HJ Fabre Barrel Selection Patagonia Malbec 2023

Argentine Malbec doesn’t get much finer than this. It's from an estate that has won six Decanter Trophies in three years, two of them for this Barrel Selection. From a Bordeaux wine family, Hervé came to South America to look for a vineyard in the 1990s, and fell in love with old-vine Malbec. He not only bought vineyards but also made his home there. Having started in Mendoza, he now has an estate in Patagonia too. He runs his properties like a top Bordeaux château, with an impressive barrel cellar at each. This superb red comes from 30-year-old vines grown in Patagonia’s Río Negro. Made like a fine claret and aged a year in French oak barriques, it's powerful, yet elegant with silky violet and spicy plum fruit. Decant well in advance to let it breathe.