I’m delighted to offer both the latest vintage, the beautifully balanced 2023 release, and a vertical case of the three latest vintages from Cheval des Andes, a coming together of Bordeaux expertise and Mendoza’s exceptional mountain desert terroir.
The story of Cheval des Andes is one of vision, ambition and perseverance. Launched in 1999 by Pierre Lurton of Château Cheval Blanc and Roberto de la Mota of Terrazas de los Andes, the original ambition was to bring together the best of Bordeaux and Argentina. What began as a prestigious branded wine has, over time, evolved into a true vin de cru, seeking to express the character of two exceptional vineyard sites at the foot of the Andes and the particular conditions of each vintage.
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2014 marked a turning point, when the focus shifted towards a sense of place. To start with, the team committed to working exclusively with the same two vineyards, getting to know their individual characteristics and understanding how best to express them.
This transformation has taken time, investment and a sustained commitment to quality, with plenty of learning along the way. I believe the 2021 vintage marks another significant milestone, when all this work really comes together. The wines have never been better: more precise and refined, with a clearer expression of the individual character of each vintage, which brings me to why I am offering members these three vintages now, so they can see the very best of what Cheval des Andes has achieved to date.
The vineyards
The 47 hectares are divided between two distinctive sites, both around 1,100 metres above sea level. Las Compuertas, in Luján de Cuyo, is the historic heart of the estate, with ungrafted malbec vines dating back to 1929, alongside cabernet sauvignon. Further south, the cooler Paraje Altamira in the Uco Valley is home to old malbec vines dating from 1945, bringing freshness, floral character and fine tannins.
The interplay between these two sites gives Cheval des Andes its complexity, but the journey of understanding and expressing their potential has required a fundamental rethink of how the vineyards are managed.
The new approach
The investment and changes have included more sophisticated irrigation, including a carefully controlled drip system that allows water to be tailored to the needs of individual vines in this arid, high-altitude environment. Harvesting has also moved considerably earlier – from late April, historically, to late February today, in pursuit of freshness, juicy fruit and beautifully refined tannins, rather than excessive ripeness and alcohol.
There has also been an equally important shift beneath the vines. Moving away from ploughed, herbicide-treated soils, the estate has embraced sustainable practises, introducing cover crops, grasses, legumes, flowering plants and trees to encourage biodiversity, improve soil health and build resilience against climate change.
In the winery, the focus is on understanding every parcel individually. The 36 vineyard plots are harvested and vinified separately in a range of differently sized vats, allowing the team to understand their individual characteristics before bringing them together in the final blend. Investment in a new winery has taken this precision further still, giving the team greater control over the expression of each parcel.
The grapes and the vintages
At the heart of Cheval des Andes is the marriage of two grape varieties: cabernet sauvignon, the traditional Bordeaux variety, and malbec, Argentina's signature grape. Malbec brings delicacy, blue fruit and aromatics, whilst cabernet brings structure, refinement and the backbone ensuring these wines will age beautifully over time.
It is also a relationship that works both ways. While Château Cheval Blanc has brought its expertise and philosophy to Mendoza, the team has also learnt from Cheval des Andes, particularly in managing vines in hot, dry conditions. The exchange of knowledge between the two estates is a testament to the shared ambition behind the project.
From my discussions with technical director Pierre-Olivier Clouet, and from tasting the wines, it is fair to say that the 2021 vintage marks the arrival of the fully realised Cheval des Andes style, the point at which the team’s work in the vineyard and cellar really comes together.
Interestingly, and coincidentally, the three vintages also offer a fascinating parallel with Bordeaux, with each reflecting the broad character of its respective growing season. The cooler 2021 brings freshness and finesse, while 2022 is more textbook with fleshier tannins and 2023 offers expressions of warmer, drier conditions, all of which are beautifully balanced in their own way.
