Wine Advocate (98)

The 2018 Cheval des Andes is a blend of 70% Malbec and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon fermented in small lots in 3,000- to 8,000-liter tanks and matured 40% in 225-liter oak barrels, 40% in 400-liter oak barrels and the remaining 20% in 2,500-liter oak vats for 13 months. Ninety percent of the oak used was French and the rest a blend of Austrian, Slovenian and German oak, 50% of it new. 2018 has been one of the best vintages in recent times in Mendoza, and the wine shows it. It's a cooler vintage, and the wine has improved in freshness and elegance without losing any clout. It's 14.5% alcohol and has a pH of 3.73. This is young, juicy, elegant and balanced and still has some herbal and toasted notes; it's medium to full-bodied, with the creamy and luxurious texture of the modern Bordeaux, ultra fine tannins and a long, dry and precise finish. It's still undeveloped and seems to have all the components and the balance between them for a long and positive development in bottle. With wines like this, I sometimes wish I had a time machine so I could see them in 20 years from now... I think this is the finest Cheval des Andes I've ever tasted. 100,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in January 2020.

Wine Advocate (98)

The 2018 Cheval des Andes is a blend of 70% Malbec and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon fermented in small lots in 3,000- to 8,000-liter tanks and matured 40% in 225-liter oak barrels, 40% in 400-liter oak barrels and the remaining 20% in 2,500-liter oak vats for 13 months. Ninety percent of the oak used was French and the rest a blend of Austrian, Slovenian and German oak, 50% of it new. 2018 has been one of the best vintages in recent times in Mendoza, and the wine shows it. It's a cooler vintage, and the wine has improved in freshness and elegance without losing any clout. It's 14.5% alcohol and has a pH of 3.73. This is young, juicy, elegant and balanced and still has some herbal and toasted notes; it's medium to full-bodied, with the creamy and luxurious texture of the modern Bordeaux, ultra fine tannins and a long, dry and precise finish. It's still undeveloped and seems to have all the components and the balance between them for a long and positive development in bottle. With wines like this, I sometimes wish I had a time machine so I could see them in 20 years from now... I think this is the finest Cheval des Andes I've ever tasted. 100,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in January 2020.

Tim Atkin MW (99)

Cheval des Andes continues its steady ascent towards the summit of the very best and most sought-after New World reds. I tasted this wine over the space of a day and was very close to giving it 100 points. Made from an equal blend of Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon, it combines fruit from Las Compuertas and Paraje Altamira to brilliant effect. Aged in 50% new barrels and foudres, it’s effortlessly complex and detailed, with refined tannins, graphite and cut grass aromas, cassis and bramble flavours and remarkable palate length.

Tim Atkin MW (99)

Cheval des Andes continues its steady ascent towards the summit of the very best and most sought-after New World reds. I tasted this wine over the space of a day and was very close to giving it 100 points. Made from an equal blend of Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon, it combines fruit from Las Compuertas and Paraje Altamira to brilliant effect. Aged in 50% new barrels and foudres, it’s effortlessly complex and detailed, with refined tannins, graphite and cut grass aromas, cassis and bramble flavours and remarkable palate length.

Tim Atkin MW (99)

Cheval des Andes continues its steady ascent towards the summit of the very best and most sought-after New World reds. I tasted this wine over the space of a day and was very close to giving it 100 points. Made from an equal blend of Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon, it combines fruit from Las Compuertas and Paraje Altamira to brilliant effect. Aged in 50% new barrels and foudres, it’s effortlessly complex and detailed, with refined tannins, graphite and cut grass aromas, cassis and bramble flavours and remarkable palate length.

Wine Advocate (98)

The 2020 Cheval des Andes was harvested from the last of February for the first time ever. It was Gabillet's second vintage at Cheval des Andes, and that year, he had to start without waiting for Pierre Olivier Clouet and Pierre Lurton from Cheval Blanc; when they arrived, they had finished picking the Malbec, which surprisingly was fresher in Las Compuertas (because of the higher percentage of clay?) than in Altamira (where the vines suffered more stress), saving the freshness. They now harvest using cold trucks (for the first time), and they also started earlier in the morning (six in the morning, impossible earlier in Mendoza...), which he reckons was very good for the precision of the wine. They used 40% 225-liter barrels, 40% 400-liter oak barrels and 20% 2,500-liter foudres, half of them new and with an élevage of 15 months on average, depending on the lots and varieties from 12 to 18 months. The final blend was 49% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Malbec and 2% Petit Verdot, which makes a comeback as it was not used since 2016. The key was to finish the fermentation of the Petit Verdot without skins, and that way, they have been able to use it in the blends of 2021, 2022 and 2023 in small but increasing percentages. This is slightly riper than 2019, with a little more alcohol (14.5%) and with very good structural tannins but saving the freshness, and it has the spicy side from the Petit Verdot (Gabillet talks about white pepper). The wine has the ultra sleek and polished texture and the elegance and the balance that is the signature here; the wine is very clean and precise. I see very good regularity across the three vintages I tasted next to each other—this 2020 and the 2018 and 2019. Overall, this is a triumph over the adverse conditions of the vintage. They produced their usual 100,000 bottles (since 2018), as they are renewing their vineyards and want to keep the volume stable. They produce this volume from the 36 productive hectares they have in Las Compuertas and Altamira. There are some more changes: in 2020, they went for a lighter bottle, weighing 100 grams less than the one they used in 2018 and 2019, but close to 300 grams less than the bottle from before. It's also a slimmer bottle, always thinking about the environment. They are very focused on agroecology, accelerating the regenerative viticulture and using cover crops; they have planted 1,900 trees in the last three years, creating small clusters of biodiversity for birds. They have transplanted some centenary olive trees and keep their sheep and lamas on the property. Very green-minded.

Wine Advocate (98)

The 2020 Cheval des Andes was harvested from the last of February for the first time ever. It was Gabillet's second vintage at Cheval des Andes, and that year, he had to start without waiting for Pierre Olivier Clouet and Pierre Lurton from Cheval Blanc; when they arrived, they had finished picking the Malbec, which surprisingly was fresher in Las Compuertas (because of the higher percentage of clay?) than in Altamira (where the vines suffered more stress), saving the freshness. They now harvest using cold trucks (for the first time), and they also started earlier in the morning (six in the morning, impossible earlier in Mendoza...), which he reckons was very good for the precision of the wine. They used 40% 225-liter barrels, 40% 400-liter oak barrels and 20% 2,500-liter foudres, half of them new and with an élevage of 15 months on average, depending on the lots and varieties from 12 to 18 months. The final blend was 49% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Malbec and 2% Petit Verdot, which makes a comeback as it was not used since 2016. The key was to finish the fermentation of the Petit Verdot without skins, and that way, they have been able to use it in the blends of 2021, 2022 and 2023 in small but increasing percentages. This is slightly riper than 2019, with a little more alcohol (14.5%) and with very good structural tannins but saving the freshness, and it has the spicy side from the Petit Verdot (Gabillet talks about white pepper). The wine has the ultra sleek and polished texture and the elegance and the balance that is the signature here; the wine is very clean and precise. I see very good regularity across the three vintages I tasted next to each other—this 2020 and the 2018 and 2019. Overall, this is a triumph over the adverse conditions of the vintage. They produced their usual 100,000 bottles (since 2018), as they are renewing their vineyards and want to keep the volume stable. They produce this volume from the 36 productive hectares they have in Las Compuertas and Altamira. There are some more changes: in 2020, they went for a lighter bottle, weighing 100 grams less than the one they used in 2018 and 2019, but close to 300 grams less than the bottle from before. It's also a slimmer bottle, always thinking about the environment. They are very focused on agroecology, accelerating the regenerative viticulture and using cover crops; they have planted 1,900 trees in the last three years, creating small clusters of biodiversity for birds. They have transplanted some centenary olive trees and keep their sheep and lamas on the property. Very green-minded.

Wine Advocate (98)

The 2020 Cheval des Andes was harvested from the last of February for the first time ever. It was Gabillet's second vintage at Cheval des Andes, and that year, he had to start without waiting for Pierre Olivier Clouet and Pierre Lurton from Cheval Blanc; when they arrived, they had finished picking the Malbec, which surprisingly was fresher in Las Compuertas (because of the higher percentage of clay?) than in Altamira (where the vines suffered more stress), saving the freshness. They now harvest using cold trucks (for the first time), and they also started earlier in the morning (six in the morning, impossible earlier in Mendoza...), which he reckons was very good for the precision of the wine. They used 40% 225-liter barrels, 40% 400-liter oak barrels and 20% 2,500-liter foudres, half of them new and with an élevage of 15 months on average, depending on the lots and varieties from 12 to 18 months. The final blend was 49% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Malbec and 2% Petit Verdot, which makes a comeback as it was not used since 2016. The key was to finish the fermentation of the Petit Verdot without skins, and that way, they have been able to use it in the blends of 2021, 2022 and 2023 in small but increasing percentages. This is slightly riper than 2019, with a little more alcohol (14.5%) and with very good structural tannins but saving the freshness, and it has the spicy side from the Petit Verdot (Gabillet talks about white pepper). The wine has the ultra sleek and polished texture and the elegance and the balance that is the signature here; the wine is very clean and precise. I see very good regularity across the three vintages I tasted next to each other—this 2020 and the 2018 and 2019. Overall, this is a triumph over the adverse conditions of the vintage. They produced their usual 100,000 bottles (since 2018), as they are renewing their vineyards and want to keep the volume stable. They produce this volume from the 36 productive hectares they have in Las Compuertas and Altamira. There are some more changes: in 2020, they went for a lighter bottle, weighing 100 grams less than the one they used in 2018 and 2019, but close to 300 grams less than the bottle from before. It's also a slimmer bottle, always thinking about the environment. They are very focused on agroecology, accelerating the regenerative viticulture and using cover crops; they have planted 1,900 trees in the last three years, creating small clusters of biodiversity for birds. They have transplanted some centenary olive trees and keep their sheep and lamas on the property. Very green-minded.

Tim Atkin MW (97)

It’s not just because I’ve visited this spectacular site that I love the Malbec it produces, although that helps. This really is one of the great wines of the world, with amazing perfume of wild herbs and white pepper, layers of red and dark berry fruit, stylish oak, filigree tannins and a finish that lingers on the palate.

The DiamAndes De Uco Gran Reserva 2017, a fine red blend from the illustrious producer DiamAndes, hails from the Uco Valley, Argentina. A harmonious mélange of Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Petit Verdot creates an enchanting bouquet to tantalise the most sophisticated palates. The wine is aged in oak barrels for 18 months, resulting in a foam-coloured body of deep intensity with vigorous notes of ripe red fruits overlaid with a hint of vanilla. Its long, complex finish creates an unforgettable experience.

Full-bodied and exuding rich tannins, the DiamAndes De Uco Gran Reserva 2017 reveals an impeccable structure underpinned by the terroir’s cool, semi-desert climate and its lean alluvial soils. Commanding top-tier ratings and critical acclaim, this Grand Cru is a testament to vineyard’s commitment to using sustainable agricultural practices and traditional winemaking methods to achieve superior quality. Savour the elegant sophistication of DiamAndes De Uco Gran Reserva 2017, an apex of Argentinian winemaking.

Wine Advocate (99)

There is a new top of the range produced with pure Malbec from a very small plot in the Cordón El Cepillo. It's a cool place with a small slope in a mostly flat vineyard with very different soils and angular stones in a place that has glacier moraine, which is completely different from the rest of the vineyard. It makes the grapes ripen much earlier and gives a very strict and stony wine with a textured palate with abundant dusty tannins. 2016 was a super cold and rainy year, and the 2016 As Bravas Malbec has only 12.5% alcohol and incredible freshness. It's only medium-bodied with gobsmacking balance and is incredibly harmonious, nuanced and subtle, with all that it needs for a very long life in bottle. This is serious, tight, austere and incredibly elegant. It matured in 2,000-liter oak foudres for some 60 months. It was bottled in April 2022.

Vinous (94)

A Bonarda from El Mirador, Rivadavia, Mendoza, mixed with 15% Cabernet Franc and aged for 15 months in hundred-year-old foudres with low anhydrides by Alejandro Vigil. Bright purple in the glass. The nose displays intense notes of cherry and raspberry with a hint of sweet spices. In the mouth, the Franc brings structure and tension while the tannins are refined and polished. Flows with volume and a delicate acidity that compensates for the unripe portion of the grapes. A clear and expressive red full of easygoing, refreshing flavor. An accomplished wine.

Wine Advocate (91)

Despite having similar alcohol levels and acidity and freshness parameters, the 2020 Bonarda comes through as riper than the 2019 I tasted next to it. It reveals some earthy tannins and a faint rusticity, inherent to the variety. 25,000 bottles produced.

James Suckling (92)

Impressive load of brambly fruit. Raspberries, red cherries, blue Damson plums, dark olives and flowers. Medium-bodied on the palate with fresh, well-grained tannins and a crunchy, mouthwatering finish. Long and fruit-oriented. Delicious now. Why wait?

James Suckling (94)

This has an intense nose of blue and dark fruit, dried lavender, clay, oyster shell, dried chili and burnt sage. Lemon zest, too. Medium-bodied with firm, polished tannins. Focused and driven. Try in 2024.

James Suckling (94)

Aromas of spiced blue fruit with a gently floral edge, as well as light, earthy and stony aromas. This has such intriguing structure with fine, dense tannins, carrying ripe blue-fruit flavors in a fresh, succulent mode. Drinks like a good Morgon! Try now and for five years.

James Suckling (94)

Perfumed nose of brambleberries, wild blackberries, raspberries, violets, cinnamon stick and tea leaves. It’s medium-bodied with very fine, creamy tannins and fresh acidity. Delicious dark-berry fruit with mineral undertones. Try in 2023.

Vinous (93)

A Bonarda from an old vineyard planted in clay soils up to 12 feet deep in El Mirador, Rivadavia, aged for 12 months in old foudres. The nose is all raspberry and sour cherry plus hints of quince and herbs. Complex with a soft feel in the mouth, even though the tannins are a little sharp, bringing a pleasant roughness and lending a corrective vigor toward the end. A delicious take on wine from a warm climate.

James Suckling (95)

This is very smoky and earthy with dried mushrooms and wet earth. Dried-citrus undertone. Medium-bodied, super long and fine. Meaty and fluid and gorgeous. Drink now. 3,000 bottles made from a small parcel of old vines.

James Suckling (94)

Wild and earthy nose of bark, spiced cherries, ash, porcini and kaffir leaves. Deliciously savory with a medium body. Supple, creamy tannins. Juicy, meaty and delicious. Drink or hold.

James Suckling (93)

Aromas of dark fruit with fresh herbs and tile. Perfumed. Medium-to-full body, juicy fruit and a flavorful finish. Drink now.

Vinous (92)

Dark red-ruby. Aromas of blueberry, blackberry, violet and peppery herbs, the latter no doubt partly due to the use of 15% whole clusters for the fermentation; winemaker Alejandro Vigil noted that the stems were fully ripe in this vineyard in 2016). Tactile, juicy and suave, with its seamless flavors of blueberry, violet and bitter chocolate showing considerable finesse and building, palate-staining length. Vigil makes 8,000 cases of this Cabernet Franc, half of them for the local Argentina market. Very nicely balanced wine, not hugely complex but with real nobility of texture for the price.

Tim Atkin MW (95)

Made “like a flan”, according to Ale Vigil, this is a co-fermented blend of Cabernet Franc and 8% Malbec, with lots of whole bunches and aged in old wooden foudres. Zesty and fresh, with the low alcohol and focus that are a feature of El Enemigo style, it’s savoury and bright with salty minerality and graphite and green herb flavours.

Wine Advocate (93+)

The elegant, spicy, peppery and floral 2018 Cabernet Franc contains 10% Malbec, as these varietal bottling are rarely 100% varietal. It has intense and pungent flavors reminiscent of freshly cracked black peppercorns and wild herbs. The ripeness is contained, and the wine has a surprisingly low pH that provides very good freshness and a vibrant palate, more so given the very fine tannins and the tasty flavors that lift up the finish. Superb Cabernet Franc at an unbeatable price. 26,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in July 2019 after 15 months in centenary oak foudres.

Tim Atkin MW (93)

Co-fermented with 10% Malbec for added layers and nuances, this stylish Cabernet Franc has enticing aromas of rose petal and orange peel, fleshy, textured red cherry and bramble fruit, a grassy undertone and serious, well-structured underlying tannins.

Vinous (93)

The 2020 Cabernet Franc incorporates a 10% touch of Malbec and originates from Gualtallary in the Uco Valley. It underwent a 15-month aging process in used foudres. It's a dark and intense purple color. The nose reveals notes of ashes and herbs, interwoven with a subtle hint of jalapeño, set against a backdrop of black fruit and cedar. Dry and delicately lean, the palate is tightly structured and juicy, thanks to its fine-grained tannins. The vibrant palate concludes with a lingering thyme finish.

James Suckling (93)

A super-drinkable, linear cabernet franc showing a mixture of blue plums and red cherries with a fresh mineral quality. Juicy, fresh and expressive on the palate, with a medium body and a long, extensive finish. Streamlined, with nothing redundant. Pretty irresistible now, but can hold.

Wine Advocate (97)

The varietal blend of the 2016 Gran Enemigo is slightly different from the 2015, there's a bit more Cabernet Franc and less Cabernet Sauvignon, so 20% Cabernet Franc, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, 50% Malbec, 10% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot. The wine is fresher and more nuanced than the 2015, and there is clout and power but also a lot of finesse and elegance. The palate revealed superb harmony and very fine tannins, the acidity is very integrated and the wine is seamless, with fine chalky minerality and a bitterness in the finish that is salty rather than sweet. There is no room for sweetness in any of these wines; these are savory wines, powerful wines with superb balance and all the ingredients to develop slowly and for a very long time in bottle and destined for the dining table. It fills your mouth, but it's not heavy; it's powerful but feels ethereal. This is probably the finest vintage for this bottling so far. 19,200 bottles were filled in December 2018 from a shorter crop than previous years.

James Suckling (97)

A refined, medium-to full-bodied red with aromas of blackberry, bitter chocolate, violets, tar and tobacco. Ultra fine tannins, interwoven with silky and seamless layers of dark berries. So elegant and fine. Long. Serious and focused with fantastic depth and structure. Drink or hold.