The 2021 scores from Descorchados are now out, and we are once again delighted with our results.
Descorchados is the creation of leading critic Patricio Tapia who first published the guide in 1999 to cover Chilean wines. Today, the guide has expanded to include the wines of Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay, the four key countries in the production of wines in South America. The yearly guide and its scores are well respected throughout the international wine world.
These are the full tasting notes for our wines from the 2021 guide:
Fabre Montmayou Grand Vin 2017 96 points
“This is Fabre’s top wine and it’s produced with a selection of grapes from their Vistalba vineyard, planted on the area’s alluvial soils in 1908. This year’s blend is 85% malbec, 10% cabernet sauvignon, and the rest is merlot, and it was aged for 16 months in oak barrels. This is a dense wine with lots of ripe fruit and spices, deep flavors, herbal tones, and a great future ahead in the bottle. And, although the oak is strong now, the layer of fruity flavors will surely absorb it in the bottle in a few years. This is a wine that needs patience—make some room in the cellar.”
Fabre Montmayou Gran Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 95 points
“For this cabernet sauvignon, Fabre Montmayou buys grapes from a 50-year-old vineyard planted on alluvial soils rich in sand and gravel in Agrelo. 100% aged in barrels (20% new oak), this has a strong herbal component that is unusual in Mendoza’s cabernets. According to the winemaker, Juan Bruzzone, this is due to the way they manage the vineyard (partially protecting the bunches from the sun to preserve freshness) and to the herbal side of the variety. The rest is ripe and juicy red fruit in a firm body with sharp tannins and good calibre on the palate. This is one of the good cabernets in Argentina today.”
Fabre Montmayou Gran Reserva Malbec 2018 94 points
“To understand the character of the wines from Vistalba—one of the highest areas in Luján de Cuyo, about 1,050 meters above sea level— you would have to start with this wine, a malbec made from vines planted by European immigrants in the early 20th century on silty-clay soils with a stony subsoil on the bed of the Mendoza River, which passes just south of this zone. This is a malbec rich in black fruits, with pronounced acidity and slight hints of violets and spices. The palate is firm and tight thanks to sharp tannins that expand on the palate. It’s juicy, generous in fruity flavors, and has a finish that recalls herbs and more black fruits. A classic.”
Fabre Montmayou Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 91 points
“A textbook cabernet with excellent value for money. It has herbal aromas, but even more fruity and spicy notes in a wine with very good concentration and acidity and tannins that are firm but not aggressive. The fruity flavors seem to steal the show. Think slow-cooked meats or maybe sausages.”
Fabre Montmayou Reserva Malbec 2019 90 points
“A good gateway to the traditional world of malbecs in particular and Fabre reds in general, and what stands out here are the typical aromas of Luján de Cuyo—ripe fruits and spices in a body with very good density and soft, polished tannins. This comes from old vineyards in Vistalba, near the alluvial terraces of the Mendoza River.”