Cheval des Andes

Cheval des Andes is a joint venture between Château Cheval Blanc, the legendary Premier Grand Cru Classé A of Saint-Émilion, and Mendoza's Terrazas de los Andes, a Moët Hennessy subsidiary founded in 1996. The project was born in 1999 when Pierre Lurton, President of Château Cheval Blanc, visited Argentina in search of the original, ungrafted Malbec vines that Bordeaux had lost to the phylloxera epidemic. His quest led him to Las Compuertas, where he partnered with local winemaker Roberto de la Mota to create a wine of Grand Cru calibre at the foot of the Andes.

• Joint venture established 1999; inaugural vintage also 1999
• Conceived by Pierre Lurton (Cheval Blanc) and founding winemaker Roberto de la Mota in Las Compuertas, Luján de Cuyo
• Terrazas de los Andes, a Moët Hennessy subsidiary founded in 1996, is the Argentine partner
• Distributed via La Place de Bordeaux, the same system used by top Bordeaux châteaux

Cheval des Andes produces its wine entirely from two wholly-owned, high-altitude vineyards. Las Compuertas, the historic 32-hectare site in Luján de Cuyo, lies on gentle slopes at 1,070 metres with alluvial, deep silty-loam soils composed of 48% limestone, 36% sand, and 16% clay, receiving an average of just 200mm of rain per year. The Altamira vineyard within La Consulta in the Uco Valley sits at 1,150 metres, where the greater diurnal temperature variation contributes freshness and floral character; its alluvial soils break down to roughly 60% sand, 30% limestone, and 10% clay. The two terroirs are intentionally contrasted, with their differences lending the final blend its complexity.

• Las Compuertas (32 ha, 1,070m): ungrafted Malbec vines planted 1929; deep silty-loam soils with 48% limestone; only 200mm average annual rainfall
• Altamira/La Consulta (14 ha, 1,150m): Malbec planted 1945 in the Uco Valley; sandier soils with wider diurnal swing than Las Compuertas
• Total estate: 50 hectares (123 acres) across both sites; 39 hectares currently in active production
• Biodiversity project plants flowers and cover crops to attract pollinators and natural predators of vineyard pests; no pesticides or herbicides used

Cheval des Andes produces a single wine each year from hand-harvested, double-sorted grapes fermented by variety in tanks ranging from 30 to 80 hectolitres. The blend of Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Petit Verdot varies by vintage; the 2022 is 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% old-vine Malbec, and 5% Petit Verdot, while the 2021 was 49% Cabernet Sauvignon, 48% Malbec, and 3% Petit Verdot, and earlier Malbec-led vintages such as the 2018 ran approximately 70% Malbec to 30% Cabernet Sauvignon. Resident winemaker Gérald Gabillet (in full charge from the 2019 vintage onward) works alongside Cheval Blanc's technical director Pierre-Olivier Clouet, applying Cheval Blanc's blending philosophy to Mendoza's high-altitude fruit. Since around 2015, the estate has evolved toward greater freshness and less invasive oak treatment, now aging in a mix of 225-litre Bordeaux barrels, 400-litre barrels, and large 2,500-litre foudres, with 50% new oak sourced predominantly from French cooperages.

• Blend varies by vintage: 2022 = 65% CS, 30% Malbec, 5% PV; 2021 = 49% CS, 48% Malbec, 3% PV; 2019 = 50% Malbec, 50% CS; 2018 = approximately 70% Malbec, 30% CS (Malbec-led era)
• Aging in a mix of 225-litre, 400-litre barrels and 2,500-litre foudres; 50% new oak, predominantly French with some Austrian origin
• Stylistic evolution since 2015 toward greater freshness, lighter extraction, and reduced oak influence
• Grapes are hand-harvested and double-sorted; fermented and aged by variety before final blending

Cheval des Andes is one of Argentina's most sought-after wines and the country's most searched wine on Wine-Searcher. The 2022 vintage received 97 points from The Wine Advocate, 98 from Tim Atkin MW and Decanter, and 99 from Vinous, establishing it as one of the outstanding releases in the wine's history. The 2019 vintage earned 98 points from Wine Advocate (Luis Gutierrez) and 99 from Tim Atkin (who noted he was 'very close to giving it 100 points'); the 2020 also received 98 points from Wine Advocate; the 2021 earned 98 points from Jeb Dunnuck and was ranked number six in Vinous Media's worldwide Top 100 of 2024. Awards have been accumulated across multiple vintages: the 2012 received Gold at the International Wine and Spirit Competition, and the 2011 received Gold at Mundus Vini. The wine is distributed via La Place de Bordeaux, reflecting its positioning alongside the world's elite fine wines.

• 2022 vintage: 97 pts Wine Advocate, 98 pts Tim Atkin MW, 98 pts Decanter, 99 pts Vinous; 2019: 98 pts Wine Advocate, 99 pts Tim Atkin; 2020: 98 pts Wine Advocate; 2021: 98 pts Jeb Dunnuck, ranked number 6 in Vinous Top 100 of 2024
• 2012 vintage: Gold, International Wine and Spirit Competition; 2011: Gold, Mundus Vini
• Distributed via La Place de Bordeaux — the traditional system normally reserved for top Bordeaux châteaux
• Consistently scores 93-96 points across most vintages from 2010 onward, with recent releases peaking higher

The philosophy of Cheval des Andes is to make wines that 'travel through the decades,' prioritising elegance, freshness, and balance over immediate power. The 2022 vintage is recommended for drinking from 2027 to 2045, reflecting serious structural depth. Cheval des Andes is the only wine the estate produces, with all resources devoted to a single Grand Cru-level expression that rewards patient cellaring while remaining approachable on release for those who wish to drink it young.

• 2022 recommended drinking window: 2027 to 2045 (Tim Atkin MW); 2026 to 2042 (Wine Spectator)
• Single wine produced per year; no second label currently exists, though plans have been noted
• Style has evolved since 2015 toward less oak and more freshness, improving mid-term to long-term cellaring prospects
• Alcohol typically 14%; structured but balanced by vibrant natural acidity from high-altitude growing conditions