2020 Cheval des Andes

Type of Wine | Red |
---|---|
Country | Argentina |
Region | |
Winery | |
Vintage | 2020 |
Grape | , , , Petit Verdot |
Content (Alc) | 0.75 ltr (13.5%) |
Drink window | 2024 - 2036 |
In stock
6 items available
Description
The collaboration between Cheval Blanc from Saint-Emilion and Terrazas from Mendoza has an extra unexpected French touch. The founder and owner of Terrazas is the prestigious Champagne house Moët & Chandon. The style of Cheval des Andes is unique with all elements inspired by Cheval Blanc. The wine of Cheval des Andes combines the lively and intense expression of Argentine Malbec with the rigor, elegance and savoir-faire of a great Bordeaux. The vision of Cheval des Andes is to bring the winemaking philosophy of Château Cheval Blanc - which focuses on wine preservation capabilities and elegance - to Argentina. Cheval des Andes makes wines that age gracefully and "travel through the decades," according to Pierre Lurton, president of Château Cheval Blanc and Cheval des Andes.
The 2020 vintage is a blend of 49% Malbec, 49% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Petit verdot - a return to the 2016 vintage. The 2020 is slightly fuller and riper compared to the 2019, with a spicy touch from the Petit Damn. This is the second vintage entirely under the care of the new French winemaker, Gerald Gabillet, who fermented per plot and isolated some specific parts of the wine. the vineyard, such as the edges where irrigation usually produces higher yields. It matured in oak barrels of 225 and 400 liters and in oak barrels. They used more barrels and barrels from Stockinger and the wine is aged in oak for an average of 13 to 14 months, but some batches get 11 months and others 16 months.
There is more Cabernet here, so the aromatic expression may be something between 2017 and 2018, but Cabernet emphasizes the palate a lot and ripens the wine, as it gives the structure and length that the Malbec lacks. The wine may therefore be less accessible at a young age and must develop slowly in the bottle. It's tasty and smooth and has the ingredients and balance for what they're aiming for. In subsequent vintages they follow this path, and Gabillet believes that with more precision the wines can better reflect the differences between the vintages. The Cheval de Andes has an elegant and powerful profile with the luxurious and creamy character that can be found in the best Bordeaux wines of recent years, wines with power, precision, concentration, energy and finesse. The way they want to describe the wine is the Argentinian expression of Cheval Blanc and that is exactly right
97 Points & 17th place in the "TOP 100 WINES OF ARGENTINA 2023" - James Suckling
FACT: In the Tab: Appendix you will find the official fact sheet of this beautiful wine. We will send it to you automatically when you order this wine. The wine is in our conditioned Wine Warehouse and if you pick up the wine you will also receive a nice discount.
Specifications
Type of Wine | Red |
---|---|
Country | Argentina |
Region | Mendoza |
Icons | Icon South America |
Winery | Cheval des Andes |
Grape | Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Petit Verdot |
Biological certified | No |
Natural wine | No |
Vegan | No |
Vintage | 2020 |
Drinking as of | 2024 |
Drinking till | 2036 |
Alcohol % | 13.5 |
Alcohol free/low | No |
Content | 0.75 ltr |
Oak aging | Yes |
Sparkling | No |
Dessert wine | No |
Closure | Cork |
Parker rating | 98 |
James Suckling rating | 97 |
Vinous rating | 96 |
Tasting Profiles | Complex, Droog, Houtgerijpt, Krachtig, Rood fruit, Tannines, Vol |
Drink moments | Indruk maken, Open haard |
Professional Reviews
Parker
2020
RP 98
The 2020 Cheval des Andes was harvested from the last of February for the first time ever. It was Gabillet's second vintage at Cheval des Andes, and that year, he had to start without waiting for Pierre Olivier Clouet and Pierre Lurton from Cheval Blanc; when they arrived, they had finished picking the Malbec, which surprisingly was fresher in Las Compuertas (because of the higher percentage of clay?) than in Altamira (where the vines suffered more stress), saving the freshness. They now harvest using cold trucks (for the first time), and they also started earlier in the morning (six in the morning, impossible earlier in Mendoza...), which he reckons was very good for the precision of the wine. They used 40% 225-liter barrels, 40% 400-liter oak barrels and 20% 2,500-liter foudres, half of them new and with an élevage of 15 months on average, depending on the lots and varieties from 12 to 18 months. The final blend was 49% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Malbec and 2% Petit Verdot, which makes a comeback as it was not used since 2016. The key was to finish the fermentation of the Petit Verdot without skins, and that way, they have been able to use it in the blends of 2021, 2022 and 2023 in small but increasing percentages. This is slightly riper than 2019, with a little more alcohol (14.5%) and with very good structural tannins but saving the freshness, and it has the spicy side from the Petit Verdot (Gabillet talks about white pepper). The wine has the ultra sleek and polished texture and the elegance and the balance that is the signature here; the wine is very clean and precise. I see very good regularity across the three vintages I tasted next to each other—this 2020 and the 2018 and 2019. Overall, this is a triumph over the adverse conditions of the vintage. They produced their usual 100,000 bottles (since 2018), as they are renewing their vineyards and want to keep the volume stable. They produce this volume from the 36 productive hectares they have in Las Compuertas and Altamira.
2019
Rating
98
Release Price
$100
Drink Date
2023 - 2035
Reviewed by
Luis Gutiérrez
Issue Date
31st Aug 2022
Source
Issue 262 End of August 2022, The Wine Advocate
The 2019 Cheval des Andes had a more reductive vinification and élevage, making the wine a bit shy and in need of time to open up, as one of their objectives was to make it more age-worthy. Another objective is to get to a 50/50 blend of Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon, which they achieved in this vintage for the first time, going back to the initial character of the wine that was the idea of Argentinean winemaker Roberto de la Mota; so, they are closing the circle and going back to the initial idea, with more implication from the Cheval Blanc team. This is the first vintage fully under the charge of the new French winemaker, Gerald Gabillet, who fermented by plot, isolating some specific parts of the vineyard, like the borders where you tend to get higher yields because of the irrigation. It matured in 225- and 400-liter oak barrels and in oak vats. They used more barrels and vats from Stockinger, which they like and rotate; the wine spends an average of 13 to 14 months in oak, but some lots get 11 months and others get 16. 2019 was a mild vintage, cooler than 2017 and warmer than 2018, with rain at the right time, which helped to avoid hydric stress, and without extremes (which they had in 2020 with three weeks of extreme heat). The wine is young and tender and a bit oaky, which Gerald attributed to the reductiveness; it's ripe without excess, with around 14.2% alcohol, mellow acidity and velvety tannins. There's more Cabernet here, so the aromatic expression can be something between 2017 and 2018, but Cabernet marks the palate a lot and makes the wine more age-worthy, as it provides the structure and length that the Malbec lacks. So, the wine might be less accessible when young and should develop slowly in bottle. It's tasty and supple and has the ingredients and the balance for what they are aiming for. In the following vintages, they follow this path, and Gabillet feels that having more precision allows the wines to reflect the differences between vintages better. They keep producing around 100,000 bottles. It was bottled in late January 2021. The way they want to describe the wine is the Argentinean expression of Cheval Blanc. And I can only agree.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua...
James Suckling
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua...
Vinous
96
Drinking Window
2025 - 2035
From: The Uco Valley: Where Diverse Terroirs Work Their Magic (Sep 2023)
The 2020 Cheval des Andes is a blend of 49% Cabernet Sauvignon, 49% Malbec and 2% Petit Verdot from Paraje Altamira in the Uco Valley and Las Compuertas in Luján de Cuyo. Aged in French oak barrels, it's purple in the glass with a garnet sheen. The nose reveals a well-judged approach to the warmth of 2020, featuring ripe plum, redcurrant, mint and hints of white pepper over a bed of bay leaf and cedar. It's dry and velvety on the palate, with rich, polished tannins that deliver a juicy, balanced mouthfeel. The balsamic notes and rich palate reflect the year's character, while the finish is dynamic and long-lasting.
- By Joaquín Hidalgo on June 2023
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua...
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Wijnhuis
The collaboration between Cheval Blanc from Saint-Emilion and Terrazas from Mendoza has an extra unexpected French touch. The founder and owner of Terrazas is the prestigious Champagne house Moët & Chandon. The style of Cheval des Andes is unique, with all elements inspired by Cheval Blanc. Cheval des Andes wine combines the lively and intense expression of Argentine Malbec with the rigor, elegance and savoir-faire of a great Bordeaux. It is a unique blend of Malbec grapes and Bordeaux varieties - an ensemble with the exuberance of Malbec balanced by the moderation of Cabernet Sauvignon, complemented by hints of Petit Verdot. The vision of Cheval des Andes is to bring the winemaking philosophy of Château Cheval Blanc - which focuses on wine storage capabilities and elegance - to Argentina. Cheval des Andes makes wines that age gracefully and "travel through the decades," said Pierre Lurton, president of Château Cheval Blanc and Cheval des Andes. The wines are elegant, meaning they give the most refined expression of Mendoza's terroir. On the nose they are complex rather than intense and on the palate they are balanced rather than powerful.
The collaboration between Cheval Blanc from Saint-Emilion and Terrazas from Mendoza has an extra unexpected French touch. The founder and owner of Terrazas is the prestigious Champagne house Moët & Chandon. The style of Cheval des Andes is unique with all elements inspired by Cheval Blanc. The wine of Cheval des Andes combines the lively and intense expression of Argentine Malbec with the rigor, elegance and savoir-faire of a great Bordeaux. The vision of Cheval des Andes is to bring the winemaking philosophy of Château Cheval Blanc - which focuses on wine preservation capabilities and elegance - to Argentina. Cheval des Andes makes wines that age gracefully and "travel through the decades," according to Pierre Lurton, president of Château Cheval Blanc and Cheval des Andes.
The 2020 vintage is a blend of 49% Malbec, 49% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Petit verdot - a return to the 2016 vintage. The 2020 is slightly fuller and riper compared to the 2019, with a spicy touch from the Petit Damn. This is the second vintage entirely under the care of the new French winemaker, Gerald Gabillet, who fermented per plot and isolated some specific parts of the wine. the vineyard, such as the edges where irrigation usually produces higher yields. It matured in oak barrels of 225 and 400 liters and in oak barrels. They used more barrels and barrels from Stockinger and the wine is aged in oak for an average of 13 to 14 months, but some batches get 11 months and others 16 months.
There is more Cabernet here, so the aromatic expression may be something between 2017 and 2018, but Cabernet emphasizes the palate a lot and ripens the wine, as it gives the structure and length that the Malbec lacks. The wine may therefore be less accessible at a young age and must develop slowly in the bottle. It's tasty and smooth and has the ingredients and balance for what they're aiming for. In subsequent vintages they follow this path, and Gabillet believes that with more precision the wines can better reflect the differences between the vintages. The Cheval de Andes has an elegant and powerful profile with the luxurious and creamy character that can be found in the best Bordeaux wines of recent years, wines with power, precision, concentration, energy and finesse. The way they want to describe the wine is the Argentinian expression of Cheval Blanc and that is exactly right
97 Points & 17th place in the "TOP 100 WINES OF ARGENTINA 2023" - James Suckling
FACT: In the Tab: Appendix you will find the official fact sheet of this beautiful wine. We will send it to you automatically when you order this wine. The wine is in our conditioned Wine Warehouse and if you pick up the wine you will also receive a nice discount.
Type of Wine | Red |
---|---|
Country | Argentina |
Region | Mendoza |
Icons | Icon South America |
Winery | Cheval des Andes |
Grape | Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Petit Verdot |
Biological certified | No |
Natural wine | No |
Vegan | No |
Vintage | 2020 |
Drinking as of | 2024 |
Drinking till | 2036 |
Alcohol % | 13.5 |
Alcohol free/low | No |
Content | 0.75 ltr |
Oak aging | Yes |
Sparkling | No |
Dessert wine | No |
Closure | Cork |
Parker rating | 98 |
James Suckling rating | 97 |
Vinous rating | 96 |
Tasting Profiles | Complex, Droog, Houtgerijpt, Krachtig, Rood fruit, Tannines, Vol |
Drink moments | Indruk maken, Open haard |
Parker
2020
RP 98
The 2020 Cheval des Andes was harvested from the last of February for the first time ever. It was Gabillet's second vintage at Cheval des Andes, and that year, he had to start without waiting for Pierre Olivier Clouet and Pierre Lurton from Cheval Blanc; when they arrived, they had finished picking the Malbec, which surprisingly was fresher in Las Compuertas (because of the higher percentage of clay?) than in Altamira (where the vines suffered more stress), saving the freshness. They now harvest using cold trucks (for the first time), and they also started earlier in the morning (six in the morning, impossible earlier in Mendoza...), which he reckons was very good for the precision of the wine. They used 40% 225-liter barrels, 40% 400-liter oak barrels and 20% 2,500-liter foudres, half of them new and with an élevage of 15 months on average, depending on the lots and varieties from 12 to 18 months. The final blend was 49% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Malbec and 2% Petit Verdot, which makes a comeback as it was not used since 2016. The key was to finish the fermentation of the Petit Verdot without skins, and that way, they have been able to use it in the blends of 2021, 2022 and 2023 in small but increasing percentages. This is slightly riper than 2019, with a little more alcohol (14.5%) and with very good structural tannins but saving the freshness, and it has the spicy side from the Petit Verdot (Gabillet talks about white pepper). The wine has the ultra sleek and polished texture and the elegance and the balance that is the signature here; the wine is very clean and precise. I see very good regularity across the three vintages I tasted next to each other—this 2020 and the 2018 and 2019. Overall, this is a triumph over the adverse conditions of the vintage. They produced their usual 100,000 bottles (since 2018), as they are renewing their vineyards and want to keep the volume stable. They produce this volume from the 36 productive hectares they have in Las Compuertas and Altamira.
2019
Rating
98
Release Price
$100
Drink Date
2023 - 2035
Reviewed by
Luis Gutiérrez
Issue Date
31st Aug 2022
Source
Issue 262 End of August 2022, The Wine Advocate
The 2019 Cheval des Andes had a more reductive vinification and élevage, making the wine a bit shy and in need of time to open up, as one of their objectives was to make it more age-worthy. Another objective is to get to a 50/50 blend of Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon, which they achieved in this vintage for the first time, going back to the initial character of the wine that was the idea of Argentinean winemaker Roberto de la Mota; so, they are closing the circle and going back to the initial idea, with more implication from the Cheval Blanc team. This is the first vintage fully under the charge of the new French winemaker, Gerald Gabillet, who fermented by plot, isolating some specific parts of the vineyard, like the borders where you tend to get higher yields because of the irrigation. It matured in 225- and 400-liter oak barrels and in oak vats. They used more barrels and vats from Stockinger, which they like and rotate; the wine spends an average of 13 to 14 months in oak, but some lots get 11 months and others get 16. 2019 was a mild vintage, cooler than 2017 and warmer than 2018, with rain at the right time, which helped to avoid hydric stress, and without extremes (which they had in 2020 with three weeks of extreme heat). The wine is young and tender and a bit oaky, which Gerald attributed to the reductiveness; it's ripe without excess, with around 14.2% alcohol, mellow acidity and velvety tannins. There's more Cabernet here, so the aromatic expression can be something between 2017 and 2018, but Cabernet marks the palate a lot and makes the wine more age-worthy, as it provides the structure and length that the Malbec lacks. So, the wine might be less accessible when young and should develop slowly in bottle. It's tasty and supple and has the ingredients and the balance for what they are aiming for. In the following vintages, they follow this path, and Gabillet feels that having more precision allows the wines to reflect the differences between vintages better. They keep producing around 100,000 bottles. It was bottled in late January 2021. The way they want to describe the wine is the Argentinean expression of Cheval Blanc. And I can only agree.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua...
James Suckling
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua...
Vinous
96
Drinking Window
2025 - 2035
From: The Uco Valley: Where Diverse Terroirs Work Their Magic (Sep 2023)
The 2020 Cheval des Andes is a blend of 49% Cabernet Sauvignon, 49% Malbec and 2% Petit Verdot from Paraje Altamira in the Uco Valley and Las Compuertas in Luján de Cuyo. Aged in French oak barrels, it's purple in the glass with a garnet sheen. The nose reveals a well-judged approach to the warmth of 2020, featuring ripe plum, redcurrant, mint and hints of white pepper over a bed of bay leaf and cedar. It's dry and velvety on the palate, with rich, polished tannins that deliver a juicy, balanced mouthfeel. The balsamic notes and rich palate reflect the year's character, while the finish is dynamic and long-lasting.
- By Joaquín Hidalgo on June 2023
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua...
Exclusive Content
Sign in to unlock professional wine reviews from world-renowned critics
The collaboration between Cheval Blanc from Saint-Emilion and Terrazas from Mendoza has an extra unexpected French touch. The founder and owner of Terrazas is the prestigious Champagne house Moët & Chandon. The style of Cheval des Andes is unique, with all elements inspired by Cheval Blanc. Cheval des Andes wine combines the lively and intense expression of Argentine Malbec with the rigor, elegance and savoir-faire of a great Bordeaux. It is a unique blend of Malbec grapes and Bordeaux varieties - an ensemble with the exuberance of Malbec balanced by the moderation of Cabernet Sauvignon, complemented by hints of Petit Verdot. The vision of Cheval des Andes is to bring the winemaking philosophy of Château Cheval Blanc - which focuses on wine storage capabilities and elegance - to Argentina. Cheval des Andes makes wines that age gracefully and "travel through the decades," said Pierre Lurton, president of Château Cheval Blanc and Cheval des Andes. The wines are elegant, meaning they give the most refined expression of Mendoza's terroir. On the nose they are complex rather than intense and on the palate they are balanced rather than powerful.