Cheval des Andes 2021

Cheval des Andes grew out of the work LVMH began in Mendoza, where its team found high altitude vineyards around Luján de Cuyo sitting close to 1,000 metres above sea level. The wine is a Bordeaux styled blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Petit Verdot. At this altitude the vines see strong sunlight and cool nights, and that wide diurnal range ripens the tannins fully while preserving acidity and colour. Low rainfall and free draining alluvial soils keep yields down and concentrate the fruit. The wine is aged fourteen months in oak barrels, where malolactic fermentation and slow oxygen exchange through the wood soften the structure and add spice and a fine grained tannin. The colour is deep ruby. The nose shows ripe plum and dark cherry with black pepper, cocoa and cedar from the barrel. The palate is full bodied and firmly structured, with dense fruit, polished tannin and a long, savoury finish. Serve it at 17 to 18 degrees in a large glass and decant an hour ahead. It is built for red meat.