Wine Advocate
byLuis Gutierrezthe8/28/2016
2012 was a warmer vintage but they harvested earlier to preserve freshness. The 2012 Cheval des Andes has more floral notes (that they attribute to the early picking) violets and lilies. While the blackberries and blackcurrants are there, they do not overpower the nose. In this vintage the final blend (which changes every year, they have no rules) was 64% Malbec, 28% Cabernet Sauvignon (a higher percentage to provide freshness in this warmer vintage) and then 8% Petit Verdot. This is a hedonistic Cheval showing the character of the vintage but with better balance and more integrated oak than in the earlier releases. They reduced the percentage of new oak to 30% and also started experimenting with some 500-liter barrels that were widely used in 2014, and the aging was longer at 14 months. The palate is powerful, and to drink at around 15 C. It gets more depth and nuanced with time in the glass. Even if young, this is polished and can be drunk starting now. 68,000 bottles were produced in 2012.
I met with Frenchmen Pierre Lurton and Pierre-Olivier Clouet, Director and Technical Director of Cheval Blanc and Cheval des Andes, to taste the latest release from Cheval des Andes, their Argentinean joint-venture with French group LVMH. I tasted 2010, 2011 and 2012, all bottled. The 2010 is in the market now, 2011 will be released more or less now and 2012 will be released in approximately 8-9 months as the quantities of 2011 are limited. The Cheval Blanc team is more and more involved in the winemaking now, and since 2010 they are in charge of viticulture and only use grapes for their own vineyards. The quantity of new oak has been reduced (50% for 2010, 45% in 2011 and 30% in 2012), and they are also experimenting with 500-liter barrels. They wines are becoming more precise, more balanced and elegant with more transparency to the vintage. I was impressed by the three wines I tasted and I already look forward to the 2013. Bravo!