If you’re a fan of Cabernet Sauvignon, you are not going to want to miss HJ Fabre Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva, a rich barrel-aged beauty from winemaker Hervé Fabre, whose award-winning reputation extends from France to Argentina.

Born into a family of Bordeaux wine merchants (and with grandparents who owned vineyards), Hervé was surrounded by wine from day one. But unlike for those in similar scenarios, the industry was never forced upon him: A short stint in the family trade was all it took to convince him a vinous life was all he wanted.

Once he felt comfortable as a winemaker (and, let’s face it, had already earned quite a bit of acclaim), the only question left was where would be the best place to do his own thing.

“All my life, I’ve been searching for an ideal wine region to plant in. And when I discovered Mendoza, Argentina, I had no doubts about the enormous potential of this terroir,” says Hervé.

He and wife Diane made the move in the early 1990s, focusing first on locally loved Malbec, then branching out to other varieties. It wasn’t long before he began stacking up awards at myriad competitions, with Master of Wine Tim Atkin later deeming him a “Winemaking Legend” and his biggest achievement—being named Red Winemaker of the Year International Wine Challenge—coming in 2018.

As you may guess, Hervé is ultra focused on quality. So for this wine, he used hand-picked and sorted grapes from celebrated 30-plus-year-old vines. After fermentation, he aged the wine 12 months in fine French barrels to give the perfect balance of fruit and fragrant oak character.

The result is a luxe full-bodied red layered with blackberry, black currant and smoky cedar characters. Firm tannins and good acidity keep everything in check and make the wine incredibly food friendly. We suggest ordering more than a few bottles while we have it in stock—there’s no way this Cab will last long!