Tim Atkin Argentina Report 2026: Top-Rated Wines

Tim Atkin's Argentina Special Report 2026 is out — and for the first time ever, a perfect 100-point score was awarded to an Argentine wine.

Once a year, the Argentine wine world holds its breath. Tim Atkin MW — the British Master of Wine who has spent decades visiting Mendoza's vineyards, walking high-altitude rows in Salta, and tasting across Argentina's most remote wine regions — releases his annual Special Report. And the scores he awards can shift a winery's international reputation overnight.

The Argentina 2026 Special Report is now out. It may be his most remarkable yet: for the first time in recent memory, Atkin has awarded a perfect 100 points to an Argentine wine. This alone would make the report historic. But the depth of quality running through the 99- and 98-point tier makes it clear that Argentina is no longer producing wines that surprise the world — it's producing wines that lead it.

Here's a complete breakdown of everything that matters in this year's report.

A Perfect 100 Points — Only 384 Bottles in the World

The headline is the Per Se Uní del Bonnesant Monte Alabanza 2024, from Gualtallary in Mendoza's Valle de Uco. Tim Atkin awarded it 100 points — a perfect score. Only 384 bottles of this vintage were ever released. It is, by any measure, one of the most extraordinary Argentine wines ever produced.

At the 99-point level, three wines made the cut: Noemía 2022 from Patagonia, Cheval des Andes 2023 from Mendoza, and La Craie Monte Alabanza 2024, also from Gualtallary.

The 98-point tier spans the country's finest terroirs:

Jardín de Hormigas Los Amantes 2024 — Altos Las Hormigas, Mendoza
Adrianna Vineyard Mundus Bacillus Terrae 2023 — Catena Zapata, Gualtallary
Alto Los Cuises Malbec 2024 — El Porvenir de Cafayate, Salta
Monasterio 2023 — Raquis, San Pablo
Piedra Infinita Supercal Malbec 2023 — Zuccardi Valle de Uco
The presence of El Porvenir de Cafayate's Salta Malbec in this tier is a signal: Argentina's high-altitude north is no longer a footnote. It's competing at the very top of the game.

The Winery of the Year: Bodegas Salentein

Atkin named Bodegas Salentein as Winery of the Year — a recognition that puts one of Valle de Uco's landmark estates firmly in the global spotlight. Salentein has long been known for its stunning architecture and serious wines; this award cements its place among Argentina's elite producers.

 Winemaker of the Year: Pablo Cúneo (Luigi Bosca)

The Winemaker of the Year honor went to Pablo Cúneo, director of winemaking at Luigi Bosca, who has led the bodega's transformation over nearly three decades. Atkin's words on the award were direct: "The hardest thing in a winery is to take something already successful and make it better — and I think he's done it. He's an inspiring figure, leads a great team, and is a brilliant winemaker."

The Full Podium — People and Institutions of the Year

Beyond the scores, Atkin's annual podium recognizes the personalities shaping Argentine wine culture:

Winemaker of the Year: Pablo Cúneo (Luigi Bosca)
Winery of the Year: Bodegas Salentein
Young Winemaker of the Year: Laura Principiano (Zuccardi Valle de Uco)
Legend of Winemaking: Santiago Achával (Matervini)
Viticulturist of the Year: Facundo Impagliazzo (Raquis)
Rising Star of the Year: Santiago Vignoni (Macollo Wines)
Restaurant of the Year: Azafrán, Mendoza
Sommelier of the Year: Martín Bruno (Don Julio)
Wine Tourism Award: Casa Vigil / El Enemigo, Mendoza

Experience Mendoza's Award-Winning Wineries Firsthand

The wineries in this report — Salentein, Zuccardi, Catena Zapata, Altos Las Hormigas — all open their cellar doors to visitors. A guided wine tour through Mendoza is the most direct way to taste the wines behind these scores and understand why the Valle de Uco is producing some of the world's most exciting bottles.

👉 Explore Mendoza Wine Tours on Viator

 
Wines of the Year — Every Category

Atkin also selects a wine of the year in every category. The 2026 selections cover an impressive geographic range, from Patagonian Chubut to the far north of Jujuy — a reminder that Argentina's wine identity now stretches far beyond Mendoza.

Red Wine of the Year: Per Se Uní del Bonnesant Monte Alabanza 2024 — Gualtallary White Wine of the Year: Escala Humana Credo Semillón 2023 — El Peral Rosé of the Year: Otronia 45 Rugientes Rosé 2024 — Chubut Sparkling Wine of the Year: Rutini Colección Brut Nature 2023 — Valle de Uco Sweet Wine of the Year: José Hernández Tardío 2023 — Gualtallary

 
Discovery Wines of the Year

These are Atkin's under-the-radar finds — bottles that serious wine lovers should seek out before the rest of the world catches on:

Red Discovery: Mil Suelos Huichaira Vineyard Caído del Cielo 2024 — Jujuy White Discovery: Raquis San Pablo Blanco 2023 — San Pablo Rosé Discovery: Arca Yaco Amar y Vivir Rosé de Cabernet Sauvignon 2025 — Quebrada de San Lucas Sparkling Discovery: Alta Vista Atemporal Grand Élevage 2017 — La Carrera

The Jujuy discovery is worth noting: Mil Suelos is working at extreme altitude in one of Argentina's northernmost wine regions — a frontier that is quietly producing some of the country's most compelling reds.

 
Shop Top-Rated Argentine Wines

Several of the wineries featured in Atkin's report — including Catena Zapata, Zuccardi, Noemía, and Cheval des Andes — are available internationally. If you're in the US and want to explore Argentina's finest, Wine.com offers one of the best selections of Argentine wines with delivery across the country.

👉 Browse Argentine Wines at Wine.com

Best Value Picks — Exceptional Argentine Wine, Accessible Prices

Not every recommendation in Atkin's report comes with a collector's price tag. His "value" selections — wines he rates as outstanding for the money — are arguably the most useful picks for everyday drinkers:

Value Red: Bodegas López Malbec 2025 — Mendoza Value White: Nueve Cumbres Torrontés 2025 — Calchaquí Valleys Value Rosé: Macollo Criollo Rosado 2024 — Mendoza Value Sparkling: Cruzat Cuvée Nature — Valle de Uco Value Sweet: Michango Andreatta Blanco Dulce Natural 2025 — Catamarca

The Torrontés from Nueve Cumbres is a particularly notable selection. Atkin rarely flags this grape unless the execution is exceptional — and the Calchaquí Valleys, at over 2,000 meters above sea level, produce some of the most aromatic examples in the world.

Discover Argentina's High-Altitude Wine Country

Two of this year's 98-point wines and the top discovery red all came from Argentina's northwest — Salta and Jujuy. The Calchaquí Valleys are one of the world's most extraordinary wine regions, producing Malbecs and Torrontés at altitudes that would be unthinkable anywhere else. If you're planning a trip to Argentina, exploring the north alongside Mendoza gives you a completely different dimension of what this country's wines can be.

👉 Explore Salta Wine Tours on Viator

 
Why Tim Atkin's Report Is the One That Matters

Argentina has plenty of critics. But Tim Atkin occupies a singular position: he's been visiting annually for decades, he publishes a full report with individual tasting notes (available at timatkin.com), and his scores consistently move import markets in the UK, US, and Asia. When Atkin gives a wine 98 points, orders follow.

The 2026 report also signals something bigger. With a perfect score on the board, world-class discoveries emerging from Jujuy and Chubut, and estates like Zuccardi and Catena Zapata continuing to push the frontier, Argentine wine is no longer the world's best-kept secret. It is, increasingly, the world's most exciting wine story — and this report is the best map available for navigating it.

 
Note: Some links in this article are affiliate links. If you book a tour or purchase wine through these links, vinosargentinos.com may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Scores and rankings are sourced from Tim Atkin MW's Argentina 2026 Special Report.