Fin del Mundo FIN Single Vineyard Tannat 2011 Neuquén, Patagonia, Argentina 75cl

Bodega del Fin del Mundo helped put Patagonia on the wine map, planting in the cool, windswept desert of Neuquen where few had made serious wine before. FIN is its single-vineyard tier, reserved for parcels the winery rates highly enough to bottle on their own, and this Tannat sits in that select group.

This is pure Tannat, a thick-skinned, deeply coloured variety better known from Uruguay and south-west France. In the far south of Argentina the long, cool growing season and wide day-to-night temperature swing give the grape time to ripen its firm tannins while holding fresh acidity, which keeps a naturally powerful wine in balance.

The 2011 has now had well over a decade in bottle, and that time has softened its considerable structure, letting savoury, developed notes join the dark fruit. Being from a single vineyard, it carries a clear stamp of its cool Patagonian place.

Expect a dense, concentrated red with black fruit, liquorice and a smoky, earthy depth, carried by firm but now more resolved tannins and a long finish. This is a serious, food-driven style rather than an easy sipper, and it rewards decanting and a generous glass.

It calls for hearty food: slow-cooked stews, grilled or barbecued red meat, and strong, mature cheese. If you like robust, age-worthy reds such as Madiran or a big Cabernet, this Patagonian Tannat is well worth seeking out, and it shows how far south fine wine now reaches in Argentina. Serve it in a large glass at a cool room temperature and do not rush it, as a wine of this age deserves time to breathe and reveal its developed layers.