2017 Cheval des Andes, Mendoza, Argentina

2017 Cheval des Andes, Mendoza, Argentina

Product: 20178024556
Jane Anson96/100
Wine Advocate97+/100
James Suckling100/100
Prices start from £330.00 per case Buying options
2017 Cheval des Andes, Mendoza, Argentina

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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
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BBX marketplace BBX 1 case £330.00
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Description

Deep ruby, this just looks inviting! Lots of aromatics jump out of the glass straight away. Violets, redcurrants, a touch of mint and black pepper to name but a handful. Silky tannins. I was expecting something a little burlier given the heat of the vintage but the team at Cheval des Andes have mastered this atypical vintage and created a beautifully precise and detailed wine that has a finish that seemingly lasts forever. Give it a couple of years at least in the cellar if you can resist. The best ever Cheval des Andes? Without a doubt!

Fergus Stewart, Private Account Manager, Berry Bros. & Rudd (Sep 2020)

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Critics reviews
Jane Anson96/100
Savoury black fruits with scorched earth smoke, eucalyptus and cocoa bean, given focus and a sense of momentum by fresh acidities and a juicy finish. Malbec has the ability as does Pinot Noir to either drink early or to age for years, and you feel the elasticity and promise of the tannins in this wine. Blend at the end of ageing. Aged in 2500-litre oak casks, 70% new oak.

Drink 2021 to 2040

Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux (October 2021) Read more
Wine Advocate97+/100
In 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.
Luis Gutiérrez, The Wine Advocate Read more
James Suckling100/100
This is the greatest Cheval des Andes ever. Discrete aromas of blackberries, flowers, stone and licorice. So perfumed. The integration of fruit, tannins and acidity is fantastic. Full-bodied, tight and solid with beautiful depth and integrity. Extremely long and exciting. Complex and compelling with such refinement and length. A blend of 62% malbec and 38% cabernet sauvignon. Available in September 2020. Better after 2024.
James Suckling 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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