2018 Cheval Des Andes

98 POINTS

Robert Parker 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.

98 POINTS

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.

98 POINTS

Alejandro Iglesias - 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.

97 POINTS

Peter Moser - Falstaff

The Red Wine Cheval des Andes, vintage 2018 from the winery Cheval des Andes (Cheval Blanc & Terrazas de los Andes) has been rated in 2022 by Peter Moser, Ulrich Sautter, Benjamin Herzog, Dominik Vombach with 97 Falstaff points. It is a wine made from Argentina.

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.

95 POINTS

Jesica Vargas - Wine Enthusiast

This blend of 70% Malbec and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon offers a delicate nose of ripe plum, cumin, and dried herbs. Well balanced and elegant, it features juicy black-fruit flavors and hints of rosemary. A light note of chocolate adds complexity to the palate. Silky tannins and good acidity provide a good structure, suggesting the wine will age beautifully.