2016 Bodega Atamisque Cabernet Sauvignon Valle de Uco Argentina 750 ml

This 2016 Bodega Atamisque Cabernet Sauvignon proved too good to be true when we first tasted it last year. A 96-point Decanter Gold Medal winner that seemed to fuse the exquisite structure and firm tannins we love in Bordeaux with the juicy ripe fruit of a great California Cab, the cherry on top of this Argentinian wonder was its mere $40 price.

The only thing this well-rounded beauty didn’t have going for it was availability—the US importer had run out of stock just before we were introduced to it by a serious Bordeaux collector friend, no less. We didn’t let that stop us from pursuing an allocation anyway, and today (almost a year later!) our tenacity paid off in the form of a special 100-case summer release that the importer earmarked at $30 specifically for Wine Access members.

It was worth the wait. The perfect bridge of Old World meets New, the 2016 Bodega Atamisque Cabernet only further improved since we first tasted it with the additional year of bottle age.

Savory herbs and white flower aromas lead into pronounced notes of cassis and blackberry, which continue on the palate alongside tobacco and dried mint. The juicy core is balanced by a mineral backbone and hints of savory soy and umami, which—combined with its linear tannin structure, imparts a Right Bank Bordeaux-style sophistication while still speaking to the pure sunshine of the Andes. The 100% new French oak is well-integrated, framing the wine perfectly without getting in the way of that impressive fruit purity.

Nestled at the base of the Andes mountains, Atamisque is a small, artisanal operation that’s revered for its ancient, over 90-year-old vines, which thrive in the dry, sunny, high-elevation climate of Mendoza’s Uco Valley. The bodega’s flagship Cabernet comes from a single vineyard in Vistaflores that sits at an extreme 3,600-4,300 feet above sea level.

Irrigated by pure Andean snowmelt, those old vines enjoy a privileged combination of sun exposure and huge diurnal evening temperature swings, resulting in a wine that’s lush and concentrated, boasting a richness that’s balanced with the fresh acid cut we typically associate with classic European powerhouse reds

The 2016 Atamisque Cabernet’s old-world sensibility begins to make more sense when you consider its French owners, John and Chantal du Monceau, and the traditional winemaking methods they picked up from Chantal’s grandfather, a prominent Beaujolais vintner. Grapes are always hand-picked and then vinified using traditional gravity-flow winemaking techniques before finishing for 14 months in the finest Taransaud-Demptos French oak barrels that money can buy.

A tuxedo Cabernet at a Levi’s price, this level of investment and care almost never goes into a package that costs as little as $30. Between its old vines, extreme terroir, and five-star cellar treatment, our year-long obsession with the 96-point 2016 Atamisque Cabernet should come as no surprise. What should is its insane value for the money.