Cheval des Andes: Argentina's Grand Cru Bordeaux-Style Blend

Cheval des Andes was conceived in 1999 when Pierre Lurton, President of Château Cheval Blanc, discovered the Las Compuertas vineyard in Mendoza, planted in 1929 with ungrafted Malbec vines descended from pre-phylloxera Bordeaux stock. Lurton saw in these century-old vines a living connection to Bordeaux's viticultural past, declaring it 'a journey to the roots of Bordeaux.' Château Cheval Blanc, a Premier Grand Cru Classé A estate in Saint-Emilion, formalised a joint venture with Terrazas de los Andes, itself a Moët Hennessy subsidiary founded in 1996 in Luján de Cuyo. The resulting collaboration brought Cheval Blanc's philosophy of elegance, cellaring potential, and precision viticulture to Argentina's high-altitude Mendoza terroir, producing a single estate wine from the 1999 vintage onward. The current winemaking team includes French winemaker Gérald Gabillet, who took charge from the 2019 vintage, working alongside Cheval Blanc's technical director Pierre-Olivier Clouet.

• Pierre Lurton, founder and driving force, was captivated by Las Compuertas' ungrafted 1929 Malbec vines, recognising them as a pre-phylloxera link to Bordeaux's history
• Terrazas de los Andes was established in 1996 as a Moët Hennessy (LVMH) subsidiary; the Cheval des Andes joint venture was formalised in 1999
• Gérald Gabillet became the estate's resident winemaker from the 2019 vintage, the first under his full charge, marking a new stylistic chapter
• The wine is sold exclusively through La Place de Bordeaux, the négociant network that distributes most top Bordeaux wines, reflecting its positioning as a genuine grand cru

Cheval des Andes draws exclusively from two wholly owned high-altitude vineyards in Mendoza, each contributing distinct character to the final blend. Las Compuertas, located in Luján de Cuyo at 1,070 meters above sea level, is the historic heart of the estate. Its old-vine Malbec, planted in 1929 on ungrafted rootstocks and among the oldest in Argentina, produces wines of richness and unctuousness. The deeper silty-loam soils with sand, limestone, and clay suit Cabernet Sauvignon particularly well. La Consulta, situated in the Paraje Altamira sub-zone of the Uco Valley at 1,100 meters, was planted in 1945 and offers cooler temperatures, greater diurnal temperature variation, and alluvial soils composed of approximately 60% sand, 30% limestone, and 10% clay. This natural drainage and thermal amplitude produce grapes with good tannin quality, freshness, and floral character. The estate totals approximately 50 hectares across these two complementary sites, which are vinified separately by sub-plot before blending.

• Las Compuertas (Luján de Cuyo): 1,070 meters elevation, ungrafted Malbec planted 1929, deep silty-loam soils suited to both Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon
• La Consulta/Paraje Altamira (Uco Valley): 1,100 meters elevation, planted 1945, greater diurnal temperature variation, alluvial soils of sand, limestone, and clay
• Mendoza's dry, continental climate and Andean snowmelt irrigation protect ungrafted vines from phylloxera, preserving a direct genetic link to Bordeaux's pre-epidemic plantings
• Each sub-plot is managed and vinified individually, allowing the team to assemble the most expressive blend from each vintage's specific conditions

Cheval des Andes is a vintage-variable blend of Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon, sometimes completed with small additions of Petit Verdot. Cabernet Franc and Merlot are also grown on the estate and may occasionally contribute, but the wine has never been a Cabernet Franc-dominant expression. In earlier vintages the wine tended to be Malbec-led, but since the mid-2010s and especially from 2019 onward the team has pursued a closer to equal split between the two primary varieties, with Cabernet Sauvignon taking on an increasingly prominent role for structure and aging potential. Grapes are harvested by hand, with careful bunch and berry selection. Each sub-plot is fermented separately, and the wine undergoes elevage in a combination of 225-liter Bordeaux barrels, 400 to 500-liter barrels, and large oak foudres, typically with around 50% new oak, for 14 to 18 months depending on vintage. The philosophy, inherited from Cheval Blanc, prizes elegance, freshness, and aging potential over extraction or power.

• Blend varies by vintage: examples include 70% Malbec/30% Cabernet Sauvignon (2018), 50/50 Malbec/Cabernet Sauvignon (2019), and 65% Cabernet Sauvignon/30% Malbec/5% Petit Verdot (2022)
• Elevage uses a mix of 225-liter, 400-500-liter barrels, and large foudres; approximately 50% new oak and 14 to 18 months aging, varying by vintage
• Plot-by-plot vinification allows the team to select only the finest parcels for the final blend each year, reflecting the 'millésime effect' prized at Cheval Blanc
• The five grape varieties planted on the estate are Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot, though recent blends have been dominated by Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon

Cheval des Andes has earned a reputation as one of Argentina's most critically celebrated wines, regularly achieving scores in the 95 to 98-point range from the world's leading critics. Wine Advocate awarded 98 points to both the 2019 and 2020 vintages. The 2021 vintage received 98 points from Jeb Dunnuck and 98 points from Vinous, which also named it number six in its worldwide Top 100 for 2024. Tim Atkin awarded the 2019 vintage 99 points. The 2022 vintage received 97 points from Wine Advocate. James Suckling has consistently rated the wine in the 97-to-98-point range across multiple recent vintages. Wine-Searcher's composite critic average sits at 95 to 96 points across the full back-catalogue of releases. The wine's distribution through La Place de Bordeaux and its placement in serious collectors' cellars worldwide reflect a level of international recognition matched by very few New World wines.

• Wine Advocate: 98 points for 2019 (Luis Gutierrez) and 98 points for 2020; 97 points for 2022
• Jeb Dunnuck: 98 points for 2021, describing it as 'the finest vintage of this wine I've tasted'
• Tim Atkin: 99 points for 2019, noting he was 'very close to giving it 100 points'
• Vinous: ranked the 2021 vintage number six in its worldwide Top 100 of Vinous Media 2024

Cheval des Andes occupies a unique position in the story of Argentine fine wine. As one of the earliest and most sustained collaborations between a top Bordeaux estate and an Argentine producer, it helped demonstrate that Mendoza's high-altitude terroir could produce wines of genuine complexity and aging potential that command serious collector interest internationally. The project validated Las Compuertas and Paraje Altamira as two of Argentina's most distinguished vineyards and helped focus attention on old-vine Malbec as a variety capable of producing grand cru-level wines. Its commitment to blending Malbec with Bordeaux varieties, especially Cabernet Sauvignon, also provided an important counterpoint to the region's Malbec-dominant narrative. The wine's place on La Place de Bordeaux confirmed its standing among the world's fine wine elite. Amanda Barnes MW has described it as 'an age-worthy and sophisticated red blend, a deserving icon of Mendoza.'

• Established Las Compuertas and Paraje Altamira as two of Mendoza's most prestigious terroirs, attracting further investment in old-vine and high-altitude viticulture
• One of the first South American wines distributed through La Place de Bordeaux, placing it alongside the world's most collectable fine wines
• Demonstrated the aging potential of Argentine Malbec-Cabernet Sauvignon blends and helped legitimise Argentina's ambitions beyond varietal Malbec
• The estate operates without pesticides or herbicides and has implemented a biodiversity project encouraging natural predator insects, reflecting a growing commitment to sustainable viticulture

Cheval des Andes presents a profile that straddles Old World restraint and New World generosity. In youth the wine typically shows ripe dark and red fruits such as blackcurrant, plum, and black cherry, accompanied by violet florals, graphite, cedar, and subtle herb notes. The tannins are finely grained and polished, and the acidity is fresh and supportive rather than sharp. The blend's evolution over recent vintages toward greater Cabernet Sauvignon inclusion has added more structure, length, and cellar-worthiness, while careful oak usage in a mix of barrel sizes preserves fruit purity and avoids over-extraction. With bottle age the wine develops tertiary complexity: tobacco, leather, earthy minerals, and dried spice emerge alongside the persisting fruit core. Most vintages are approachable with extended decanting on release but reward cellaring of 10 to 20 years. The 2019 vintage was notably reductive and age-worthy in style; the 2021 was praised for its harmony and elegance; the 2022 for its energy and tension.

• Primary aromas: blackcurrant, plum, black cherry, violet, graphite, cedar, subtle mint or herbs depending on vintage
• Palate: finely grained, polished tannins, fresh supporting acidity, medium to full body, long and mineral-inflected finish
• Aging potential: most vintages benefit from 5 to 10 years of cellaring and can evolve gracefully for 20 years or more
• Vintage variation is significant: Malbec-dominant years (e.g. 2018) tend toward more floral, plush expression; Cabernet Sauvignon-dominant years (e.g. 2022) lean more toward structure, graphite, and tension