2019 Cheval des Andes Mendoza Argentina

Meet the “Grand Cru of Argentina.” You’re going to want to get to know it better.

In 1999, Château Cheval Blanc—Premier Grand Cru Classé A of Saint Emilion in Bordeaux—and Terrazas de Los Andes in Mendoza teamed up to create Cheval des Andes, and a star was born. The predominantly Malbec, Bordeaux-style blend is the signature of Cheval des Andes and is recognized as one of Argentina's premier wines. The 2019 is the 20th anniversary of this distinguished wine, and the first under new French winemaker, Gerald Gabillet.

Cheval des Andes combines the vibrant and intense expression of Argentinian Malbec with the rigor, elegance, and savoir-faire of a great Bordeaux. The wine is elegant, the most refined expression of the terroir of Mendoza.

A pioneer of cool-climate high-altitude winemaking in Argentina, Cheval des Andes produced the 2019 wines from two high-altitude vineyards: Las Compuertas in Luján de Cuyo, the oldest and most classic winegrowing region of Mendoza, and Paraje Altamira, one of the most famed in South America, renowned for its silky and seductive Malbec wines. Las Compuertas sits at 3,500 feet, on gentle slopes in Luján de Cuyo. It has alluvial, deep silty-loam soils composed of sand, limestone, and clay that are well-suited for Cabernet Sauvignon.  Paraje Altamira soils are stony with a layer of calcium carbonate.

The result of the blending of the grapes from these two distinguished, biodiverse vineyards— harvested by hand and vinified separately by sub-plot—is a wine defined by freshness, elegance, and exceptional aging potential. The winemaking team crafts the finest possible expression of the unique, high-altitude terroir in each given year, making each vintage unique.

Aging: 16 to 18 months in a selection of new and second-use Bordeaux barrels of French and Austrian oak.

Tasting Notes: 50% Malbec and 50% Cabernet Sauvignon. On the nose, the wine is complex with blue fruits, herbs, and bacon on the nose. Incredibly balanced, with brambly blackberry, refined tannins, and a gorgeously long finish.

***Pre-Arrival Item, ETA: January 2023***