Complex, mysterious, and worth savouring. Superbly evocative of the varietal.

We had an “episode” with the cork, so I started with negative bias. We had to decant, then aerate through a sieve, and there was still a slightly sour note on the palate as well as a soupcon of cork. But it mellowed, it opened up, and over the course of a few hours (if you can make it last that long) it evolved into the most interesting Argentinean red we’ve had since returning from, yes, Argentina.

If you purposely open a Cab Sauv you are probably hoping for depth and nuance combined, something like a sledge hammer red with a feather flourish. And this comes pretty damn close. It started uneasy but finished with a wallop of distinct flavours and scents: Cedar, black currant, licorice, vanilla notes. I was torn ($32 bottle and all) but I have to say it would definitely be worth the coin a second go round.

Price: $31.99 at Everything Wine

Market Liquidity: A miracle from Mendoza.