Fabre Montmayou, Reservado, Mendoza, Argentina 2015

Decanter average score: 95/100pts Individual judges’ scores: Paz Levinson 97 Patricio Tapia 97 Dirceu Vianna Junior MW 92 £15.99 Vinothentic

Fabre Montmayou was founded in the early 1990s by winemaker Hervé Joyaux Fabre, after he moved to Argentina from his native Bordeaux. Having built his winery in Vistalba (Luján de Cuyo), Fabre set about buying exclusively old-vine vineyards in Mendoza, as well as in Patagonia’s Rio Negro Valley. As the estate’s only bottling of 100% Cabernet Franc, the source of fruit for this wine is Luján de Cuyo in the upper Mendoza Valley. Meticulous sorting is done by hand prior to vinification, in order to select only the very best grapes, with 60% of the wine spending 12 months in French oak.

Paz Levinson Lovely black and blue fruit, with notes of cassis intermingling with touches of mint, eucalyptus, lavender and violet. Not a perfect wine but with huge personality, energy and freshness.

Patricio Tapia Tense and mineral, with a deep layer of red fruit, and structure provided by tannins that are as thick as a wall. This is austere; a really serious example of Cabernet Franc for the cellar.

Dirceu Vianna Junior MW Promising aromas with notes of blueberry, blackberry, violet and sweet spice. Compact and powerful, but tannins are too firm at the moment. Great fruit profile, but the structure requires patience: it has all the ingredients to age well and develop complexity.

Drink 2020-2026 Alcohol 14%