Cheval des Andes 2011 75cl

A elegant and refined red with plum, berry, cedar and hazelnut. Full body, with fine tannins and a clean and pretty finish. 69% malbec, 21% cabernet sauvignon and rest petit verdot. Needs about three to four years to soften. Very much like the 2006 in style.

The 2011 Cheval des Andes is at the same time riper but also has higher acidity than 2010 and is a slightly more powerful version of 2010. The palate has very good volume while keeping the freshness. They also reduced the toast from the barrels and improved the quality of the barrels they use (45% new oak was used in 2011). The final blend of 2011 was 71% Malbec, 22% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest Petit Verdot. There is red and black fruit plus minty notes on the nose. The palate has density, acidity and good fruit sweetness (but not sweet). The acidity is very precise, the tannins are ripe and sweet, it seems to have the ingredients for a long and nice aging in the bottle. It had the best palate of the trio of vintages I tasted together, 2010, 2011 and 2012. 2011 was a short vintage, so there are no rules. They selected the grapes and whatever volume they produce that's what it is. In this vintage, they finally bottled 45,000 bottles. It's not easy to decide between 2010 and 2011, as both are great vintages.

A ripe, balanced and powerful red, with elegant flavors of roasted plum, dark cherry and Asian spice. Plush and juicy midpalate, featuring a finish filled with creamy dark chocolate notes. Very refined. Drink now through 2019. 3,500 cases made. –KM