Either the bottle is too large for our packaging (i.e. we cannot ship anything larger than 750 ml), the dimensions/shape of the bottle doesn't fit within our packaging for safe shipment, or this is a widely-distributed wine (e.g. Barefoot, Yellow Tail, etc) which we only sell at our physical store or for in-store pickup.
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Mendoza is Argentina's biggest wine region, and with a footprint that spans a diverse geography, it's able to produce a wide array of wines. Chief amongst them are Argentina's ever-popular Malbecs, but you'll also find world-class Cabernet Sauvignons, Chardonnays, and more produced here. The geography is diverse, but tends to be mountainous, and the higher elevations play a sizable role in grape growing, providing cooler temperatures at night.
Argentina took the wine world spotlight in the late 20th century with its plush, smooth Malbec. While the popular red grape still reigns supreme, Argentine wineries are increasingly putting forth excellent examples of multiple varietals, all at the extraordinary bargains that make this region so accessible.
Now the fifth largest wine-producing nation in the world, Argentina enjoys high-altitude and low-humidity vineyard sites, comparatively unencumbered by insects and disease. Argentina’s unique terroir has captured the interest of such internationally celebrated winemakers as Paul Hobbs and Michel Rolland, both of whom have projects in the country.
Not Shippable. WNY Local Delivery and In-Store Pickup only. Learn MoreSorry, this item is not available for shipment outside of the Western New York area. Either the bottle is too large for our packaging (i.e. we cannot ship anything larger than 750 ml), the dimensions/shape of the bottle doesn't fit within our packaging for safe shipment, or this is a widely-distributed wine (e.g. Barefoot, Yellow Tail, etc) which we only sell at our physical store or for in-store pickup.
WS9292 pts. - Wine & Spirits - 06/20 Dark and rich, this blend of malbec, cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc packs in fruit and spice. It’s buoyant and lively, ripe yet cool, with an evergreen note perking up the black-raspberry fruit; black-pepper spice gives it extra lift and drive.
WE9191 pts. - Wine Enthusiast - 12/1/2020 Ripe berry, cherry and plum aromas offer an enticing hint of sweet cookie dough. There’s nothing shy about the palate, which hammers at first before calming. Blackberry, savory notes and chocolaty oak flavors offset the wine’s natural piercing intensity. This structured blend is Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon and a little bit of Cab Franc; drink through 2023.
JS100100 pts. - JamesSuckling.com - Thursday, July 18, 2019 This is the greatest Cheval des Andes ever. The integration of fruit, tannins and acidity is fantastic. Full-bodied, tight and solid with beautiful depth and integrity. Extremely long and exciting. Complex and compelling. Available in September 2020. Better after 2024.
JS100100 pts. - JamesSuckling.com - Friday, November 27, 2020 This is the greatest Cheval des Andes ever. Discrete aromas of blackberries, flowers, stone and licorice. So perfumed. The integration of fruit, tannins and acidity is fantastic. Full-bodied, tight and solid with beautiful depth and integrity. Extremely long and exciting. Complex and compelling with such refinement and length. A blend of 62% malbec and 38% cabernet sauvignon. Available in September 2020. Better after 2024.
RP97+97+ pts. - Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate - 31st Aug 2020 In the last few years, a handful of wines from Chile and Argentina — often French owned — have been released in September through the Place de Bordeaux, the network of négociants that sell most of the Bordeaux wines and some of the leading wines from other regions. The 2017 Cheval des Andes is one such wine. 2017 saw an early harvest, but they started picking on the 6th of March and continued until the 10th of April, more or less normal dates, early but not so much. The varietal break down this vintage comes to 62% Malbec and 38% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the wine is slightly riper and higher in alcohol than 2016 (this 2017 is 14.2% alcohol). The different plots fermented separately with selected yeasts, and the élevage lasted for 15 months and was in 50/50 new and second use barrels, 90% of them French and the rest made with wood from Eastern Europe. They used 45% Bordeaux barrels, 45% 400-liter barrels and, for the first time, a 2,500-liter oak foudre. This is clearly the darkest of the trio of vintages I tasted together here — 2015, 2016 and 2017 — but all three have the elegant and powerful profile, the luxurious and creamy character found in the best Bordeaux wines in the last few years, wines of power with precision, concentration, energy and finesse. This seems to combine the clout of the 2015 and the freshness of the 2016 and feels something in between those two vintages. Their work in the vineyard toward the maturity of the tannins meant the challenge in 2017 was to not let the grapes ripen too fast and too early. The work is different for Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec, to get round tannins in Cabernet and get some tension in Malbec, the contrary of the normal tendency of the varieties. 2017 has less ripeness than the 2015 but more density than the 2016. The texture is velvety, precise and harmonious. This year, they introduced a larger foudre for 10% of the wine, with the aim to reach 20%, so that volume is increasing every year. I think this is showing more precision, and in a more challenging year, they managed to keep the quality on par with 2016. They have changed the label this year, to a cleaner and more elegant label that also reflects the direction the wine is going in. 81,500 bottles produced. It was bottled in January 2019.
VN9595 pts. - Vinous - Oct 2020 The seventeenth vintage of Cheval des Andes, a wine that has undergone a model transformation. I recently tried the 2007, and it’s fascinating to trace the different stages of its evolution, all of which say something about the contemporary history of Argentine wine. To sum up, it started out with a French love of concentration and ripeness and ended up with an equally French love of equilibrium and local terroir. The 2017 is a new beginning in itself. A blend of Malbec with 38% Cabernet Sauvignon, it presents a bold nose of fresh fruit such as sweet and sour cherry with fleshy aromas and a touch of white pepper over a bold, woody backdrop. A fluid wine, slightly taut on the palate with medium structure, a delicate feel and active tannins well integrated into the terse texture, overall it is nuanced and full of flavor. Possesses a balance that respects the concentration of the vintage without ever letting it get out of hand. An Argentine wine made with more than a nod to French expertise.
SP9393 pts. - Wine Spectator - Mar 31, 2022 Elegant and well-structured, with intense coffee bean notes to the dried red currant and dark plum flavors. Minerally in the midpalate, with a long finish that features medium-grained tannins and is rich with savory spice and dried green herbal notes. Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon. Drink now through 2027. 5,400 cases made, 2,250 cases imported. (Kim Marcus)
VN9393 pts. - Vinous - Jan 2023 From Luján du Cuyo, the 2021 Malbec De Sangre was aged for 12 months in used barrels. Intense purple color in the glass. The nose presents violets, fresh plum, balsamic notes, white pepper, hints of oak, black tea and a whiff of grapefruit. Plush and broad with fruity flavor and voluminous, polished tannins. The texture is velvety before the long, fruity finish. (Joaquín Hidalgo)
JS9191 pts. - JamesSuckling.com - Monday, March 27, 2023 This has a toasty character with notes of ripe plums and cherries as well as sweet spices, hazelnuts and grilled herbs. Medium- to full-bodied with plush, creamy tannins and rich core of dark fruit and spices. Rich and mellow finish. Drink now. (James Suckling)
SP9090 pts. - Wine Spectator - Oct 15, 2023 Abundantly spiced and layered with floral and savory thyme details that join a juicy blackberry and plum core, which fans out nicely around chiseled tannins and a note of hibiscus. Drink now through 2028. 1,000 cases imported. (Aaron Romano)