Cheval des Andes *Arriving Q4 2025

The style of Cheval des Andes is unique in Argentina, as it reveals the freshness and elegance of the terroir through blends inspired by Cheval Blanc, with great cellaring potential and complexity. The wine of Cheval des Andes combines the vibrant and intense expression of Argentinian Malbec with the rigour, elegance and savoir-faire of a great Bordeaux. It is a unique blend of Malbec grapes and Bordeaux varietals – an ensemble with the exuberance of Malbec balanced by the temperance of Cabernet Sauvignon, completed with hints of Petit Verdot.

These wines are elegant, meaning they are the most refined expression of the terroir of Mendoza. On the nose, they are complex rather than intense and on the palate, they are balanced rather than powerful.

Winemaker notes

On the palate, the balance of this wine is predominant. A supple and fresh attack add a lovely liveliness. Soft, precise tannins bring an attractive structure with an elegant finish.

2012

James Suckling 97: One of the most complex and floral Chevals. Full to medium body, ultra-fine. How I tasted.

Decanter 92: Supple in its age with tertiary notes of leather and tobacco coming to the fore, and undertones of black olive and fig. This vintage has 8% Petit Verdot with the Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon, and is one of the warmer vintages of recent years.

Wine Advocate 94: The 2012 Cheval des Andes has more floral notes (that they attribute to the early picking) violets and lilies. While the blackberries and blackcurrants are there, they do not overpower the nose. This is a hedonistic Cheval showing the character of the vintage but with better balance and more integrated oak than in the earlier releases. They reduced the percentage of new oak to 30% and also started experimenting with some 500-liter barrels that were widely used in 2014, and the aging was longer at 14 months. The palate is powerful, and to drink at around 15 C. It gets more depth and nuanced with time in the glass. Even if young, this is polished and can be drunk starting now. 68,000 bottles were produced in 2012.

2014

James Suckling 95: 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.

Wine Advocate 97:  They are more after elegance, freshness and complexity rather than power. It's incredibly fresh and floral, superbly balanced and very charming. The palate is very balanced and elegant, with very good freshness and some restraint, not alcoholic or sweet at all.

2019

Wine Advocate 98: The 2019 Cheval des Andes has a more reductive vinification and élevage, making the wine a bit shy and in need of time to open up, as one of their objectives was to make it more age-worthy. The wine is young and tender and a bit oaky, which Gabillet attributed to the reductiveness; it's ripe without excess, with around 14.2% alcohol, mellow acidity and velvety tannins. There's more Cabernet here, so the aromatic expression can be something between 2017 and 2018, but Cabernet marks the palate a lot and makes the wine more age-worthy, as it provides the structure and length that the Malbec lacks.

James Suckling 97: A refined but spicy Cheval, showing charcoal, blueberries, wild herbs, lavender and hints of bacon and cedar. Medium to full body with extremely fine tannins that get dialed into the fruit with violet, spices and sweet blue fruit at the end. Long and subtle. Drink or hold.

2020

Wine Advocate 98:  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.

James Suckling 97: 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.

2021

Wine Advocate 97: The 2021 Cheval des Andes is seductive and savory on the nose, leading with pure, earth-tinged aromas of pipe tobacco, turned soil, dried herbs and rich yet composed dark fruits. Exotic, dark spice notes and a pleasantly integrated framing of new oak accents appear with further aeration. The palate is deliciously supple and impressively layered, with a harmonious, long and ever-expanding finish that highlights extreme delicacy. The tannins are persistent yet composed, gently yet persistently lengthening the finish and melding nicely with the vibrant acidity underneath—a beautiful combination of savory charm, serious depth and focused intensity. It's a blend of 49% Cabernet Sauvignon, 48% Malbec and 3% Petite Verdot that spent an average of 12-13 months in 50% barrique, 30% demi-muid and 20% foudre.

James Suckling 98: Complex aromas of blueberries, pie crust, fresh flowers and currant bush with hints of baking spices like nutmeg. Medium- to full-bodied with extremely fine tannins that are integrated and gorgeous. Graceful and refined, with super length. Interestingly, 20% of the wine was aged in large oak casks (2,500 liters), mostly from Slovenia. Try after 2027 but a joy to taste now.