Cheval des Andes Wine at Flickinger Wines

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Argentina

Cheval des Andes

2014

Mendoza Red Wine

Ex-Negociant

$99

WA 97 (6/2018): The 2014 Cheval des Andes is a different blend than previous years and contains a high percentage of Malbec and more Petit Verdot than Cabernet Sauvignon. This reflects the strict selection they had to do in a rainy year that was very challenging for Cabernet Sauvignon, especially in certain parts of the traditional vine-growing regions of Mendoza. The final breakdown of the blend is 83% Malbec, 9% Petit Verdot and 8% Cabernet Sauvignon. It is from the first of a series of three wet vintages where they see lower temperatures as an advantage to get where they want to go. They are more after elegance, freshness and complexity rather than power. In this vintage, they only used 15% new oak for the elevage in order to preserve the fresh aromatic expression of Malbec, and the aging lasted 15 months. It's incredibly fresh and floral, superbly balanced and very charming. This is the year with the most Malbec ever; it was an accident, but it was the kind of Malbec they like. They generally aim to have more Cabernet in the blend, but that wasn't possible in this low-yielding vintage. The palate is very balanced and elegant, with very good freshness and some restraint, not alcoholic or sweet at all. They find a lot of similarities with 2014 in Bordeaux—classical, fresh, quite transparent and juicy but precise. This has to be the best Cheval des Andes I've tried so far. They tell me this is the first vintage that really follows the style they want to produce in Argentina, with balance, complexity and freshness, away from high alcohol, extraction, oak and excess. The style will be slightly different since there will be more Cabernet Sauvignon, and their final target might be around 50/50 Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon.

JS 95 (6/2017): A rich and round-textured red with gentle tannins and a flavorful finish. Full-bodied, round and succulent. This is 84% malbec and the rest is cabernet sauvignon and petit verdot. Drink now.

VM 93 (7/2018): (14.6% alcohol; just 15% new oak; 100% from estate vines, about three-quarters from the rockiest portion of the company's Las Compuertas vineyard and the rest from Altamira): Bright ruby-red. Very fresh black and blue fruits, menthol, spices and licorice on the nose and palate, complicated by mint, minerals and medicinal herbs (the Cabernet Sauvignon is apparent here). Still a baby but already displays a Malbec juiciness and firm underlying structure. Suave in texture, offering noteworthy delicacy and clarity. Winemaker Lorenzo Pasquini cut back substantially on new oak in 2014 (he normally uses 30% to 50%) and used only French barrels. Not a large-scaled wine but refreshing, suave, complex and intense, with lovely cut. Finishes with excellent spicy length, round tannins and hints of licorice and black olive. Stephen Tanzer.

WS 92 (10/2018): Powerful, inky and ripe-tasting, with muscular dark fruit flavors that feature plenty of smoky notes. Dark chocolate and cream details show on the long, plush finish. Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot. Drink now through 2022. 1,300 cases imported.

2020

Mendoza Red Wine

$78.99

WA 98 (8/2023): The 2020 Cheval des Andes was harvested from the last of February for the first time ever. They now harvest using cold trucks (for the first time), and they also started earlier in the morning, which he reckons was very good for the precision of the wine. The final blend was 49% Cabernet Sauvignon, 49% Malbec and 2% Petit Verdot, which makes a comeback as it was not used since 2016. This is slightly riper than 2019, with a little more alcohol (14.5%) and with very good structural tannins but saving the freshness, and it has the spicy side from the Petit Verdot (Gabillet talks about white pepper). The wine has the ultra sleek and polished texture and the elegance and the balance that is the signature here; the wine is very clean and precise. I see very good regularity across the three vintages I tasted next to each other—this 2020 and the 2018 and 2019. Overall, this is a triumph over the adverse conditions of the vintage.

JS 97 (7/2023): Ripe, baked dark cherries with spices and some violets. Hints of graphite, cocoa powder, incense and black pepper. Dried rose petals. A slightly fuller Cheval des Andes with tense, silky tannins and a lingering, generous finish. Ripe, but still has lots of restraint and precision. 49% malbec, 49% cabernet sauvignon with a 2% petit verdot. 24% of the malbec comes from Altamira and all the rest of the fruit come from Las Compuertas. Drink or hold.

VM 96 (9/2023): The 2020 Cheval des Andes is a blend of 49% Cabernet Sauvignon, 49% Malbec and 2% Petit Verdot from Paraje Altamira in the Uco Valley and Las Compuertas in Luján de Cuyo. Aged in French oak barrels, it’s purple in the glass with a garnet sheen. The nose reveals a well-judged approach to the warmth of 2020, featuring ripe plum, redcurrant, mint and hints of white pepper over a bed of bay leaf and cedar. It’s dry and velvety on the palate, with rich, polished tannins that deliver a juicy, balanced mouthfeel. The balsamic notes and rich palate reflect the year’s character, while the finish is dynamic and long-lasting. Joaquin Hidalgo