Cheval des Andes 2017

This morning we are delighted to release one of Argentina’s finest, the utterly stunning Cheval des Andes 2017, their finest ever, it has been awarded a perfect score from James Suckling who proclaims ‘This is the greatest Cheval des Andes ever…Extremely long and exciting.’ This is backed up by a superb 97+ points score from Luis Gutierrez who proclaims the 2017 ‘seems to combine the clout of the 2015 and the freshness of the 2016 and feels something in between those two vintages… the elegant and powerful profile, the luxurious and creamy character found in the best Bordeaux wines in the last few years, wines of power with precision, concentration, energy and finesse.’ In 2017 they have also changed the label, moving a more elegant motif for the 6,700 cases produced. The price today on release is £324 per case of six making it exceptional, unmissable value for a perfect scoring wine. The combination of a high score and excellent price give it a superb Price Over Points ratio (POP) of 38, once again, highlighting the superb value here. However, at £54 a bottle for a world-class wine, this is one to age and pour!
 

 
Cheval des Andes has cemented itself as one of the leading lights of New World wines. A world-famous collaboration between Terrazas de los Andes and Pierre Lurton, the CEO of Cheval Blanc and Chateau d’Yquem. The joint venture was fashioned in 1999, when Lurton realised the potential of Mendoza. He was also drawn to the poetic notion that the prominent grape there, Malbec, was once a meaningful part of the selection in St. Emilion, largely lost to phylloxera. The vision was to create a synthesis between Bordeaux style, technique and winemaking in the phylloxera-free Andean vineyards.
 
The 2017 is a heady blend of 62% Malbec and 38% Cabernet Sauvignon with slightly riper and higher in alcohol than 2016 (this 2017 is 14.2% alcohol). largely derived from the Las Compuertas vineyards, which boasts some 1,100 metres altitude, along with some fruit from their 15 hectares at La Consulta in the Valle de Uco. The grapes are fermented at 28 degrees celsius for around 25 days. After malolactic fermentation takes place in tank, the lots go into barrel and blend as soon as possible, this is usually during early Winter so the wines thereon age for 15 to 18 months in French oak Barriques. Earlier incarnations saw as much as 100% new oak. However, Nicolas Audebert, who prior to Cheval des Andes worked at Krug, Veuve Clicquot, and Tenuta San Guido, reduced oak to the 35% new and 65% old seen with the 2017. Today the wine embodies the best of two worlds, Bordeaux and Mendoza, utilising Argentinian fruit, while embodying the French style.

Terrazas de los Andes was established in 1996, when Moet Hennessy bought and refurbished the winery, which originally was founded in 1898. It is sited at the eastern foothills of the Andes, ranging from 980 to 1,250 metres above sea level. The collaboration which occurred in 1999 with the famous Grand Cru Classe A St. Emilion powerhouse was the fusion of Cheval Blanc, with some of the best terroir in Mendoza. The wines today are finer than ever, the name Cheval des Andes has achieved its goal!