Elegant and well-structured, with intense coffee bean notes to the dried red currant and dark plum flavors.
Reviews:
- Decanter: This is an excellent wine – juicy, with tension and depth, and a confident sense of style and character. Vibrant violet edging, redcurrant and raspberry fruits with tight tannins and a chewy finish. One of the top wines from South America and a great shot of confidence for ‘the place’ to have it arrive last year where it is now sold 100% after being withdrawn from the LVMH distribution network. Second-to-last vintage with Lorenzo Pasquini before he headed over to Giscours (and Caiarossa), with the 2019 onwards under the care of Gérald Gabillet, formerly with Château Angélus and so maintaining the Bordeaux link.
- James Suckling: This is the greatest Cheval des Andes ever. Discrete aromas of blackberries, flowers, stone and licorice. So perfumed. The integration of fruit, tannins and acidity is fantastic. Full-bodied, tight and solid with beautiful depth and integrity. Extremely long and exciting. Complex and compelling with such refinement and length. A blend of 62% malbec and 38% cabernet sauvignon.
Producer Information
Cheval des Andes is one of Argentina’s most famous wines. It is made from vineyards in Mendoza and is a joint venture between Saint-Emilion’s Château Cheval Blanc, the legendary Premier Grand Cru Classé A, and Argentina’s Terrazas de los Andes. The Bordeaux blend wine is made with grapes from vines as much as 80 years old, planted in the Las Compuertas vineyard in Luján de Cuyo.The high-altitude vineyard, located in the foothills of the Andes, covers 50 hectares (124 acres), and is planted to Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Merlot. The sandy loam soils provide good drainage, causing root systems to dig deep into the ground in search of hydration, making for healthy vines and concentrated grapes. The diurnal temperature variation at the estate, with warm days and cool nights, allows grapes to ripen while retaining acidity. Water for irrigation is provided from Andes snowmelt.
