The 2020 Cheval des Andes is a proprietary blend from Argentina's Mendoza region, produced by Cheval des Andes. This wine features a balanced blend of 49% Cabernet Sauvignon, 49% Malbec, and 2% Petit Verdot, and is characterized by its deep garnet-purple color and a cork closure. With an alcohol content of 14.5%, this red wine has garnered significant attention from professional reviewers.
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate awarded the wine an impressive 98 points. The review highlights the unique harvest conditions of 2020, noting, "The 2020 Cheval des Andes was harvested from the last of February for the first time ever." The reviewer mentions that winemaker Gérald Gabillet had to start the harvest without waiting for his counterparts from Cheval Blanc, resulting in a surprisingly fresh Malbec from Las Compuertas. The review also notes the use of cold trucks and early morning harvests to enhance the wine's precision.
Decanter gave the wine a 95-point rating, describing it as "rich and full in the mouth" with "power and dominance." The wine is noted for its concentrated blackcurrant, plum, and black cherry fruit, along with spiced and mineral tones. The review points out that the wine has a "punchy and confident" character, although the alcohol "sticks out a touch."
James Suckling also awarded the wine 97 points, praising its ripe, baked dark cherries and spices, along with hints of graphite, cocoa powder, and black pepper. The review emphasizes the wine's "tense, silky tannins and a lingering, generous finish," noting that it is both ripe and restrained.
The Wine Independent echoes these sentiments with a 95-point review, describing the wine as "medium to deep garnet-purple in color" with notes of tar, black olives, plum preserves, and stewed black cherries. The review highlights the wine's "solid frame of grainy tannins and plenty of freshness."
Vinous rated the wine 96 points and described it as "dry and velvety on the palate, with rich, polished tannins." The review notes the wine's ripe plum and redcurrant flavors, along with mint and white pepper over a bed of bay leaf and cedar. The finish is described as "dynamic and long-lasting."
Overall, the 2020 Cheval des Andes is a highly regarded wine with a robust and complex profile, characterized by its rich fruit flavors, spiced notes, and balanced tannins.
