Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2007 Cheval des Andes is a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Malbec, 4% Merlot and 1% Petit Verdot that is aged for 18 months in oak. Tasted on two occasions, it was unexpectedly bashful and unresponsive on first acquaintance. The second meeting was more promising. It offers a ripe bouquet of raspberry coulis, strawberry, vanilla and cedar, augmented by cigar box with a little aeration. It is well-defined, and the oak is neatly folded into the fruit. The palate is fleshy in the mouth, to the point where you would think it was more Merlot than Cabernet Sauvignon. It is nicely balanced, although I searched for more backbone and structure, especially on the finish, which is delineated but laconic. It is undoubtedly a very pleasurable wine, but I feel it could give so much more.
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Wine Spectator
This tight, compact red displays cassis, linzer torte and macerated black cherry notes, backed by fine tannins and juicy acidity, as the finish lingers with hints of tobacco, spice and leather. Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
By far the largest and best-known winemaking province in Argentina, Mendoza is responsible for over 70% of the country’s enological output. Set in the eastern foothills of the Andes Mountains, the climate is dry and continental, presenting relatively few challenges for viticulturists during the growing season. Mendoza, divided into several distinctive sub-regions, including Luján de Cuyo and the Uco Valley, is the source of some of the country’s finest wines.
For many wine lovers, Mendoza is practically synonymous with Malbec. Originally a Bordelaise variety brought to Argentina by the French in the mid-1800s, here it found success and renown that it never knew in its homeland where a finicky climate gives mixed results. Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot and Pinot Noir are all widely planted here as well (and sometimes even blended with each other or Malbec). Mendoza's main white varieties include Chardonnay, Torrontés, Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon.