Cheval des Andes 2023 is the flagship red of the Cheval des Andes project in Mendoza, a joint venture launched in 1999 between Château Cheval Blanc and Terrazas de los Andes. The ambition is clear: apply a Bordeaux-minded approach to high-altitude Argentine vineyards, building a style that aims for freshness and balance as much as power. Fruit is sourced from two elevated sites: Las Compuertas in Luján de Cuyo (around 1,070 meters) and La Consulta in the Uco Valley (around 1,150 meters), both central to the estate’s identity.

The 2023 blend is reported as 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Malbec, and 3% Petit Verdot, making Cabernet Sauvignon the leading variety in this vintage. That framework typically signals a structure-first profile, with Malbec filling in mid-palate fruit and texture.

In the only detailed tasting note provided, Markus Del Monego MW describes a “dark purple colour with violet hue and almost black core,” followed by a “complex, concentrated yet elegant nose” spanning plum, black cherry, blackberry and raspberry, plus “blackcurrant jelly.” On the palate, Del Monego emphasizes balance over sheer mass: “well-structured… ripe tannins, juicy fruit, mild acidity,” with “depth and length,” finishing with “discreet spiciness, and a mineral and iron finish” (Markus Del Monego MW).

Critical reception is notably strong. Tim Atkin is reported at an excellent 99 points, with Jane Anson, Jeb Dunnuck, and James Suckling each reported at 98 points. Del Monego rates it 97 points. That said, not every score can be independently verified from primary sources here, and one search did not surface the Suckling 2023 rating; the broader picture still points to a widely praised release.

Overall, Cheval des Andes 2023 reads as a polished, cellar-worthy Mendoza blend: dark-fruited, firmly structured, and oriented toward length, detail, and restraint rather than overt sweetness or oak gloss.