A South American press tasting organised last week by Laithwaites provided the opportunity to take a look at five vintages of Almaviva (the Philippe de Rothschild-Concha y Toro joint effort from Maipo in Chile) and four vintages of Cheval des Andes (a Cheval Blanc-Terrazas joint venture from the LVMH group in Mendoza in Argentina).

Prices £30-£60: serious. Are they worth it?

Almaviva (its website, full of pretentious waffle, provides little information) comes from Puente Alto in Maipo: 85 ha of what looks from a website photograph like deep loam with some stone; steel-fermented and wood-aged, and a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenère and Cabernet Franc.

Cheval des Andes (which has a better website with more information once you get beyond the obligatory pretentious waffle) comes from the Las Compuertas Vineyard in Luján de Cuyo (79-year-old Malbec at 1067 m) and Los Alamos in Perdriel (40-year-old Cabernet at 980 m). It also includes a bit of Petit Verdot and, in 2005, a little Merlot too. There’s a total of about 38 ha. Fermented in wooden vats, followed by 15-18 months in new French oak. Pierre Lurton comes over from Cheval Blanc for the harvest, and Gilles Pauquet consults (as he does at Cheval Blanc).

Conclusions

These are good wines, still finding their way (as the mutating style focus between vintages suggests); they may touch greatness in the future. But … how much site research has gone into them? I’d be very surprised if there weren’t eventually better Chilean sites than the Maipo one chosen by Almaviva, and I sense the same is true for Cheval des Andes. (I may have more to say on this in December, when I hope to visit top sites in Argentina.) Will they stay with these vineyards come what may, or will they, Valandraud-like or Grange-like, migrate to something better for the ‘brand’ in due course?

Price-wise, I’m afraid, both wines are riding on the cachet of Mouton and Cheval Blanc respectively. The Fabre Montmayou Grand Reserva Malbec 2005, also on show and available from Laithwaites at £11.99 a bottle or £11.83, is a match for any of them (there is a note in the ‘Tastings’ section of this site). £10-£20 is, I suspect, the maximum price that these wines should sell at, too.

By the way, I also tried another, newer JV from Argentina: the 2004 Caro, made with Lafite-Rothschild team working with Nicolas Catena and his team. It’s slightly more modestly priced from Laithwaites (£25 for the single bottle) though I note it’s up on the Bibendum website at a case price equivalent to £35.71 a bottle.