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

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.

by Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW

An enticing touch of cigar box straight on the first nose. The precision of this wine is striking, with a flexed, stretched out core supported by tannins that are creamy but precise, Depth, power and elasticity, driven through with black chocolate, slate, campfire smoke, liquorice root, bilberry and blackberry puree. There are inky depths here. 82.5% of overall production in the main estate wine this year. Bottled July 2021, 100% new oak, 82% 1st wine in this vintage, with a little less Cabernet Franc than usual due to replanting in the vineyard.

Inside Bordeaux

100 - Robert Parker The Wine Advocate
97 - Wine Spectator
100 - Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider
98 - Jane Anson - Inside Bordeaux

Critic Average Rating

WSET 1

Kicks off with an explosive nose of freshly crushed red roses, liqourice root and smoked sandalwood. The exuberance of the vintage means that this is a Cheval that feels more approachable at this stage than many years, but no less complex. Blueberry, raspberry and cassis fruits, along with ink, soot, baked earth, incense and saffran, closing to mouthwatering lime and mandarin zest that add juice and length on the finish. Just a great wine from director Pierre Olivier Clouet and the team. 100% new oak barrels for ageing. Harvest began on August 29 (earliest ever, with 80% of Merlot bought in by the end of August), then Cabernet Franc in by September 20. 3.86ph. No Petit Cheval this year, but just 78% of production in the 1st wine. And this is the first year where Cheval Blanc is just a simple, lowly AOC St Emilion, after its withdrawal from the classification. Potential 100.

We are in an entirely different world of textured tannins, and dense fruit character compared to most, clearly among the red wines of the vintage. Showing an inky character, cigar box, cassis, bluberry, crushed roses, gunsmoke and flint nose along with powerful but understated blueberry and damson fruits. The 30th anniversary with Pierre Lurton as director, and the last official year as Premier Grand Cru Classé A - both things that put this firmly in the buy camp. Biggest percentage of Cabernet Franc since 2011, and the first time to use more Cabernet Franc than Merlot in the blend. 100% new oak.

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!

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. 

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

Deep garnet-brick in color, the 2014 Cheval Blanc needs a lot of swirling to unlock notes of plum preserves and fruitcake plus suggestions of garrigue, black pepper, and tapenade with a hint of camphor. The medium to full-bodied palate has a rock solid structure of chewy tannins and bold freshness supporting the savory, muscular fruit, finishing on a lingering mineral note.

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.

Plenty of grip at 10 years old, but as with many of the bigger wines in the 2011 vintage, it is fairly closed right now, after a good number of years when it felt approachable. I would suggest leaving it for another five years to let these tannins soften and the peony aromatics fully emerge. It does soften after a double carafing (I tried this both from bottle and later over food), when the violet and precisely-drawn raspberry and redcurrant notes take the lead. Cabernet Franc dominant right now, but it lacks a little generosity at this stage of its life. 64% first wine.

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.

Mye rød frukt, kjøtt, bra tanniner, elegant og konsentrert, mye power og mye finnesse. På nesen er det rød frukt, litt lær, litt mint. På smaken er det rød frukt, men også litt trøffel. Lang og konsentert ettersmak.

Expert

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

Sommelier

The 1982 Chevel Blanc has a medium garnet-brick color and springs from the glass with scents of kirsch, dried cranberries, and pencil shavings, leading to hints of rose oil, rare steak, and crushed rocks. The medium-bodied palate is packed with mature red fruit and earthy layers, textured with satiny tannins and delivering seamless acidity, finishing on a long-lingering mocha note. Still very youthful, this was clearly a very good bottle, coming directly from the Chateau. The yields in 1982 for Cheval Blanc were a whopping 55 hl/ha, according to Pierre Lurton.

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+)

A blend of 55% Cabernet Franc and 45% Merlot, the 1970 Cheval Blanc has a pale brick color. The nose is a little tired and disappointing to begin, only to give way after about 15 minutes to fragrant scents of dried lavender, Darjeeling tea, dried cranberries, and prunes, followed by touches of new leather, dates, and tobacco. The light to medium-bodied palate is delicate and perfumed, with lively acidity and powdery tannins, finishing with a quiet intensity. It is delicate and alluring.

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 - meget elegant - slankere enn 59 og mindre søt - sømløs - perfekt balansrt - (96)

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

16.05.13 på Bagatelle: 1947 Cheval Blanc magnum: Nesen var mildt sagt eksotisk - nesten som første gangen jeg entret et beduintelt i Saudi Arabia i 1993. I munnen merket man definitivt varmen fra alkoholen - ekstrem mocca og sjokolade - etter 30 sekunder gikk vinen over i en mer "elegant" finish - det er syre til å matche motoroljen, men nærmere port kommer man ikke. (96-98) 
// Sep. '20: mye mer elegant enn en magnum på Bagatelle for noen år tilbake - delikat fruktsødme - sublim tanninfølelse mot skifer - rød frukt - ren paprika - raffinert - lang blir årets understatement (99) // Sep. '20: korken kom ut hel - rikerer og mer krydret enn den forrige - dypere frukt, men lavere syre og ikke så kompleks - dog en utsøkt vin (96) // Nov. '20: intens og frisk, mer mot rødfrukt. (95) // Okt '21: fjerde flasken fra den samme kalde norske kjelleren - noe rikere og «ferskere» frukt enn de tre andre flaskene - ørlite volatil - dyp frukt - kledelig spice - røk - sjokolade og kirsebær - støvete tanniner - kommer med luft - de kunne det før  (97)

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

2023	No priceNot available	Extraordinary
2022	No priceNot available	Extraordinary
2021	5 772,40 krNot available	Extraordinary
2020	7 250,00 krAvailable	Extraordinary
2019	11 300,00 krAvailable	Extraordinary

Category	Red wine
Vinmonopolet no.
Producer	Ch. Cheval Blanc
Vintages	2019
Country	France, Bordeaux, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru
Bottle	75 cl

Alcohol	14.5 %
Acid	5,8 %
Sugar	< 3 g/l

Packaging	Glass
Cork type	Naturkork
Selection	Uten utvalg
Wholesaler	LaMarc Wines AS
Carrier	Skanlog AS