Producer | Cheval des Andes |
Country | Argentina |
Region | Mendoza |
Varietal | Proprietary Red |
Vintage | 2018 |
Sku | 90537 |
Size | 750ml |
It's last call on the amazing 2018 release of famed Cheval des Andes, the Argentine project of Bordeaux powerhouse Cheval Blanc from select vines in Las Compuertas and Altamira. The best of the best from Uco Valley! Since 2012, the team of Cheval Blanc has been more and more involved in the technical management of Cheval des Andes and even more so nowadays with the arrival of Gerald Gabillet. He is fully dedicated to the project to translate the vision of Cheval Blanc on each detail from the vineyard management, vinification, and aging. The results? The best Cheval des Andes ever! 98 Points from Robert Parker with comments "the finest Cheval des Andes ever." Bordeaux-like in Cheval's expressively complex nose, graceful oak aging, yet modern with a viscous and broad palate, it's amazing you can get a wine of this pedigree for the price.
"This is a plush, rich Cheval with blueberry and floral aromas and flavors. HInts of tar and fresh lavender. Full body. The depth and richness are impressive, as are the ripe yet fresh tannins. Very long and structured, yet controlled and in balance. This will be a great wine indeed. Release in September 2021. Drink after 2023." James Suckling, 98 Points
"The 2018 Cheval des Andes is a blend of 70% Malbec and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon fermented in small lots in 3,000- to 8,000-liter tanks and matured 40% in 225-liter oak barrels, 40% in 400-liter oak barrels and the remaining 20% in 2,500-liter oak vats for 13 months. Ninety percent of the oak used was French and the rest a blend of Austrian, Slovenian and German oak, 50% of it new. 2018 has been one of the best vintages in recent times in Mendoza, and the wine shows it. It's a cooler vintage, and the wine has improved in freshness and elegance without losing any clout. It's 14.5% alcohol and has a pH of 3.73. This is young, juicy, elegant and balanced and still has some herbal and toasted notes; it's medium to full-bodied, with the creamy and luxurious texture of the modern Bordeaux, ultra fine tannins and a long, dry and precise finish. It's still undeveloped and seems to have all the components and the balance between them for a long and positive development in bottle. With wines like this, I sometimes wish I had a time machine so I could see them in 20 years from now... I think this is the finest Cheval des Andes I've ever tasted." The Wine Advocate, 98 Points