Cuvelier Los Andes Grand Vin 2017
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James
Suckling
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James Suckling
A beautiful red with a solid core of blackberry, blueberry and blackcurrant. Some dark chocolate and toasted oak, too. It’s full-bodied, yet compact and tight. Sold and very structured. Lots of white pepper and cloves at the end. 74% malbec, 15% cabernet sauvignon, 5% merlot and 6% petit verdot. Very attractive now, but needs at least another two or three years to soften.
Other Vintages
2015-
James
Suckling
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James
Suckling
Cuvelier Los Andes was started by the Cuvelier family (owner Chateau Le Crock - Cru Bourgeois Saint-Espephe- Bordeaux, Chateau Moulin Riche - Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel & Chateau Leoville-Poyferre, 2nd Grand Cru Classe - Saint Julien -Bordeaux - France) in 1998 buying virgin land in Vista Flores - Tunuyan - Valle de Uco. Vineyard was planted from 1999 to 2006. The Winery was built in 2004.
The goal for Cuvelier Los Andes is to create the Argentinean cousin of Chateau Leoville Poyferre: a long, pleasant and intense red blend based on Malbec including also Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Syrah with long ageing potential.
To reach that goal Cuvelier Los Andes estate has the very same size than the Bordeaux Estates (70 hectares), and applies the same Bordeaux Grand Cru vine-growing: all manual, low yield (5 to 6 tons per hectare) and 100% estate-grown than in Bordeaux and with organic and biodynamic practices. As well Cuvelier Los Andes winery is a state of the art winery designed for that purpose and the wine-making style is as well a Bordeaux Grand Cru wine-making with long-term ageing in French barrels.
Cuvelier Los Andes is also one of the partner and owner of Clos De Los Siete. 30% of Cuvelier Los Andes production is blended within Clos de Los Siete.
Celebrated for its bold flavors and supple texture, Malbec has enjoyed runaway success in Argentina since the late 20th century. The grape originated in Bordeaux, France, where it historically contributed color and tannin to blends. A French agronomist, who saw great potential for the variety in Mendoza’s hot, high-altitude landscape, brought Malbec to Argentina in 1868. Somm Secret—If you’re trying to please a crowd, Malbec is generally a safe bet with its combination of dense fruit and soft tannins.
With a winning combination of cool weather, high elevation and well-draining alluvial soils, it is no surprise that Mendoza’s Uco Valley is one of the most exciting up-and-coming wine regions in Argentina. Healthy, easy-to-manage vines produce low yields of high-quality fruit, which in turn create flavorful, full-bodied wines with generous acidity.
This is the source of some of the best Malbec in Mendoza, which can range from value-priced to ultra-premium. Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Chardonnay also perform well here.