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 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. 

by Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW

(barrel sample)
Ruby red. Elegant nose with violets, roses, mint, blueberries, cassis, blackberries and red currant. Fresh acidity. Elegant and detailed. Cassis, mint, blueberries, blackberries, exotic spice and minerals. Smooth polished tannins. Very long. 97-99p 

Drink from 2040-2060+

Tasting barrel samples can be really tiring and difficult. The wines are not finished and tannins can be rough. That is not the care with Cheval Blanc. Just so smooth, velvety and elegant. I could seriously drink this barrel sample. Just awesome!

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!

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

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

Critic Average Rating

Exotic nose with mint, sage, ripe dark fruit, pure cassis, gravel and black cherry no noticeable oak, rather ripe and intense, yet with plenty of class and elegance. The palate is dense and concentrated yet in a somewhat medium body with just muscles and no fat. incredible purity, texture and length. Very harmonious and complete in a more open and accesible style, yet with the classic elegance.

Sommelier

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.

One of the best of the lineup, this has supple tannins, nuanced raspberry and redcurrant fruit, with lift and juice through the finish. Still an early drinker with higher acidity than in most years of this wine, but one that is worth seeking out and enjoying, with just a hint of the magic of these soils. 60% 1st wine with the rest divided into 20% Petit Cheval, with 20% declassified.

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.

The 2010 Cheval Blanc is deep garnet in color, with a touch of brick. Broody to begin, offering wafts of tar, chargrill, and smoked meats, after considerable swirling the nose reveals a fragrant perfume of Morello cherries and violets, with a touch of star anise. The concentrated, full-bodied palate is packed with tightly knit, impactful black fruits, framed by firm, yet plush, tannins and bags of freshness, finishing very long and earthy.

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)

Mørke bær, fløteaktig konsistens. Hinter av lær og pepper. Mest fantastiske vinen jeg har drukket (smakt første gang i 2019) 


Amatør

A legendary year where Cheval was among wines of the vintage Still full of life even if the tertiary notes are domiant, with truffled spice, tobacco, cocoa and cinammon, touches of saffron and raspberry puree but with an incredible freshness on the finish for a wine that is now 32 years old. The tannins are so finely spun at this point that you barely get any resistance from them, and yet a gentle power and sense of confidence is still unmissable. Generous and so moreish. Overall it was a great Pomerol year and Cheval is famously located right next door to this appellation and on similar soils - you can look to Trotanoy and Petrus for other wines from this vintage that are knocking it out of the park right now. Rainfall was 25% below average for the region, but the yield was up at an extremely generous 50hl/h.

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.

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.

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.

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)

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	2018
Country	France, Bordeaux, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru
Bottle	75 cl

Alcohol	14.5 %
Acid	5,4 %
Sugar	< 3 g/l

Packaging	Glass
Cork type	Naturkork
Selection	Uten utvalg
Wholesaler	Winetailor AS
Carrier	Vectura AS