£15.99, or £12.49 in a mix of 12 or more, Laithwaites
Argentina nailed its red wine colours to the Malbec mast years ago, but it’s also turning out in much smaller quantities some very smart Cabernet Francs. Exhibit number one: Fabre Montmayou Reservado, made by Bordeaux ex-pat Hervé Fabre who has recently added three estates in Cahors, Malbec's French motherland, to his Mendoza and Patagonia portfolio. His 2015 Reservado Cabernet Franc combines depth and complexity with typically elegant Cab Franc lift and freshness, as well as raspberry and spice intensity, subtle vanilla and creamy, polished oak. You could drink it with a juicy steak, as if it was Malbec, but it’s also very good with lamb, duck and hard cheeses (especially sheep’s milk). And feel free to decant it, or to cellar it for a few years.
Fabre Montmayou Reservado Cabernet Franc 2015, Luján de Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina
£15.99, or £12.49 in a mix of 12 or more, Laithwaites