Cheval des Andes: The Grand Cru of the Andes

Wines of Argentina producers

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From France to Argentina, from St-Emilion to Mendoza, from Château Cheval Blanc to Cheval des Andes…

Cheval des Andes: The Grand Cru of the Andes

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At the origin of many great adventures is a meeting – a meeting of minds, passions and convictions. The destiny of Cheval des Andes has been defined by a succession of such meetings, starting with the one where the patrons of Château Cheval Blanc, asked Estate Director Pierre Lurton whether it would be possible to establish a joint venture in Argentina.

Immediately, Pierre Lurton was enthused by the vision of recreating the Malbec connection – reconnecting St-Emilion with its past when, until the phylloxera epidemic, Malbec was one of the most widely cultivated grape varieties. “This will,” he said, “be a journey to the roots of Bordeaux”.

Sharing with Château Cheval Blanc the strong conviction that a great wine begins in the vineyard, Cheval des Andes produces its grapes entirely in a wholly-owned, high-elevation vineyard in Las Compuertas, a jewel vineyard in Luján de Cuyo, one of the most prestigious winegrowing regions of Mendoza.

For this reason, precision is an essential concept at Cheval des Andes – precision in the plot-by-plot management of the vineyards, through harvesting and winemaking, right up to the final, all-important stage: the art of blending.

Lorenzo Pasquini, Cheval des Andes Technical Manager and Winemaker

Reflecting this Cheval des Andes philosophy of precision viticulture, the vineyards are planted in small parcels with the five grape varieties that may, depending on the vintage, be used to blend Cheval des Andes: Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc and Merlot.

Cheval des Andes Technical Manager and Winemaker, Lorenzo Pasquini, together with Château Cheval Blanc Estate Director, Pierre Lurton, intricately assemble these grape varieties, prioritizing Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon, to produce the finest expression of the terroir.

As a result, every vintage of Cheval des Andes tells its own story, naturally influenced by climate and conditions in the vineyards, but the objective remains the same: to produce an Argentinian wine worthy of its noble St-Emilion heritage – the Grand Cru of the Andes, distinguished by freshness, elegance and exceptional potential for ageing, always revealing more complexity than intensity in the nose and more balance than power in the mouth.