2012 Cheval des Andes, Mendoza, Argentina

2012 Cheval des Andes, Mendoza, Argentina

Product: 20128024556
Prices start from £255.00 per case Buying options
2012 Cheval des Andes, Mendoza, Argentina

Buying options

Available by the case In Bond. Pricing excludes duty and VAT, which must be paid separately before delivery. Storage charges apply.
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6 x 75cl bottle
BBX marketplace BBX 2 cases £255.00
BBX marketplace BBX 1 case £260.00
BBX marketplace BBX 1 case £260.00
BBX marketplace BBX 1 case £260.00
BBX marketplace BBX 1 case £280.00
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Description

A full burst of Malbec that is gourmet and easy to enjoy. Violet and raspberry leaf notes, generous power and spice (helped by old vines that date back to 1929). There is plenty of tannic structure here, giving punch and impact - both frost and hot winds caused low yields in 2012, and you still feel the concentration at nine years old. Nicolas Audebert (now back in Bordeaux) was heading up the estate at the time, and at this point they were using grapes from both Terrazas de los Andes and their own specific vineyards. 100% new oak.

Drink 2021 to 2035

Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux (October 2021)

wine at a glance

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Critics reviews

Jane Anson93/100
A full burst of Malbec that is gourmet and easy to enjoy. Violet and raspberry leaf notes, generous power and spice (helped by old vines that date back to 1929). There is plenty of tannic structure here, giving punch and impact - both frost and hot winds caused low yields in 2012, and you still feel the concentration at nine years old. Nicolas Audebert (now back in Bordeaux) was heading up the estate at the time, and at this point they were using grapes from both Terrazas de los Andes and their own specific vineyards. 100% new oak.

Drink 2021 to 2035

Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux (October 2021) Read more
Wine Advocate94/100
2012 was a warmer vintage but they harvested earlier to preserve freshness. The 2012 Cheval des Andes has more floral notes (that they attribute to the early picking) violets and lilies. While the blackberries and blackcurrants are there, they do not overpower the nose. In this vintage the final blend (which changes every year, they have no rules) was 64% Malbec, 28% Cabernet Sauvignon (a higher percentage to provide freshness in this warmer vintage) and then 8% Petit Verdot. This is a hedonistic Cheval showing the character of the vintage but with better balance and more integrated oak than in the earlier releases. They reduced the percentage of new oak to 30% and also started experimenting with some 500-liter barrels that were widely used in 2014, and the aging was longer at 14 months. The palate is powerful, and to drink at around 15 C. It gets more depth and nuanced with time in the glass. Even if young, this is polished and can be drunk starting now. 68,000 bottles were produced in 2012.
Luis Gutirrez - 28/08/2015 Read more

About this WINE

Cheval des Andes

Cheval des Andes

Cheval des Andes is a wine estate in Mendoza, Argentina. It is a collaboration between Château Cheval Blanc of Bordeaux and Terrazas de los Andes of Mendoza.

The idea for the project came from Pierre Lurton, then the president of Cheval Blanc, and winemaker Roberto de la Mota. Their goal was to produce a “Grand Cru” equivalent wine in Las Compuertas, a sub-region of Luján de Cujo in Mendoza. The first vintage of Cheval des Andes was 1999.

The vineyard sits at up to 1,070 metres elevation, creating a cool microclimate for the grapes to ripen slowly. Malbec is the dominant variety here. The vineyard boasts old, ungrafted vines of Malbec that were planted in 1929.

There is also a healthy proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon, along with a small amount of Petit Verdot. Pierre Lurton was particularly interested in Malbec, given its historical significance in St-Emilion – and its huge popularity in Argentina.

Since 2019, Cheval des Andes has been distributed through La Place de Bordeaux. The first vintage released this way was the 2016.

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Mendoza

Mendoza

With its western borderline dominated by the Andes and its 146,000 hectares of vineyards representing 70% of the country’s wine production, Mendoza is Argentina’s biggest and most important wine-growing province.

Mendoza’s vineyards are a haven to Old World varieties including Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Tempranillo, Bonarda, Sangiovese, Barbera, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Chenin Blanc. The province’s signature grape is Malbec

Mendoza still produces large amounts of inexpensive wine for domestic consumption, as well as grape concentrate, but the sub-region of Luján de Cuyo stands out with some lovely velvety Malbecs, while the cool, gravelly Maipú is best for Cabernet Sauvignon

The most exciting area in Mendoza for fine whites, however, is the Uco Valley, that has the highest vineyards, up to 1,200 metres above sea level. Chardonnay, Sauvignon, Chenin, Pinot Grigio and Torrontés fare particularly well in its cool climate. Its sub-region of Tupungato produces Argentina’s best Chardonnay.

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Other Varieties

Other Varieties

There are over 200 different grape varieties used in modern wine making (from a total of over 1000). Most lesser known blends and varieties are traditional to specific parts of the world.

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