Bad Brothers Facón Selection – 2020

5,900 ft.
French Oak
Cabernet Sauvignon

“Many quarrels arose,” observed Charles Darwin, “which from the general manner of fighting with the knife often proved fatal.” Darwin visited Argentina in the 1830s, observing gaucho culture out on the vast pampas, where the long knife, called a facón or cuchillo, rather than the six gun, was the weapon of choice for cowboy and cattle rustler alike.

From ancient vines at Tolombón (south from Cafayate along Argentina’s Ruta 40 – their Highway 66), this homage to gaucho culture comes from winemaker, and longtime friend of the Partnership, Augustín Lanús. Augustín favors maximum terroir extraction, using stainless steel for fermentation with a délestage technique that involves draining the liquid then pouring it back into the tank over the must. He then ages the wine 15 months in French oak for greater depth and structure underpinning the notes of roasted pepper, blackberry, and a touch of spice.

Pair with a cheeseburger and enjoy how the pepper and berry cut through the rich flavors of red meat and cheese. Pepper-crusted tuna steak is a close runner up, along with an old standby in roasted lamb chops.