HJ Fabre Barrel Selection Patagonia Malbec 2014

Argentine Malbec doesn’t get much finer than this. From a Bordeaux wine family, Hervé came to South America to look for a vineyard and fell in love with old vine Malbec. He subsequently bought vineyards and made his home there. His estate is run like a top Bordeaux château with impressive barrel cellar and meticulous attention to detail. Having started in Mendoza, he now has an estate in Patagonia, too. This hugely impressive cuvée comes from 30 year old Malbec vines grown in Patagonia’s Río Negro. Made like a fine claret, the juice was pumped over to extract colour from the grape skins during fermentation then aged for 12 months in French oak barriques. Silky with violet and liquorice aromas and dense black fruit, it’s perfect with beef.