84 Cellar Tracker

Based on 15 notes and 15 scores from 15 users on Cellartracker.com as of 6/11/15.

99 James Suckling - Jamessuckling.com

This is one of the wines of the vintage in the Nahe. That starts an explosive nose of Amalfi lemons, white and yellow peaches, lychees and kiwis. Incredible concentration and vibrancy on the tightly focused, medium-bodied palate. A spring-like lightness is married to awesome density, the two so tightly wound that they’re inseparable through the almost endless finish. From organically grown grapes with Fair'n Green certification. Drink or hold.

94 James Suckling - Jamessuckling.com

"Love the aromas of currants, sweet tobacco, lead pencil, and hints of redwood. Medium to full body with beautifully integrated tannins that are polished and refined. Fresh and nicely balanced. A beauty. A blend of 94% cabernet sauvignon, 5% petit verdot and 1% merlot. So drinkable now."

99 Joaquín Hidalgo - Vinous Media

The 2022 Cheval des Andes is a significant upgrade to Mendoza’s historic regional blends, combining grapes from Las Compuertas (Luján de Cuyo) and Paraje Altamira (Uco Valley). The 2022 vintage allowed for a slower ripening of Cabernet Sauvignon, which take prominence in this blend alongside 30% Malbec and 5% Petit Verdot. Aging was carried out in 40% 225-liter Bordeaux barrels, 35% 400-liter barrels and 25% 2,500-liter foudres, with 50% new oak. A bouquet of bright fruit—raspberry, blueberry and delicate cassis—and complementary bay leaf and mint tones give way to a touch of ash and mild bell pepper. Boasting serious concentration, fine tannins and a slight creaminess, the 2022 has a structure that is firm but never tight, maintaining weight without losing balance. The finish is long, energetic and full of flavor. This is an exceptionally beautiful wine.

98 James Suckling - Jamessuckling.com

Aromas of dark currants, spices, cloves and a touch of elderberries. The palate is elegant and medium- to full-bodied with polished, precise tannins, firm fruit, a juicy backbone and a solid and flavorful finish. 65% cabernet sauvignon and 35% malbec from Lujan and Altamira. Drink from 2027.

98 Georgina Hindle - Decanter

Earthy, savoury nose full of wet soil, peppercorns and blackcurrants alongside violets, chocolate, cherries and raspberries. Well crafted, such a svelte and streamlined expression with real charm and finesse. There’s power for sure but it’s funnelled into one line from start to finish. I love the brightness and opulence here yet there’s super charm and precision too. Great energy, succulence and vibrancy with natural acidity creating a salivating effect that makes you want to come back for another glass. Expertly made with an accumulation of details that make it so enjoyable. The joint project of Château Cheval Blanc and Terrazas de los Andes. Winemaker Gérald Gabillet.

98 Jane Anson - Inside Bordeaux

Fragrant, exceptional quality, a standout in the lineup. Concentrated black cherry and damson fruits, nuanced pulses of orange peel and pomegranate, gunsmoke and peony flowers. Gérald Gabillet winemaker, at this joint venture between Cheval Blanc and Terrazas de los Andes. Fermented and aged in a mix of 225l barrels, 400l barrels and 2,500l casks, 50% new oak - almost entirely French, with some Austrian, Slovenian and German.

98 Peter Moser - Falstaff

Dark ruby in colour with purple reflections, and subtle brightening on the rim. Delicately smoky on the nose with tobacco notes, black cherry, inviting ripe plum, a hint of fig, some nougat, and orange zest. The palate is complex and tightly woven with ripe tannins, fine acidity and a core of fine fruit, redolent of cherry and blackberry, mineral and very persistent, very promising. Great.

97 Matthew Luczy - Robert Parkers The Wine Advocate

Soon to be released through La Place de Bordeaux, the 2022 Cheval des Andes opens with an exotic, spice-driven bouquet, supplemented by lifted herbal notes and a vibrantly red-fruited and perfumed backdrop. The palate is similarly energetic, melding an elegantly rich, polished texture with a slender, tensile energy. It concludes with a long, persistent and high-toned finish that gradually unfurls a sturdy structure of supremely refined tannins. This is an excellent counterpoint to the comparatively darker and more open-knit 2021, showcasing a brighter, more tenacious profile while sacrificing none of the grace, nuance and textural attention to detail that has come to define Cheval des Andes. It's a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Malbec and 5% Petit Verdot.

97 Jeff Leve - The Wine Cellar Insider

Served blind, I'd think this was a top Hermitage due to its smoky character, topped with mint, peppery herbs, barbecued meat, black currants, blackberries, along with a hint of blueberry. The palate is rich, full-bodied, long, fresh, and vibrant, with energetic notes of mint leaf, black cherries, cocoa, chalk, and a range of exotic spices that linger. The wine is produced from blending 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% old vine Malbec, and 5% Petit Verdot. Drink from 2027-2045

93 James Suckling - Jamessuckling.com

"The bright and youthful aromas of lemons and spring blossoms pull you into this barely medium-bodied dry riesling that’s super refreshing. Not enormously concentrated but so precise, with intense wet stone minerality in the long, pristine finish. A cuvee from vineyards across the appellation on volcanic and marine sedimentary soils. Drink or hold."

90 Eric Guido - Vinous Media

"The 2023 Riesling Willamette Valley is remarkably pretty, with nuances of chamomile, lemon oil and wet stones forming its understated bouquet. Salty and sweet notes mingle on the palate, which displays soft textures and citrus-laced orchard fruit. A minty herbal freshness lingers as the 2023 tapers off with medium length and supreme freshness."

94 Joe Czerwinski - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

A blend of 93% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Cabernet Franc and 1% each Carmenère, Merlot and Petit Verdot, Quintessa's 2022 Red Wine initially offers up mossy, savory and earthy notes, but those are backed by layers of mixed red and black cherries, plus some plummier bass notes. Aged 22 months in 60% New French oak, there are hints of cedar and vanilla as well. In the mouth, the wine is medium- to full-bodied, fairly broad on the palate, showing some effects of the vintage's early September heat wave, stretching the wine's structural tannins into a coarser weave than typical, without upsetting the overall sense of harmony on the lingering finish.

97 Jeb Dunnuck - jebdunnuck.com

Exotic red and black fruits, minty herbs, chocolate, and hints of iron define the aromatics of the 2023 Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard Proprietary Red Wine, a blend of 60% Cabernet Franc and 40% Merlot raised in new barrels. It's medium to full-bodied, has a deep, concentrated, yet focused mouthfeel, ultra-fine tannins, nicely integrated oak, and a great finish. This flawlessly balanced effort will drink well over the next 20+ years. Drink 2025-2045.

93 Wine Spectator

"Lovely aromas and flavors of ripe black cherry and currant fruit, graphite, toast and candied Meyer lemon zest are set in this racy Champagne, with a refined, finely detailed mousse. The mouthwatering finish is long and spicy. Drink now through 2022."

91+ John Gilman - View from the Cellar

"While I am not certain that there are still different bottlings of this wine for different markets, it was certainly the policy of the Grandes Marques up until very recently to have slightly different versions of their non-vintage Bruts for various locales. I am guessing that the bottling of Bollinger 'Speciale Cuvée' for the American market still has a touch more dosage than the French bottling (the US almost always used to get sweeter versions of Brut than other markets), as this seemed to have its steely structural elements just a bit more buffered out of the blocks, and though the two wines are quite similar qualitatively, there is little doubt that for immediate drinking, this is the more pleasurable version than its French counterpart. The bouquet is excellent, offering up scents of apple, warm bread, a touch of orange zest, lovely minerality and a gentle topnote of smokiness. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, crisp and beautifully balanced, with refined mousse, crisp acids and excellent length and grip on the complex and poised finish. To my palate, the dosage here is perfectly measured to seamlessly buffer the lovely acidity here and the wine just dances across the palate. High class non-vintage Brut. 2013-2025+." (08/13)

90 Allen Meadows - Burghound

"An expressive and attractively layered nose offers up notes of brioche, yeast and baked apple scents. Much like the Brut Rosé the effervescence is prominent to the point of being foamy yet it is not aggressive as the bead is quite fine on the moderately complex, round and delicious flavors that deliver fine if not truly exceptional persistence on the intensely yeasty finish." (09/12)

90 Wine & Spirits

"At every turn of flavor, barrel-fermented base wines add opulence to this Champagne with scents of apple wood, ginger and mustard seed balancing the youthful fruit. The flavors buzz with acidity and richness, a contrast of green apple with broader notes of baked apple; the texture is creamy, the finish completely clean. The wine’s structure is substantial enough to serve with sliced, seared beef filet at a holiday party." (12/13)