The 2018 Cheval des Andes is a blend of 70% Malbec and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon fermented in small lots in 3,000- to 8,000-liter tanks and matured 40% in 225-liter oak barrels, 40% in 400-liter oak barrels and the remaining 20% in 2,500-liter oak vats for 13 months. Ninety percent of the oak used was French and the rest a blend of Austrian, Slovenian and German oak, 50% of it new. 2018 has been one of the best vintages in recent times in Mendoza, and the wine shows it. It's a cooler vintage, and the wine has improved in freshness and elegance without losing any clout. It's 14.5% alcohol and has a pH of 3.73. This is young, juicy, elegant and balanced and still has some herbal and toasted notes; it's medium to full-bodied, with the creamy and luxurious texture of the modern Bordeaux, ultra fine tannins and a long, dry and precise finish. It's still undeveloped and seems to have all the components and the balance between them for a long and positive development in bottle. With wines like this, I sometimes wish I had a time machine so I could see them in 20 years from now... I think this is the finest Cheval des Andes I've ever tasted. 100,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in January 2020.
"Cheval des Andes, der "Grand Cru" der Anden, ist das Ergebnis einer Fusion zweier Kulturen, die die Vision und das Know-how von Château Cheval Blanc mit dem Weinbau in den Höhenlagen der Region Mendoza verbindet. Unter anspruchsvollen klimatischen Bedingungen vereinen sich hier Malbec und Cabernet Sauvignon zu einer Mischung, die am Fuße der Anden geboren wird." (Cheval des Andes)
Verkostungsnotiz von James Suckling vom 4. Dezember 2020:
This is a plush, rich Cheval with blueberry and floral aromas and flavors. HInts of tar and fresh lavender. Full body. The depth and richness are impressive, as are the ripe yet fresh tannins. Very long and structured, yet controlled and in balance. This will be a great wine indeed. Release in September 2021. Drink after 2023.
Verkostungsnotiz des Weingutes:
Intensive und glänzende rubinrote Farbe. Die erste Nase ist erfüllt von frischen roten und schwarzen Früchten, wie Kirsche und Pflaume. Dann entwickeln sich subtile und elegante Noten von Lakritze und Vanille, die sich mit dem Eichenholz vereinen. Am Gaumen entwickelt sich ein weicher und geschmeidiger Auftakt schnell zu einer reichhaltigen Struktur und Persönlichkeit. Ein langer und schmeichelhafter Abgang lädt dazu ein, diesen Wein weiter zu entdecken.