Zolo Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon

Wine: Zolo Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon.

Grapes: Cabernet sauvignon (95 percent), merlot (5 percent)

Region: Mendoza, Argentina

Vintage: 2006

Price: $9.99

In the glass: Zolo Reserve Cabernet is a deeply opaque, firm blood-ruby-red color with a dense core going out into a crimson-red rim definition with painted medium-high viscosity.

On the nose: The wine jumps out of the glass with sweetish crushed black currant fruit, classic creme de cassis (typical of the cabernet sauvignon grape varietal), blackberry sorbet, violets, eucalyptus leaves, licorice root and hints of earthy minerals and fruit-driven phenolics.

On the palate: The wine powerfully coats the palate with freshly crushed, slightly spicy black currants, blackberry puree, ripe cherries, spice elements, black licorice and earthy, almost gravelly minerals. The midpalate is supple with good balance between the tannins and the black fruit that continues through to the extended finish, lingering with anise references and faint notes of oak, as well as undertones of tobacco.

Odds and ends: Wines from South America always deliver plenty of bang for the buck. While I have extolled the virtues of the great malbecs from Argentina, they are really starting to crank out some decent cabernet sauvignons to rival those of neighboring Chile. Zolo is a stunning winery at about 3,200 feet above sea level in the foothills of the mighty Andes Mountains. The company uses modern techniques and produces wines that are true expressions of their unique terroir. Winemaker Fabian Valenzuela believes in letting mother nature determine the outcome of each wine. This is a noble pursuit that materializes in the glass with an utterly delicious wine. Because it is the 2006 vintage, it is nice to have a little age on it, and this is your go-to wine for anything beef. Drink it now through 2013.

Gil Lempert-Schwarz's wine column appears Wednesdays. Write him at P.O. Box 50749, Henderson, NV 89106-0749, or email him at gil@winevegas.com.