Cheval des Andes 2018

Special Price $89.85 Average US Price $92.00
In Stock   Usually ships in 2-5 days, weather permitting
SKU
1081-2018
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Other Vintages We Offer:

• Domaine: Cheval des Andes
• Appellation: Mendoza
• Origin: Argentina

 

 

"THE STYLE OF CHEVAL DES ANDES IS UNIQUE IN ARGENTINA, AS IT REVEALS THE FRESHNESS AND ELEGANCE OF THE TERROIR THROUGH BLENDS INSPIRED BY CHEVAL BLANC, WITH GREAT CELLARING POTENTIAL AND COMPLEXITY."

-- Cheval des Andes

 

 

The story of Cheval des Andes began exactly twenty years ago. At its origin is the Argentine winery, Terrazas de los Andes, one of the pioneers in wine growing in Mendoza. Pierre Lurton, General Manager at Cheval Blanc, studied the "terroirs" of Las Compuertas with Roberto de la Mota and had the ingenious idea of blending the expertise of Cheval Blanc with the purest, Originl expression of Malbec, king of the Argentine grape varieties.

Conceived in 1999, Cheval des Andes has inherited 200 years of expertise in the art of blending from Cheval Blanc. Without a doubt, this vision of wine growing is completely unusual as it combines two very different "terroirs" coupled with two legendary grape varieties and a desire to create complexity out of diversity. Today, the vision of committed viticulturists has been achieved through twenty years of daily care in these unique vineyards which now produce a genuine "grand cru" of the Andes.

Tasting Notes

"In the last few years, a handful of wines from Chile and Argentina—often French owned—have been released in September through the Place de Bordeaux, the network of négociants that sell most of the Bordeaux wines and some of the leading wines from other regions. The 2017 Cheval des Andes is one such wine. 2017 saw an early harvest, but they started picking on the 6th of March and continued until the 10th of April, more or less normal dates, early but not so much. The varietal break down this vintage comes to 62% Malbec and 38% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the wine is slightly riper and higher in alcohol than 2016 (this 2017 is 14.2% alcohol). The different plots fermented separately with selected yeasts, and the élevage lasted for 15 months and was in 50/50 new and second use barrels, 90% of them French and the rest made with wood from Eastern Europe. They used 45% Bordeaux barrels, 45% 400-liter barrels and, for the first time, a 2,500-liter oak foudre. This is clearly the darkest of the trio of vintages I tasted together here—2015, 2016 and 2017—but all three have 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. This seems to combine the clout of the 2015 and the freshness of the 2016 and feels something in between those two vintages. Their work in the vineyard toward the maturity of the tannins meant the challenge in 2017 was to not let the grapes ripen too fast and too early. The work is different for Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec, to get round tannins in Cabernet and get some tension in Malbec, the contrary of the normal tendency of the varieties. 2017 has less ripeness than the 2015 but more density than the 2016. The texture is velvety, precise and harmonious. This year, they introduced a larger foudre for 10% of the wine, with the aim to reach 20%, so that volume is increasing every year. I think this is showing more precision, and in a more challenging year, they managed to keep the quality on par with 2016. They have changed the label this year, to a cleaner and more elegant label that also reflects the direction the wine is going in. 81,500 bottles produced. It was bottled in January 2019." - Luis Gutiérrez, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (8/31/2020, Issue 250), Ratings: 97+, Drink: 2020-2034

 

More Information
Stock Status In Stock
Appellation Mendoza
Vintage 2018
Brand Château Cheval Blanc
Shipping Weight 3.000000

Footnotes on Futures, Pre-Arrivals, and potential US Tariffs: 

1. As of June 15, 2021, the US and the EU agreed to suspend tariffs resulting from the Boeing-Airbus aircraft trade disputes. Accordingly, such import taxes are now suspended for the next five years.

2. Futures are expected to be available for delivery two years after the sales (e.g., the 2022 vintage, sold in 2023, will be delivered in 2025 mostly, or 2026 if the producer ages the wine longer).

3. Pre-Arrivals are items currently stored in our Bordeaux cellar or in transit from France to the US. It usually takes 1-6 months for Pre-Arrivals to become available for delivery, depending on the stage of the import process.

4. Regarding futures and pre-arrivals, we cannot guarantee specific delivery dates, which factors beyond our control may impact. However, we will notify you once your wine arrives in our cellar.

5. While a buyer of Bordeaux wine futures locks in an allocation of the specified items, the final delivery of the purchased items from France to the US may be impacted by intervening and unforeseeable events. Despite our due diligence, additional costs or delays may be caused by such intervening and unforeseen events and "an irresistible, superhuman cause, or by the act of public enemies of the state of California or the United States."  In such circumstances, if a buyer does not accept unforeseeable costs or delays, the sole and exclusive remedy is a cancellation of the futures order concerned and a refund of the original purchase price. We are NOT liable for any lost profits on a canceled order.

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