Product Overview
The 2018 Cheval des Andes Red is the Argentinean expression of Château Cheval Blanc of Saint-Emilion, combining the vision and expertise of this famous Bordeaux winery with high altitude wine-growing in Mendoza. Comprised of predominantly Malbec with Cabernet Sauvignon, where each parcel is individually fermented in separate tanks, the resulting wine is an intense, ruby color in the glass. The elegant and fresh nose displays an appelaing mix of red and black berries, cherry, and plum along with a touch of well-integrated vanilla and licorice. The soft and supple attack on the palate leads into a velvety, ample structure and great personality, finishing long and savory.
Varietal Composition: 70% Malbec, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon
Appellation: Mendoza
Aging: 40% in 225L oak barrels, 40$ in 400L barrels, and 20% in 2,500L foudres, 50% of all barrels are new
98 Points - Wine Advocate
"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. 100,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in January 2020." -LG, 9/16/21
96 Points - Vinous
"The 2018 Cheval Des Andes is a blend of 70% Malbec – half from Las Compuertas and half from Paraje Altamira – and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon from Las Compuertas. It was aged in barrels and foudres, 50% in new oak. Purplish red in the glass. It shows an expressively complex nose of plum, cherry and hints of spice, pepper, ink, blackberry, and blackcurrant. The oak provides a profound and subtle backdrop of sweet spice. In the mouth, it’s viscous and broad with a little juice, velvety in texture and with very fine tannins. The finish is long-lasting with a satisfying feel. A relaxed, delicate, extremely well-balanced wine with a more generous core than the 2017 vintage." -JH, Nov/2021
92 Points - Wine Spectator
"Big and rich, with expressive beef and earthy notes to the dark plum and roasted dark cherry flavors, which are backed by firm tannins and acidity. Creamy in the midpalate, with hints of dried green herbs and dark chocolate on the finish. Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon. Drink now through 2026. 7,500 cases made, 2,500 cases imported." -KM, 3/31/22
