“The way they want to describe the wine is the Argentinean expression of Cheval Blanc. And I can only agree.” – Wine Advocate

Have you ever seen a “First Growth” for $79 - with 98, 97 (x2), and 96 points?

Today marks yet another grandiose FIRST in Wine Spies history! We successfully secured a small allocation of the wine EVERYBODY wants, at the lowest price ANYWHERE.

I know what you’re thinking…this must be a joke.

Cheval Blanc is prized by collectors worldwide. It fetches $500-1000 per bottle, all day, every day. But you can get this bottle – a wine made under close collaboration with the famous St. Emilion producer, for a fraction of the price.

One sniff, one sip, and you’re hooked. Self-explanatory, it brings the best of Malbec and Cabernet, in equal proportions historically for the first vintage ever, the ultimate yin and yang experience a seesaw on your fragile pallet that gallops with aromas and flavors we can’t cover better that the 96-98 pointer impressions below. What we can say is, it does leave you speechless with reckless abandon, marrying the elegance and grace of Bordeaux with the wild and wondrous nature of the Andes.

We’re gonna cellar a few and pair with Argentinean skirt steak (entraña grilled to perfection) served two ways, with Bordelaise sauce and chimichurri on the side, and go back and forth all night to decide which works better with this masterpiece.

Not much else to say really, yet one question remains…

Given the same pedigree and obsessive attention to detail with both, would you buy a full CASE of 12 of the one from Mendoza or just 1 bottle of its sibling from Saint-Émilion at the same cost?

Thought so. Wish we had more. It’s a given this won’t last.

98 Points – Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate

“The 2019 Cheval des Andes had 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. Another objective is to get to a 50/50 blend of Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon, which they achieved in this vintage for the first time, going back to the initial character of the wine that was the idea of Argentinean winemaker Roberto de la Mota; so, they are closing the circle and going back to the initial idea, with more implication from the Cheval Blanc team. This is the first vintage fully under the charge of the new French winemaker, Gerald Gabillet, who fermented by plot, isolating some specific parts of the vineyard, like the borders where you tend to get higher yields because of the irrigation. It matured in 225- and 400-liter oak barrels and in oak vats. They used more barrels and vats from Stockinger, which they like and rotate; the wine spends an average of 13 to 14 months in oak, but some lots get 11 months and others get 16. 2019 was a mild vintage, cooler than 2017 and warmer than 2018, with rain at the right time, which helped to avoid hydric stress, and without extremes (which they had in 2020 with three weeks of extreme heat). The wine is young and tender and a bit oaky, which Gerald 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. So, the wine might be less accessible when young and should develop slowly in bottle. It’s tasty and supple and has the ingredients and the balance for what they are aiming for. In the following vintages, they follow this path, and Gabillet feels that having more precision allows the wines to reflect the differences between vintages better. The way they want to describe the wine is the Argentinean expression of Cheval Blanc. And I can only agree. Drink 2023-2035.”

97 Points – Antonio Galloni’s Vinous

“The 2019 Cheval des Andes is a 50/50 blend of Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon from Las Compuertas and Paraje Altamira, Mendoza. The 2019 was 40% aged in 225-liter barrels, 40% in 500-liter barrels and 20% in foudres. It’s red with violet flecks in the glass. It has a fresh nose of plum and blackcurrant accompanied by hints of white pepper, mint and violets over a bed of cedar and sandalwood. On the palate, the feel is finely grained with a leaner, more agile flow than in previous years, while the freshness brings plenty of energy before the lengthy finish of fruit and country herb aromas. Drink 2024-2035.”

97 Points – James Suckling

“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.”

96 Points – Decanter

“Smooth and so seductive, I love the texture here, supple but silky. Tannins give structure and support and the focus is on perfumed red and black fruits with a richness and concentration yet liveliness from sharp acidity. It doesn’t feel at all heavy but sintilates with fragrance and freshness. Easy to drink, lovely detail on show - blackcurrants, red cherries, violets with vanilla and liquorice hints. Very smooth and charming while still being a full wine. This has extreme delectability. Great winemaking on show. Drink 2025-2045.”