France

Cabernet Sauvignon

Merlot

Cabernet Franc

Ch. Cheval Blanc

Chateau Cheval Blanc Premier Grand Cru Classe A Saint-Emilion Grand Cru

Bordeaux

Saint-Emilion Grand Cru

A blend of 65% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2020 Cheval Blanc has more Merlot than usual as some of the young Cabernet Franc that would normally be used was not suitable this year but the Merlot was outstanding! It has a deep purple-black color and a pH of 3.7. The nose is very closed and tight to begin, needing a lot of swirling to coax out notes of plum preserves, black cherry compote, and blueberry pie, followed by suggestions of pencil shavings, clove oil, candied violets, cast-iron pan, and fertile loam, with a waft of wild sage. The medium to full-bodied palate is locked-up tight, with loads of layers, bound with a firm frame of grainy tannins and just enough freshness, finishing long and earthy. It will need a lot of time!

by Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW

Intense, indelible, with layer upon layer of blueberry, raspberry, pomegranate, fennel, liqourice, crayon, espresso, crushed rocks, just so much character and poise. The driest year at Cheval Blanc since 1959, with 71% of production from the 39ha estate in this wine, technical director Pierre Olivier Clouet. This continues to be bottled as Premier Grand Cru Classé A until the 2022 vintage, following its withdrawal from the ranking, which will make an interesting footnote for collectors I would imagine, but makes zero difference to the brilliance of what is in the bottle.

Inside Bordeaux

Great purity and intensity, layers of fresh dark fruit, plum, cassis, detailed and layered with an extraordinary density and super refined tannins, good notion of freshness and a superbly long finish. Great already and tremendous potential.

Sommelier

Deep garnet-purple colored. Is quite closed at this youthful stage, offering up a wall of clove oil, cedar, crushed rocks, and sandalwood scents, unfurling to reveal glimpses of red currant preserves, fresh blackberries, red roses, Sichuan pepper, and mint tea. The light-bodied palate is so, so elegant and finely knit, with filigree tannins and seamless freshness framing the perfumed black and red berry layers, finishing with impressive length and a myriad of floral, spice, and mineral nuances. Gorgeous.

Duft av lyse markjordbær, tranebær, og lyse, men modne jordbær, skogsbær og bjørnebær, krekling, mint, eukalyptus. 

En fantastisk mint-aktig rød trå gjennom hele vinen. En veldig vulgær stil i vinen, av det pene. 

Smak av lyse bjørnebær og plommer. Pen, krydret, stil, samt flotte mint toner. Overraskende lett og feminin.



Expert

The 2022 Cheval Blanc is a blend of 53% Merlot, 46% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Cabernet Sauvignon and it has a deep garnet-purple color. It erupts from the glass with an intense perfume of violets, rose oil, and licorice, leading to a vibrant, fruity core of juicy blueberries, fresh blackberries, redcurrant preserves, and raspberry coulis, plus a waft of cinnamon stick. Medium-bodied, the palate begins fragrant and opulent, textures and flavors melting in the mouth like Turkish Delight, leading to a generous core of juicy black, blue, and red berry layers, supported by super-fine, silt-like tannins, finishing very long, minerally and refreshing. So graceful, so singular, so Cheval.

A blend of 52% Cabernet Franc, 43% Merlot, and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, there were 72,000 bottles produced of Cheval Blanc 2021. It has a deep garnet-purple color and springs from the glass with energetic notes of kirsch, black raspberries, and wild strawberries, followed by suggestions of menthol, lavender, and cedar chest. The medium-bodied palate shimmers with red berry and mineral layers, supported by fine-grained tannins and well-knit freshness, finishing long with loads of floral sparkles. So, so pretty!

The 2019 Cheval Blanc is a blend of 58% Merlot, 34% Cabernet Franc, and 8% Cabernet Sauvignon. Deep garnet-purple in color, it leaps from the glass with fruity suggestions of kirsch, black cherries, and juicy plums, followed by hints of cedar, tar, and black olives. The full-bodied palate is very structured with firm, ripe, grainy tannins and seamless freshness supporting the taut, muscular fruit, finishing with epic length and a skip in its step. It's fairly showy right now, but the taut structure will require another 5-7 years (at least) in cellar to relax and offer that next-level experience.

The 2018 Cheval Blanc is deep garnet purple in color. It drifts effortlessly out of the glass with scents of black cherry compote, boysenberry preserves, and anise, plus touches of cedar, pencil shavings, and kirsch. Full-bodied, the palate is rich and muscular with firm, grainy tannins and a long, earthy finish. 

Critic Average Rating

100 - Wine Enthusiast
100 - Robert Parker The Wine Advocate
98 - Wine Spectator
97 - Jeannie Cho Lee
98 - Tim Atkin

Leather, cigar box and undergrowth at the 10 years on mark, gently building in concentration and power, more in the Pomerol than St Emilion camp in this particular vintage. Creamy raspberry and damson puree as it opens, gorgeous balance, studded with bright acidities and pinpoint minerality. Distinctive, white pepper, curling embers, campfire smoke, liqourice root, delicate and lingering. 100% new oak.

Medium garnet in color, the 2013 Cheval Blanc is a tad broody to start, offering notions of dried herbs, tar, and damp soil before giving way to notes of prunes, fruitcake, and beef dripping with a touch of unsmoked cigars. The medium-bodied palate is all class, with fine-grained tannins and delicately knit, well-sustained fruit, finishing with a minerally lift.

Seductive, rich flavours, far more creamy in its fruit expression than many of the top Left Banks in the 2012 vintage, and yet also higher in fresh acidities, giving a lovely push-and-pull contrast. Persistent, with sage and white pepper spice, this is a nuanced and sculputed wine, full of personality and grace. Not the depth of the truly great vintages at Cheval such as the 2010 or 2016, but this is one of the wines of the tasting, with layers of flavour that will take decades to fully unwind. 100% new oak.

The 2011 Cheval Blanc has a deep garnet-brick color. The nose is redolent of tar, fertile loam, licorice, and prunes, giving way to a core of fruitcake, new leather, and black truffles. The palate is full-bodied, rich, and concentrated with earthy nuances coming through on the long finish.

Stunning, a huge wall of tannins, with rich liquorice and black chocolate notes. Traces of the high alcohols on the palate if you are really looking for them, but there is just so much going on here that you barely notice (and let's not forget 1947 Cheval was pretty much 15%!)

A blend of 56% Merlot, 42% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2009 Cheval Blanc has a deep garnet-brick color. It needs a lot of shaking to wake this sleeping giant, then it roars into life with powerful crème de cassis, blackberry coulis, and fruitcake scents, leading to touches of sandalwood and dusty soil. The full-bodied palate is laden with densely packed black fruits, intertwined with mineral and exotic spice accents, supported by super-plush tannins, and finishing with epic length. Stunning!

A great moment to begin drinking this, although still young at 15 years old with no rush to get going. Rich berry fruits, huge depth to the black cherry, textured raspberry and bilberry flavours, firm and fresh. Just the beginning of tobacco, fennel, truffle and crushed stone. 3.94ph. A year that really favoured Merlot, and its seductive appeal is fully on display.

Almost equal proportions of Cabernet and Merlot, summing up how balanced the 2005 vintage was. Rosehip, rose petal, ripe raspberry fruits. Now beginning to open up, even inching towards tertiary with its wisps of florality and tobacco but still with so much power and concentration. This is right up there as one of the wines of the vintage, with huge complexity, touches of Asian spice, mint leaf, you really feel just how much is going on in the glass. Plenty of Cheval signature in its classicism and balance, with a moreish bitter almond and salted cracker signoff. I last had this three or four years ago and it was not ready, but it has flipped the switch now, and can be enjoyed with a good few hours in a carafe. Harvest September 12 to 27, 42hl/h yield. 100% new oak, 57% of overall production, no press wine. Vinified in the old cellar, and this is three years before the arrival of current technical director Pierre Olivier Clouet, with Thierry Garnrud cellar master, Pierre Lurton director. Unrolls in the glass, with decades ahead of it.

Leather, tobacco, plum, chocolate, blackcurrant, cedar, pepper, red fruit, dark fruit and smoke

Nuanced supple tannins with saffron, cold ash and violets notes. Extremely charming, this highlights so many of the things that Cheval Blanc does so well - nuance, elegant, precision, flesh, silken fruits with freshly crushed mint and eucalyptus on the finish. 55% 1st wine, 1% press wine with 100% new oak.

A blend of 53% Merlot and 47% Cabernet Franc, the 2000 Cheval Blanc has a medium garnet-brick color. It explodes with an amazingly complex array of fragrant earth and exotic spice scents, leading to a core of raspberry preserves, cherry cola, dried mulberries, and violets, plus hints of licorice, iron ore, and unsmoked cigars. The palate is gracefully styled and medium-bodied with layer upon layer of fruit, earth, and perfumed spice flavors, framed by silky tannins and beautiful tension, finishing long and minerally. Phenomenal!

The 1999 Cheval Blanc has a deep garnet-brick color. The nose opens with notions of pencil lead, bay leaves, preserved plums, and redcurrant jelly, plus a hint of crushed rocks. The medium-bodied palate is fresh and well-defined, with lightly chewy tannins and a ferrous finish.

Igjen en elegant vin - fastere i frukten i peer group - pen sødme - sublim balanse - (95)

Part of a crazy lineup of wines at a private supper this year, and this was the glass that disappeared on me almost before I noticed I was drinking it. Layer upon layer of black truffle, white truffle, redcurrant and raspberry fruit, with edges of lemongrass and pomegranate punctuating the rich texture with points of freshness. There are tannins here, offering the most gentle of guidance at this point, and yet you just know this wine has decades still ahead of it. A hot and dry year tha produced a healthy yield of just under 45hl/h. 84% of the production in this wine, harvest 15 to 28 September (matching on 1989 and 1990 in terms of early harvests over the previous 50 years). Underestimated by most critics at the time of release, this is still going strong.

A blend of 50% Merlot and 50% Cabernet Franc, the 1989 Cheval Blanc comes from a dry, hot vintage. It has a medium brick color and the nose begins with ferrous wafts of rusty nails, giving way to a core of redcurrant preserves, sweaty leather, dusty soil, and incense, followed by a touch of unsmoked cigars. The medium-bodied palate is elegant, refreshing, and soft-textured, delivering a lifted finish.

Transparent ruby with a garnet rim. Blueberries, cassis, leather and minerals. Fresh acidity. Vibrant and playful with cherries, licorice, crowberries and spice. Polished integrated tannins. Very long.

Drink from now until 2040(?).

Cheval Blanc is one of the most modern wineries in Bordeaux. They have 41 hectares of vineyard located very close to Pomerol with sandy blue clay soil. From Cheval Blanc you have a 20 minute walk to Petrus and less to Figeac. Up to 1838 the vineyards were a part of Chateau Figeac. It was then purchased by the Ducasse family.

Along with Chateau Ausone, Angelus and Pavie, Cheval Blanc is one of the four Premier Grand Cru Classe A in St. Emilion.

In the movie Ratatouille (do see it if you have not) the Restaurant critic Anton Ego orders a bottle of 1947 Cheval Blanc to go with "some fresh, clear, well-seasoned perspective". The 47 is an iconic bottle of Cheval Blanc. Have I tasted the 1947 vintage? Nope, but I just tasted a splendid 1986 Cheval Blanc :)

Nesen bærer preg av tobakk, plomme, kirsæbær og krydder. Tanninene er helt avslepne og har nå sluppet grepet sitt. Vedvarende finish.

Amatør

Starts out with cooling waves of cold ash and mint leaf, suspended for a few moments before unrolling to reveal warmer campfire, liqourice, raspberry puree, white pepper and a blast of white truffle. Fully open, welcome and ready for sharing its pleasures, but the tannins are still cradling the fruit, and this is just so moreish, hard to resist. The generous yields that were typical of 1982 meant Cheval saw a production of 54.3hl/h. Harvest September 20 to October 2, Jacques Hebrard director and owner, with Gilles Pauquet consultant winemaker and cellar master the legendary Gaston Vaissière, who worked at the estate from 1943 to 1986.

BN fill med en fin kork som kanskje er 30% gjennomtrukket. Murstein i kjernen med en tydelig brunet kant. Åpner ganske svakt med med en vegg av søtlig tobakk og cedertre på nesen. Etter en times tid på karaffel kommer det toner av klassisk bdx i form av solbærblad, litt plommer, grafitt, søt tobakk, cedetre samt et snev av lauvbærblad. Med syre.  Lett elegant men ganske dempet rød frukt med en balanse på det svart syrlige siden. Lette peppertoner, full integrerte tanniner men med en nydelig konsentrasjon med flere komplekse lag i smakskurven. Runder ut i en medium + lang utgang preget av søtlig tobakk. Tenker denne flasken nok har vært bedre når det fantes litt mer frukt som kunne bidrat til en ennå mer presis balanse, men opplevelse og drikkegleden er det absolutt ikke noe å si på


fra Furuholmen auksjonen - perfekt 75 med runde tanniner - ørlite jordlig med mørke bær. Kjølig kjeller vinner alltid.

Wow, sitter fortsatt ved bordet. Skriver mens jeg har smaken på tunga. Fra et trist år for bordeaux så kommer de sterke frem. Korken smuldret med duranden men med tålmodighet så gikk hele ut uten biter i vinen. 

Fløtekonsistens med smak av mørke bær, vanilje og eksellens. Duft av skog, mose og høst. 

Enda rød i fargen (drukket flere viner fra 73 der alle har vært brune). 

Drukket til indrefilet

Fantastisk

definisjonen av eleganse. Intet preg av tørket frukt. Sømløs vin med dyp frukt. Raffinert og kompleks. En av de bedre røde bdx på lenge (95+)

Har mer å gå på - mørkere frukt enn 60/50/40 - frisk - strålende syre - pen fruktsødme - delikat krydret (94+) /// Okt. '21: Overraskende tannisk (95)

The 1967 Cheval Blanc has a medium brick color. The nose begins subtle and restrained, offering soft-spoken scents of leather, cast-iron pan, and Indian spices, before revealing a fragrant core of lavender and cherry cola, with a fragrant waft of dried roses. The medium-bodied palate is lively and delicately nuanced, with loads of exotic spices and mineral sparks, textured by powdery tannins, finishing on a lingering mineral note.

kraftfull, fortsatt tanniner, kunne vært mer energisk

fra Furuholmen kjelleren - utsøkt fruktsødme med underliggende mineralitet mot varm grus - mørk eksotisk krydret frukt - sensuell tekstur - strålende flaske (94)

perfekt kork - noe varmere frukt i peer group - svakt røffere tanniner - pent krydret - lang søt finish (96)

'49 var rikere, fyldigere og viste dypere frukt - en hedonistisk vin med pen friskhet (98+)

Hvor god kan en vin bli? En dyp skogsbærsmak som smaker hele rekken av nyanser - komplekst. Superren frukt, lang og med syren til en langt yngre vin, Pent tanningrip som matcher intensiteten til den mørke frukten. En unik balanse og en velutviklet, balansert skogsbærparfyme på nese og munn. Elegant og lang.

Mähler-Besse - rekorket på chateauet i 2018 - en godt moden CB - plomme og sjokolade, ikke den mest konsentrerte og noe tørring på finish - men ingen oksidasjon og urenheter - ok lengde

Category	Red wine
Vinmonopolet no.
Producer	Ch. Cheval Blanc
Vintages	2020
Country	France, Bordeaux, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru
Bottle	75 cl

Alcohol	14 %
Acid	5,8 %
Sugar	< 3 g/l

Packaging	Glass
Cork type	Naturkork
Selection	Bestillingsutvalget
Wholesaler	International Vintners AS
Carrier	Best Global Logistics (Norway) AS