Not only does Tanzer rate this 2016 the best Fabre Gran Reserva ever – he rates it equal to his best-ever 2010 Grand Vin (at $50), saying:
Bright, dark ruby. Perfumed, slightly high-toned aromas of blackberry, licorice, wild herbs and black pepper. Dense, brooding black fruit and licorice flavors show good peppery lift and energy without going green. This wine stands out for its mineral and violet verve and its definition of flavor, and possesses the spine to evolve slowly. These Bodegas Fabre wines are all quite suave and well-made, and this 2016 Malbec is another superb example of its cooler vintage.
Descorchados agrees:
The material from the old vines that Fabre Montmayou has in Vistalba is some of the best in South America and gives them the possibility to make Malbecs like this one, from vines planted early in the 20th Century. Fabre also respects that heritage and shows the fruit in all of its freshness, allowing the aromas of red fruits and spices to show themselves clearly. This is a crystalline, juicy and honest Malbec.
