A white with beautiful density and bright fruit. Full body and bright acidity. Very long, tight and strong at the end. Muscular. This ages in a combination of large and small barrels. Pure sauvignon. First white from the team at Cheval Blanc. Made across the street. Sold in three-bottle cases.
This has dreamy aromas already, with notes of Lapsang souchong tea, smoldering cigar and cold charcoal wafting up from the core of dense yet supple currant, fig and blackberry preserves. A loamy edge thumps through the finish, giving this an addictive, head-bobbing bass line.
55% Merlot, 45% Cabernet Franc. 75% of the production. A truly elegant wine with beautiful aroma and flavour. Fine texture and tannins. Long, persistent finish. Lacks the density to be great, but still very fine.
Medium garnet colored, the 2014 Cheval Blanc is still looking very youthful and wearing a bit of puppy fat, sporting gregarious red and black cherries notes with hints of oolong tea, wilted roses and dusty soil. Medium-bodied with firm, chewy tannins and plenty of freshness supporting the lively fruit, it finishes on a lingering perfumed note.
Drinking Window: 2022 - 2042
Reviewer Name: Lisa Perrotti-Brown
Review Date: 31st August 2018
- Details
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- Year 2014
- Colour Red
- Country France
- Region Bordeaux
- Sub Region Saint-Emilion Grand Cru
- Designation
- Classification
- Pack Size 6x75cl
- ABV 13.50°
- Drinking Window 2022 - 2042
- Drinking Recommendation Not Ready
- LWIN 100810820140600750
- Reviews (4)
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97 James Suckling
A white with beautiful density and bright fruit. Full body and bright acidity. Very long, tight and strong at the end. Muscular. This ages in a combination of large and small barrels. Pure sauvignon. First white from the team at Cheval Blanc. Made across the street. Sold in three-bottle cases.
97 Wine SpectatorThis has dreamy aromas already, with notes of Lapsang souchong tea, smoldering cigar and cold charcoal wafting up from the core of dense yet supple currant, fig and blackberry preserves. A loamy edge thumps through the finish, giving this an addictive, head-bobbing bass line.
95 Decanter55% Merlot, 45% Cabernet Franc. 75% of the production. A truly elegant wine with beautiful aroma and flavour. Fine texture and tannins. Long, persistent finish. Lacks the density to be great, but still very fine.
95 Wine AdvocateMedium garnet colored, the 2014 Cheval Blanc is still looking very youthful and wearing a bit of puppy fat, sporting gregarious red and black cherries notes with hints of oolong tea, wilted roses and dusty soil. Medium-bodied with firm, chewy tannins and plenty of freshness supporting the lively fruit, it finishes on a lingering perfumed note.
Drinking Window: 2022 - 2042
Reviewer Name: Lisa Perrotti-Brown
Review Date: 31st August 2018
- Producer
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About Château Cheval Blanc
One of the four Premier Grand Cru Classé A estates in St-Émilion, Château Cheval Blanc was in fact matched solely by the ancient Ausone in this ranking since the system’s foundation in 1955.
Once part of its neighbour Château Figeac, the land which now constitutes this Right Bank legend was purchased by the Ducasse family in 1838 from what was then the 200 hectare Figeac estate. It must have come as some injury to the sensational Figeac’s pride to be ranked one level below its former holdings, but the terroir of Cheval Blanc is irresistible in its majesty.
In the modern era, the team at Château Cheval Blanc is one of the most meticulous and driven in the region. Every facet of viticulture management to terroir analysis to winemaking is pored over and pored over again. For many years, technical director Pierre-Olivier Clouet was assisted by the knowledgeable Professor Kees van Leeuwen on-site, meaning every inch of every vine has been studied and analysed since planting in some cases.
Viniculture
Planted to 60% Cabernet Franc and 40% Merlot, Château Cheval Blanc is found on the “Pomerol side” of St-Émilion, meaning its terroir is significantly different to that of its ancient peer Ausone. Part of the beauty of St-Émilion no doubt lies in this stark difference, as there is no “perfect” typical style nor plot for the appellation's great wines. Akin to Pomerol in more ways that proximity, the Merlot of Cheval Blanc is planted on gravel whilst the Cabernet Franc rests on well-drained thick clay, the fabled substance abundant at Château Pétrus.
Aromatics are a particular focus of Château Cheval Blanc, with Pierre-Olivier Clouet declaring “that aspect is crucial to us”. This emphasis leads the property to be one of the very earliest to harvest on the Right Bank, an attempt to capture as much delicacy and freshness as possible to layer into its sumptuous bouquet. Famed for its floral, smoky edges and whisps of perfectly ripened fruit, this is truly one of the world’s great wines.
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