Cheval des Andes Mendoza 2015

Love the smoky edge to this wine with its clear graphite, liquorice and spice notes, and its fragrant violet aromatics. There is a feeling of density to the entire thing, with the tannins doing their job of cradling and guiding the blueberry and raspberry fruit. An excellent, sure-footed wine, with no Petit Verdot for the first time and yet still delivering plenty of pep, and overall the balance is striking. 500l oak casks for ageing for the first time, with the percentage of new oak brought down to 50%. 90% of their own plots were by this point going into the wine, with just 10% from Terrazas de los Andes.