One of Wine Spectator’s Top 10 Value Wines of 2024 is finally here – the Terrazas de los Andes Malbec Reserva 2022. It ‘bursts with fruity richness’ (Vinous) and the quality-to-price ratio is hard to beat. Brambles, plums, violets and a cedar forest feel give way to smoky stone and silky tannins on the spice-accented finish. This Malbec Reserva comes from high-altitude vineyards planted almost a century ago, made up of 100 parcels in the Luján de Cuyo and Uco Valleys – ‘where the earth meets the sky’. It’s pure joy in a glass.
For the first time ever, we can also offer you the Grand Malbec 2021 – a 12-plot selection of their best vineyards. This ‘tasty and complex expression’ (Vinous) of modern Malbec from Mendoza shows intense black and blue fruit with a juicy, powerful palate, while the mountain Malbec acidity brings a herbal freshness to the wine.
Finally, we present the luxury joint venture between Terrazas de los Andes and Cheval Blanc – Cheval des Andes 2020. This iconic red is richer than the 2019, but vibrant and multi-layered. With its signature suave, structured tannins and a ‘dynamic and long-lasting finish’ (Vinous), this is ‘a triumph’, says the Wine Advocate. The 2020 blend is 49% Cabernet Sauvignon, 49% Malbec and 2% Petit Verdot, which adds a touch of white pepper spice.
Tasting Notes:
Terrazas de los Andes Malbec Reserva 2022
‘Blueberries and bramble berries with hints of bark and earth that follow through to a medium body with juiciness and savoriness. Shows real malbec character. Some sour berry undertones.’ – James Suckling, 93/100
‘Notes of hibiscus and orange blossoms join the fresh core of this fragrant version, which is silky in feel, delivering a pure beam of raspberry and cherry flavors. The finish is satisfyingly juicy, with baking spice accents around soft tannins.’ – Wine Spectator, 91/100
Terrazas de los Andes Grand Malbec 2021
‘The 2021 Grand Malbec combines grapes from Luján de Cuyo and Uco Valley. Aged for 12 months in French oak barrels, 40% being new, this purplish wine presents fruit-forward aromas of plums and cherries, complemented by balsamic and herbal notes. Dry, juicy and fairly plush, the flavorful palate displays a slightly chalky mouthfeel. This is a tasty and complex expression of modern Malbec from Mendoza.’ – Joaquín Hildago, Vinous, 93/100
‘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. 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.’ – Luis Gutiérrez, Wine Advocate, 98/100
‘The 2020 Cheval des Andes is a blend of 49% Cabernet Sauvignon, 49% Malbec and 2% Petit Verdot from Paraje Altamira in the Uco Valley and Las Compuertas in Luján de Cuyo. Aged in French oak barrels, it’s purple in the glass with a garnet sheen. The nose reveals a well-judged approach to the warmth of 2020, featuring ripe plum, redcurrant, mint and hints of white pepper over a bed of bay leaf and cedar. It’s dry and velvety on the palate, with rich, polished tannins that deliver a juicy, balanced mouthfeel. The balsamic notes and rich palate reflect the year’s character, while the finish is dynamic and long-lasting.’ – Joaquín Hildago, Vinous, 96/100
