Cheval des Andes 2018

THE 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."

JAMES SUCKLING: "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."

DECANTER: "Product of a joint work between Terrazas de los Andes and Cheval Blanc, Cheval des Andes is a Mendoza blend of 70% Malbec – half from Paraje Altamira in the Uco Valley and half from Las Compuertas in Luján de Cuyo – and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon. Aged in barrels and foudres, the nose presents cherries, plums and black and redcurrant over a bed of cedar and spice. Velvety and harmonious in feel, polished tannins and an elegant finish."

WEINWISSER: "Das Weingut Cheval des Andes ist ein gemeinsames Projekt von Château Cheval Blanc aus St.- Emilion und dem Erzeuger Terrazas de los Andes aus Mendoza. Der 2018er besteht aus 70% Malbec und 30% Cabernet Sauvignon mit 14,5 vol.-%.. Frische, dunkle, viskose Farbe. Das Verkostungsmuster war erst am Vortag in Bordeaux angekommen, so zeigte sich der Wein etwas verschlossen und reduktiv, mit viel Fleisch und wundervoller, dichter Würze im Geruch. Tiefgründig und anziehend, mit sehr frischer, klarer Frucht. Im Mund hat er eine verdichtete Attacke, mit großer Struktur und grandioser Säurespannung. Unglaublich frisch, lang und mit rassig-feinkörnigen Gerbstoffen ausgestattet, ist es eben diese von Pierre Lurton, dem Direktor von Cheval Blanc, immer angestrebte Präzision und Balance, die auch den Cheval des Andes prägt. Auch die hochfeine Adstringenz, die an feinen grünen Tee erinnert, ist ein Aspekt in seiner großartigen Distinktion, mit feiner Kräuterwürze und ausgezeichneter Länge. Ganz eigenwilliger, großer, sehr konzentrierter und weit aufgefächerter Charakterwein aus Argentinien."

JEB DUNNUCK: "Continuing the trend of more Malbec in the blend, the 2018 Cheval Des Andes is another remarkable wine based on 70% Malbec and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon that was fermented in tank and aged in 40% new Bordeaux barrels, with the balance in larger 400-liter barrels and one larger 2,500-liter oak vat. While the cooperage here is mostly French, they do include a touch of eastern European oak as well. Tasting like the 2016, only better, this beauty has gorgeous cassis, black cherry, and black raspberry fruit as well as plenty of ripe tobacco, green cedar, rosemary, damp earth, and spring flower-like aromas and flavors. As with the 2016, there's an herbal, subtly green undercurrent here (although it’s more mitigated here), but this is just pure, focused, and impeccably balanced, with beautiful fruit, gorgeous tannins, and an undeniable salinity on the finish. A brilliant wine, it has another 10-15 years of prime drinking."

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. "