A New World Grand Cru between Cheval Blanc & Terrazas de los Andes

The joint venture between Cheval Blanc and Terrazas de los Andes, notably the first ever for Cheval Blanc, originated as Director Pierre Lurton sought out a special international terroir in which to apply the storied blending heritage of the French château.

Lurton was intrigued by the notion of unearthing a connection with the Saint Émilion past: Malbec, decimated by phylloxera in the 1860s from its position as one of the most important varieties in Saint Émilion and Pomerol, had since been reincarnated in ungrafted form in Argentina, producing some of the
world´s best Malbecs in recent years.

Along with the Malbec renaissance in Argentina emerged an ambitious vision to forge a new path in international winemaking. Cheval Blanc´s reconnection with its past was consummated in 1999 as Pierre Lurton visited a select parcel of the most treasured high elevation terroir in Argentina: Terraza de los Andes' 76 years old vineyard, found in Vistalba, Mendoza.

In resulting launch vintages of 2001 and 2002, according to Pierre Lurton, Cheval des Andes has proven to “fit in the spirit of Cheval Blanc,” refined and elegant in its Bordeaux style, while displaying the characteristic fruit intensity of its Argentine roots. Each year Pierre Lurton visits Argentina periodically to collaborate with Terrazas de los Andes Chief Winemaker, sharing ideas on local terroir and vineyard management, and contributing esoteric leadership in French blending techniques.

Visit the international web page of Cheval des Andes for further information: www.chevaldesandes.com/