France

Cabernet Sauvignon

Merlot

Cabernet Franc

Ch. Cheval Blanc

Le Petit Cheval Saint-Emilion Grand Cru

Bordeaux

Saint-Emilion Grand Cru

You can feel the skill of the team here, teasing out a vivid, pure expression of the grapes, floral, iris and peonies, fruits are slim but with clarity, drawn out, slight touch of smoked earth and salinity, Higher Merlot than usual in the blend, but this is not exuberant. instead everything is in its place. Of the 56 plots of Chevaa, 8 were in Petit Cheval (the sandier-dominant), but only 15% of overall production in Petit Cheval this year. Came in with 39hl/h, finished with 28hl/h after sorting. 3.6ph. No new oak, but vinified and aged entirely in barrel.

Inside Bordeaux

Deep garnet-purple colored. Bursts with bold notes of black cherries and black raspberries, opening out to underlying hints of violets, pencil lead, powdered cinnamon, and menthol. The medium-bodied palate is plush and juicy with savory laced black and red berry layers, finishing long and spicy.

by Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW

Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2023 Le Petit Cheval storms out of the glass with powerful earthy/savory notes of tar, tapenade, and underbrush giving way to a core of ripe black plums, boysenberries, and iris bulb with a fragrant touch of dried Provence herbs. The medium-bodied palate is satin-soft and refreshing, with a well-sustained mid-palate of savory flavors, finishing with a cheeky red berry lift. The blend is 50% Merlot and 50% Cabernet Franc, aged in 1-year barrels with no new oak. Le Petit Cheval accounts for 10% of production.

Only 12,000 bottles were made of Le Petit Cheval 2021. It is a blend of 60 % Merlot, 33% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 7% Cabernet Franc and it has a deep garnet-purple color. It offers up expressive notes of black pepper, dusty soil, and garrigue, leading to a core of red and black plums, redcurrant preserves, and tobacco leaf. The medium-bodied palate is refreshing and delicately styled, with bright red berry layers and a slight chewiness to the texture, finishing with a peppery lift.

A blend of 59% Cabernet Franc and 41% Merlot, the 2020 Le Petit Cheval has a pH of 3.6 and a deep garnet-purple color. It swans out of the glass with showy scents of crushed redcurrants, blackberry preserves, and kirsch, followed by suggestions of lavender, cedar chest, menthol, and fallen leaves. The medium to full-bodied palate has a firm backbone of chewy tannins, with seamless freshness to support the tight-knit red and black fruit layers, finishing on a lingering mineral note.

A blend of 56% Merlot and 44% Cabernet Franc, the 2019 Le Petit Cheval is deep garnet-purple in color. It bursts with flamboyant notions of baked plums, blueberry preserves, and kirsch, plus suggestions of cedar chest and lavender. The full-bodied palate is bright, refreshing, and breezy with fine-grained tannins and a mineral-laced finish.

Le Petit Cheval 2018 is deep garnet purple in color. It bursts with scents of warm blueberries, blackberry preserves, and eucalyptus, plus touches of lavender and dark chocolate. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is firm and grainy, with generous fruit and a spicy lift on the finish. 

Medium to deep garnet colored, the 2012 Le Petit Cheval opens with notes of forest floor, unsmoked cigars, and iron ore, giving way to a core scented with redcurrant jelly and black cherry preserves. The medium-bodied palate is soft-textured and ready to drink, delivering a mineral-tinged finish. The blend is 75% Cabernet Franc and 25% Merlot.

Amateur

A blend of 75% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Franc, Le Petit Cheval 2010 has a deep garnet-brick color. The nose is still incredibly youthful, bounding out of the glass with notes of plum preserves, blackberry pie, and blueberry compote, leading to wafts of Indian spices and fallen leaves. The medium to full-bodied palate is rich and downright delicious, featuring mouthcoating black and blue fruit layers, with a firm, grainy texture and plenty of freshness, finishing with great length.

A standout 2nd wine in the 2000 vintage, and a fraction of the price that you will pay for the main estate wine of Cheval Blanc, even if still something of an investment. I almost suggested the 2010 Petit Cheval, also an incredible wine, but the 2000 is just at such a lovely moment to drink right now, full of creamy black fruits, mint leaf and tannins that have softened up enough to make it a no-brainer. 100% new oak.

Category	Red wine
Vinmonopolet no.
Producer	Ch. Cheval Blanc
Vintages	2024
Country	France, Bordeaux, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru
Bottle	75 cl

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Sugar	g/l

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