956 frost. Meanwhile, cuttings brought to Mendoza by French agronomist Michel Pouget in 1853 thrived in the dry, high-altitude Andean climate, and the grape went on to become Argentina's signature variety.
Links & sources
View on Vivino · Prices on Wine-Searcher
- Vivino — wine page and community data
- Berry Bros & Rudd — Malbec: from Cahors to Mendoza
- Alcohol Professor — The Curious History of Malbec in France
- Bonvivir — Bodega Uxmal
Read next
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Same producerRamos-Paul, Tinto 2006
★★★★☆Similar styleAlta Vista Single Vineyard Serenade Malbec 2015
★★★★½Same grapeNatale Verga, Moscato d'Asti (NV)
★★★★½Same grapePrunotto, Barolo Bussia 2014
★★★★☆Same grapeMagnotta Limited Edition Cabernet Franc Icewine 2016
★★★★☆Highly rated by Daniel