Pinot Noir vs Malbec: What's the Difference?
Two Reds, Two Completely Different Worlds
Pinot Noir and Malbec are both beloved red wines — but they sit at almost opposite ends of the red wine spectrum. One is light, delicate, and notoriously difficult to grow. The other is rich, plush, and one of the most reliably crowd-pleasing grapes on the planet. Understanding the difference will help you choose the right bottle every time — and might just open up a whole new side of red wine you hadn’t explored before.
Pinot Noir: The Heartbreaker
Pinot Noir is one of the oldest and most revered grape varieties in the world. Its spiritual home is Burgundy in eastern France, where it has been cultivated by monks since the Middle Ages and where the finest expressions — Grand Cru Burgundy — command prices that rival the world’s most expensive wines.
But Pinot Noir is also one of the most challenging grapes to grow. It has thin skins, making it vulnerable to frost, rot, and disease. It’s highly sensitive to terroir — the combination of soil, climate, and aspect that gives a wine its character — which means it can be extraordinary in the right place and disappointing in the wrong one. Winemakers often describe it as a heartbreaker: endlessly seductive, endlessly demanding.
What makes great Pinot Noir so special is its combination of delicacy and complexity. It’s pale in colour — sometimes almost translucent — with low tannins and high acidity. The flavours are all about red fruit: strawberry, raspberry, cherry, cranberry. But beneath that fruit there’s often something more elusive — earthy, mushroomy, floral, spicy notes that develop with age and make the wine endlessly interesting.
Typical flavour profile: Strawberry, raspberry, cherry, rose petal, dried herbs, earth, mushroom. Light to medium body. Low tannins. High acidity. Long, silky finish.
Best for: Those who prefer lighter, more elegant reds with real complexity. Pinot Noir is the red wine that white wine lovers most often fall for — it has the freshness and delicacy of a white with the depth of a red.
Classic food matches: Salmon, duck, roast chicken, mushroom dishes, charcuterie, soft cheeses like Brie and Camembert.
Malbec: The People’s Champion
Malbec couldn’t be more different. Where Pinot Noir is pale and delicate, Malbec is deep and generous. Where Pinot demands patience and expertise, Malbec delivers pleasure immediately. It’s the red wine that converted a generation of drinkers who thought they didn’t like red wine — and it’s done it by being exactly what it is: plush, fruit-forward, and deeply satisfying.
Originally from Cahors in southwest France, Malbec found its true home in Argentina’s Mendoza region, where high altitude and intense sunshine transformed the grape into something extraordinary. The thick skins that make it difficult in France produce wines of remarkable depth and colour in Mendoza — deep violet, almost inky, with velvety tannins and an opulent dark fruit character that’s immediately appealing.
Unlike Pinot Noir, Malbec is a forgiving grape. It’s consistent, reliable, and delivers quality at every price point. You don’t need to spend a fortune to get a genuinely good Malbec — and even at entry level, it has more character and depth than most other varieties at the same price.
Typical flavour profile: Dark plum, blackberry, dark cherry, violet, dark chocolate, mocha, vanilla. Full body. Soft, velvety tannins. Generous fruit. Long, smooth finish.
Best for: Those who love rich, fruit-forward reds that are easy to enjoy immediately. Malbec is the ultimate crowd-pleaser — approachable enough for beginners, interesting enough for enthusiasts.
Classic food matches: Ribeye steak, lamb, Argentinian asado, barbecued meats, aged manchego, mushroom risotto.
Head to Head: The Key Differences
Colour: Pinot Noir is pale ruby, sometimes almost translucent. Malbec is deep violet, often almost opaque. You can tell them apart at a glance.
Tannins: Pinot Noir has very low tannins — it’s silky and smooth with almost no grip. Malbec has soft, velvety tannins — more body than Pinot but far less grippy than Cabernet Sauvignon.
Fruit style: Pinot is all about red fruit — strawberry, raspberry, cherry. Malbec is dark fruit — plum, blackberry, dark cherry.
Body: Pinot Noir is light to medium-bodied. Malbec is medium to full-bodied. If you put them side by side, the difference in weight on the palate is immediately obvious.
Complexity: Great Pinot Noir is among the most complex wines in the world — earthy, floral, spicy, and endlessly evolving. Malbec’s complexity is more immediate — layers of fruit, oak, and spice that are accessible from the first glass.
Food pairing: Pinot Noir’s lightness makes it more versatile with delicate dishes — fish, chicken, lighter meats. Malbec’s richness makes it the natural partner for red meat and hearty food.
Price: Quality Pinot Noir tends to be more expensive — the grape is harder to grow and the best regions (Burgundy, Oregon, Central Otago) command premium prices. Malbec offers exceptional quality at lower price points, particularly from Argentina.
Verdict: If you want something light, elegant, and endlessly interesting — go Pinot Noir. If you want something rich, generous, and immediately satisfying — go Malbec. If you’re cooking steak, Malbec wins every time. If you’re serving salmon or roast chicken, Pinot Noir is the call.
Our Pinot Noir Pick
Antech Pinot Noir IGP Pays d’Oc France — €19.25
Elegant and smooth, bursting with ripe red berry flavours, delicate floral notes, and a hint of spice. Silky texture and a refined finish. A beautifully balanced French Pinot Noir that captures everything that makes the grape so appealing — at a price that makes it an easy choice for any occasion.
Our Malbec Picks
Bodini Malbec Mendoza Argentina — €17.75
The benchmark everyday Malbec — opulent nose of blackberry, dark plum, and mocha with velvety tannins and a long, warming finish. Everything that makes Argentine Malbec so loveable, at a brilliant everyday price.
Crios Malbec Mendoza Argentina — €19.00
From the celebrated Susana Balbo stable — intensely aromatic with ripe blackberry, plum, and violets. Full-bodied with velvety tannins, generous fruit, and a long, smooth finish. A world-class producer at an accessible price.
Gouguenheim Blue Melosa Gran Reserva Malbec — €30.00
When you want Malbec at its most serious and structured. Complex and layered with dark chocolate, tobacco, espresso, and silky tannins. A step-up bottle that delivers real occasion-worthy quality.
Shop Gouguenheim Gran Reserva Malbec →
Still Can’t Decide?
Buy one of each. Pinot Noir and Malbec are so different that having both on the table gives you the full range of what red wine can be — the delicate, silky elegance of Pinot alongside the plush, generous richness of Malbec. Between them, they’ll cover every guest and every dish.