Chateau Cheval Blanc St. Emilion Bordeaux Wine
Chateau Cheval Blanc
Chateau Cheval Blanc St. Emilion, Premier Grand Cru Classe A, Bordeaux wine producer profile, with wine tasting notes, wine ratings, a history of the property, information on wine making and terroir, along with wine tasting reviews. If you want to read about other important, Bordeaux Chateaux: Links to all Bordeaux Wine Producer Profiles
Chateau Cheval Blanc, which is translated into white horse, has a long, colorful history in St. Emilion that is traced all the wine back to 1832. That was the year the Ducasse family purchased land from the much larger estate of Chateau Figeac. Those vines became the genesis of what many people think is the best wine of St. Emilion, Chateau Cheval Blanc. At that time, back in 1832, Figeac was owned by Countess Félicité de Carle-Trajet. Figeac had grown to a massive 200 hectare estate. It was The Countess who decided to sell portions of their holdings to interested buyers. The breakup of Figeac helped create a myriad of new St Emilion wine making estate for numerous interested buyers. That explains why so many chateaux include the word Figeac as part of their name. However, the owners of what was to become Cheval Blanc wanted to eventually establish their own identity that was seperate from Figeac.
In 1838, the Ducasse family began buying more St. Emilion vineyard land to create Chateau Cheval Blanc. In 1852, when Mille Ducasse married Jean Laussac-Fourcaud, she came with a dowry that included their recently acquired Bordeaux vineyards that included 2 of the 5 gravel mounds running through Chateau Cheval Blanc and Figeac. This was an amazing dowry! The family Laussac-Fourcaud continued adding to their holdings and by 1871, they accumulated a total of 41 hectares in St. Emilion. Chateau Cheval Blanc remains that size to this day.
Cheval Blanc, with its recent renovations is now the most modern facility in St. Emilion today. The more things change, the more they stay the same. Around 1860, when the chateau for Cheval Blanc was being built, extensive work was also being done in the vineyards. In fact, even then, Chateau Cheval Blanc was at the forefront of vineyard management techniques when they added a vast network of drains in their vineyards. Chateau Cheval Blanc was probably the first estate in the Right Bank to install this type of drainage system.
At first, Chateau Cheval Blanc sold their wine under the Figeac label. Once Chateau Cheval Blanc began winning medals for the obvious quality level found in their wine, they changed their label. That change included placing pictures of their medals on the label, which is still featured in the artwork that adorns the labels for the wine today. More importanly, the wines were now sold under the name of Chateau Cheval Blanc, which created a separate identity for their brand.
In 1998 Chateau Cheval Blanc was purchased by Bernard Arnault and Baron Albert Frère for 155 million Euros. They asked Pierre Lurton to manage the property for them. Today, Pierre Lurton also manages their other estates, Chateau d’Yquem, Chateau La Tour du Pin and Quinault l’Enclos. In 2009, LVMH purchased the shares owned by Bernard Arnault in a private transaction.
While 2000 was a perfect Bordeaux wine vintage for Chateau Cheval Blanc, for the remainder the decade, with the notable exception of the last vintage in the decade, Cheval Blanc produced good, but never amazing wines. For Cheval Blanc, they missed the mark in 2005. That changed as the decade drew to a close. In 2009 and again in 2010, they produced a candidate for wine of the vintage.
Chateau Cheval Blanc new Cellars
In 2011, with the help of famed architect Christian de Portzamparc, Chateau Cheval Blanc completed a major construction and top to bottom, renovation project. This project included building a new winery, barrel cellars, vinification rooms, tasting areas and efforts with the landscaped gardens. Even though the structure is modern, this new cellar, which cost over $20,000,000 fits in well in the St. Emilion appellation. Situated under a hill, with dramatic access to natural light, it’s curvaceous lines are stunning. The curve theme is seen in the exterior structure and carried through to the vat rooms. The cellars are equipped with 52, temperature controlled, curvy vats, that allow each parcel to be vinified seperately.
Chateau Cheval Blanc Vats
Being located on the Pomerol border is part of the reason for the voluptuous quality of Cheval Blanc. They are only a stones throw away from the Pomerol plateau. Their vines abut those of Chateau L’Evangile. In fact close to 30% of their terroir resembles that of the top Pomerol estates. The terroir of Chateau Cheval Blanc consists of 3 different soils. At Cheval Blanc you have deep layers of gravel, sandy clay over blue clay and sandy clay with iron deposits. Those three unique soils allow the 91.4 acre Cheval Blanc vineyard to express a unique style of St. Emilion as well as Bordeaux wine. During the harvest of Chateau Cheval Blanc, the estate does not wait until all the parcels achieve, complete phenolic ripeness. It is the stated goal to pick some fruit, in what they view as al dente. In part, it’s the blending of grapes at different levels of ripeness that adds complexity to the wine of Chateau Cheval Blanc.
The vineyard cepage of Cheval Blanc is 58% Cabernet Franc and 42% Merlot. Blends vary, depending on the style of the vintage. The vines are old, averaging 45 years of age. However, some of the older parcles of Cabernet Franc are close to 100 years of age! They are planted to a vine density of 8,000 vines per hectare. In 2012, following the 2012 St. Emilion Classification, A 1.3 hectare portion of the Chateau La Tour du Pin vineyards were added to Cheval Blanc. Vinification takes place in 52 different temperature controlled, cement vats that vary in size, due to the needs of specific parcels. The wines are aged in 100% new oak for close to 18 months before bottling.
Cheval Blanc also produces a second wine, Le Petit Cheval. Close to 6,500 cases per year are produced of Cheval Blanc. On average, 3,000 cases of Le Petit Cheval are made per vintage. Cheval Blanc also maintains an interest in the Mendoza region of Argentina. They produce the wine Cheval des Andes.
The beauty of Cheval Blanc is the complex, powerful perfume paired with textures that can feel as soft as polished silk and velvet. The wine is incredibly rich. Yet it’s never heavy. Cheval Blanc can be enjoyed young. However, it is one of the longest lived Bordeaux wines being produced. As you can see from my tasting notes, the legendary 1921 is still going strong at close to 90 years age! I hope I show that well when I’m 90.
Wine Tasting Notes
Displaying 32 vintages | 245931 Views Sorted by vintage
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2012 Le Petit Cheval
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75% Cabernet Franc with 25% Merlot create the blend. Flowers, licorice, red berries and elegant textures, dominated by fresh red plums and cherries, are the hallmark of this wine. 90-92 Pts
90 points - Tasted Apr 26, 2013
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2012 Château Cheval Blanc
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With 54% Merlot and 46% Cabernet Franc, the wine reached 13.9% alcohol with a pH of 3.78. One of the keys to the vintage at Cheval Blanc was the extensive green harvesting needed, due to the extended time needed for flowering. In the perfume, the wine pops with flowers, licorice, earth, caramel and ripe, sweet blackberries. On the palate, the wine displays sweet black and red fruits, spice and a fresh purity of sweet fruit. The tannins are silky, the wine is fresh and long in the finish, complicated by an herbal, tapenade note buried in the fresh, ripe fruit. 94-96 Pts
96 points - Tasted Apr 26, 2013
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2011 Le Petit Cheval
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With a large portion of Merlot at 75% and 25% Cabernet Franc in the blend, the wine opens to truffle, caramel and black cherry. Medium-bodied, with some dryness in the finish, the wine ends with black raspberry sensations. 88-89 Pts
88 points - Tasted Apr 24, 2012
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2011 Château Cheval Blanc
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From 52% Cabernet Franc and 48% Merlot, the wine will be aged in 100% new oak and reached 13% alcohol. The Grand Vin represents 65% of the harvest. This is a fresh, elegant style of Cheval Blanc that offers soft, ripe, pure, fresh black and white cherries, floral, spice, truffle, smoke and earthy aromas along with supple textures. While refined and polished, 2011 Cheval Blanc lacks the depth found in 2009 and 2010, but the beautiful sense of purity in the fruit is something to behold. 95-96 Pts
95 points - Tasted Apr 24, 2012
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2010 Château Cheval Blanc
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An intriguing perfume filled with stone, flowers, blackberry liqueur, dark plums, licorice, smoke, oak and hints of bitter chocolate, asks and receives your attention. Lush, sensuous, silk and velvet drenched fruit drenched with opulence that borders on decadence coat your palate. The pure, intense, sensuous finish lasts at least 60 seconds. This sublime Bordeaux wine has become a better tasting experience since last tasted in April. 98-99 Pts
99 points - Tasted Jul 21, 2011
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Cheval Blanc Produced from a higher percentage of Cabernet Franc than usual, 56% Cabernet Franc, with the remaining 34% percent relegated to Merlot; that assemblage is similar to what is planted in the vineyards today. The wine reached 14.5% alcohol with a 3.75 pH, allowing for a rich, ripe wine that is also alcoholic and fresh. Placing your nose into this wine reminds you of walking into a flower shop. The aromatics are further complicated with scents of stone, oak, truffle, caramel and black cherry. Pairing delicacy with power, this is an elegant, deep, wine of finesse, purity and refinement. Part of the reason for the wines success is the long and exacting time spent harvesting the fruit. The estate took three weeks to conclude picking. Previously, they finished the harvest in two weeks. 96-98 Pts
97 points - Tasted Apr 22, 2011
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2010 Le Petit Cheval
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With a perfume consisting of minerality, cocoa, plums, red and black plums with licorice. In the mouth, the soft, round, sophisticated wine ends with a fennel coated, red and black fruit finish.
93 points - Tasted Jul 20, 2011
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Le Petit Cheval From 75% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Franc, this medium bodied wine is filled with coco powder, black cherry and licorice, coupled with freshness and round textures. 90-92 Pts
91 points - Tasted Apr 22, 2011
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2009 Château Cheval Blanc
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2009 Cheval Blanc is on fire in this vintage. Produced from 60% merlot and 40% cabernet franc, a high percentage of merlot for the chateau, the wine explodes with the intense aromas of jammy black raspberries, flowers, spice, and incense. Powerful, ripe, sweet, velvet textured, and perfectly balanced, this opulent, deep wine finishes with endless waves of spicy berries. This wine personifies decadence, elegance, and power. 96-99 Pts
99 points - Tasted Jun 28, 2010
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2009 Le Petit Cheval
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2009 Le Petit Cheval, from 65% cabernet franc and the remainder merlot, is a medium bodied wine filled with silky black raspberry and boysenberry flavors. 90-92 Pts
90 points - Tasted Jun 28, 2010
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2008 Château Cheval Blanc
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2008 Cheval Blanc produced from a blend of 50% Merlot and 50% Cabernet Franc is another 2008 that improved over the past year. The intense perfume is filled with fresh herbs, cassis, plums, black cherries, exotic spice and spring flowers. Very classy and stylish, this elegant, sophisticated, balanced, rich and velvet textured wine offers freshness, purity and an evocative combination of red and black fruits. 97 Pts
97 points - Tasted Jul 18, 2010
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08 Château Cheval Blanc is 50% merlot with 50% cabernet franc. Deep ruby with some purple accents, the wine was produced from low yields. Fresh flowers, oak, spice, and licorice on the nose. Soft, elegant, and rich, with round tannins and good structure and depth. This elegant wine ends with a long, fresh, pure, polished blackberry and black raspberry note. 94-97 Pts
96 points - Tasted Aug 1, 2009
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2005 Château Cheval Blanc
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Deep in color, there is a beautiful purity of fruit, but the wine is tight, primary and needed air along with coaxing before the licorice, floral, earth, black cherry, spice and chocolate covered plum notes began to emerge. Silky and seductive, the wine will be much better with at least another decade of bottle age.
97 points - Tasted Dec 12, 2012
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2001 Château Cheval Blanc
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Plum, cocoa, floral, cherry and mineral scents open to a medium/full bodied wine that is filled with sweet, red berries. This round, soft, open wine is drinking well today. It's not a wine I'd look to cellar long term.
94 points - Tasted Dec 12, 2012
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Dominated by 60% Merlot with the remainder Cabernet Franc, at 10, like many 2001 Right Bank wines this has turned out better than expected. Floral aromas are complicated by fennel, black and red plums, truffle, black cherries, earth, stone, spice, tobacco and leafy scents. Medium/full bodied, lush, round and opulent in texture, this sophisticated, sensuous wine ends with licorice, black plums, and cherries.
94 points - Tasted Aug 5, 2011
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2000 Château Cheval Blanc
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Powerful, full bodied, rich, intense aromatically and on the palate, the wine is pure, polished silk in texture. Still young, I'd wait at least 5 years to open this beautiful, sexy, opulent, wine. Time is going to make this much more decadent.
99 points - Tasted Dec 12, 2012
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Perfectly ripe, cherries, plum and blackberry, truffle, earth, coffee, flowers and spice create a complex perfume. On the palate this is pure silk and velvet, that coats your taste receptors with plum liqueur sensations and a beautiful sensation of purity in the fruit. There is not a hard edge to be found in this St. Emilion wine. Drink it today, or give it another decade or two, to allow for more complexity and silk.
99 points - Tasted May 1, 2012
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With a complicated perfume featuring flowers, herbs, juicy black and red plums, stone, earth, spice and coconut, your attention is riveted on what comes next. Rich, refined, opulent and elegant, this unique expression of Bordeaux wine is balanced, long and intense ending in a beautiful finish filled with pure ripe dark berries and sensuous textures that stays with you for close to a minute. Still young, this will only get better!
98 points - Tasted Jul 21, 2011
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Aromatics of ripe black raspberry, flowers, herbs, plums, minerals, coconut and spice box is compelling. This Bordeaux wine marries intensity with balance, complexity, purity and an exotic style. The seamless finish of juicy, ripe plums and dark berries fills your mouth with pleasure and remains etched on your palate for close to sixty seconds!
100 points - Tasted Mar 5, 2010
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In character, this reminded me of the 90. The finish was not quite as long and it lacked a bit of the opulence found in the 90, but I imagine that will change in 10 years. This is a stunning wine that requires time before opening up and showing its stunning charms.
98 points - Tasted Jun 6, 2008
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1999 Château Cheval Blanc
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Coconut, earth, plums, black cherry, tobacco and stone scents are the first thing you notice. Soft, silky, refined and elegant in texture, this is all about elegance, and not power. It's ready for prime time drinking now.
93 points - Tasted May 24, 2013
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Black cherry, anise, smoke, fresh herbs and blackberry notes in the perfume. Medium/full bodied. The soft finish blends dark fruits with a minor touch of green notes. A sign of the vintage.
92 points - Tasted May 22, 2010
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With its compelling melange of herbs, spices, red fruit and plums. Better on the nose than the palate, this medium bodied, elegantly textured, stylish wine, is already drinking nicely.
92 points - Tasted Jun 6, 2008
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1998 Château Cheval Blanc
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Smoke, truffle, tobacco, black cherry jam, licorice, spice, floral, leaf and forest floor aromas get you going. The wine is fleshy, fresh, concentrated and sports an opulent and exotic texture. The wine is pure velvet and silk on the palate. The finish is long, clean, pure and sensuous. Still young, this offers pleasure today, but the best is yet to come.
98 points - Tasted Dec 12, 2012
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This is the real deal! It is better than the 82, but not quite at the level of the extraordinary 1990. And that is truly saying something. Silky, rich, exotic and incredibly lush on the palate. Very concentrated, with multiple layers of ripe, black fruits coupled with red fruit accents. The wine ends with a seamless finish that lasts close to sixty seconds! Too bad it can no longer be purchased for what was considered the outrageous sum of $200. Ahhh, those were the good old days.
98 points - Tasted Oct 14, 2008
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Deep, dark in color and in flavor. Powerful. Polished tannins coupled with incredible levels of concentrated fruit make for a Cheval that will age and evolve for decades. I am not sure how much decanting this wine had prior to lunch, but, based on this showing, I imagine the 00 will open up sooner than the 98.
97 points - Tasted Jun 6, 2008
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Better than the 82, but not quite as good as the 90. The nose is explosive. The palate texture is something every wine drinker needs to experience at least once. It is so silky, sexy and exotic. The seamless finish lasts close to :60.
97 points - Tasted Aug 31, 2007
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Still young, this dark colored wine offers up an explosive array of aromatics. Very concentrated for Cheval Blanc. The palate is awash in a sea of sexy, black and red, fruit, spices and herbs. This will be an amazing Cheval with another 5-10 additional years of bottle age.
97 points - Tasted May 15, 2007
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1995 Château Cheval Blanc
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From an assemblage of 50% Cabernet Franc and 50% Merlot, the perfume opens with licorice, crushed stone, cocoa, flowers, plums, spice and ripe cherries. The texture of this beautiful St. Emilion wine is soft, opulent, plush and refined. The lush finish ends with spicy red and black plums with hints of rich, velvety dark chocolate. A few more years will add more complexity to the nose and textures. This is one of the better Bordeaux wines from 1995, a vintage that is marked by harsh tannins. When Cheval Blanc is on, it offers a unique combination of elegance and sensuality that is seldom found in most wines.
95 points - Tasted Sep 28, 2011
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1990 Château Cheval Blanc
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Explosive aromas find their way from the glass with an array of scents ranging from truffle, coconut, spice box, cherry blossom and earth, to tobacco and sweet, plums. Silky tannins give the wine an incredibly sensuous texture, as the wine glides effortlessly across the palate. The wine has depth, concentration and the structure to age and develop for decades.
98 points - Tasted Dec 12, 2012
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Powerful, rich, dense, exotic and sensuous in texture, the wine opens with a compelling blast of licorice, smoke, leather, blackberry, forest floor, earth and black cherry jam. This is about as good as a wine gets. Tasted blind, with only 15-20 minutes to spend with the glass, I image the wine would score even higher if it were allowed to develop in the glass during the night. Drink it now, of age or cellar it for another 10-15 or 20 years, this is a rock start bottle of Cheval Blanc.
98 points - Tasted Sep 4, 2012
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Deep, dark and filled with fresh plums, flowers, truffles, chocolate and coconut, that reminded me of an almond joy candy bar with hints of black cherries. Luscious, soft, sexy, refined elegance with a sense of purity. This intense, decadent wine coats your palate with plush, ripe, black and red fruits. The long finish is seamless. Along with the perfect 2000, this remains my favorite current of Cheval Blanc.
99 points - Tasted May 26, 2011
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With an intoxicating perfume of fresh truffles, tobacco, ripe plums, smoke, coconut and kirsch, this wine grabs your attention. Full bodied and concentrated with exotic, velvety, decadent textures, the wine finishes with a sensuous, kinky black cherry and kirsch component. As good as it is, this will only get better wine more time!
98 points - Tasted Jun 28, 2010
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Exotic was the first descriptor that came to mind. The aromatics exploded from the glass in every direction. Spices and herbs blend with exotic, very ripe red fruit notes to produce a perfume demanding to be bottled. The next sensation is the stunning voluptuously and layered palate presence that offers a seamless finish. This is better than the more expensive 82 which seems to fade a little bit every time I taste it.
99 points - Tasted Jun 6, 2008
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Roasted coconut is the first smell greeting your nose followed by a mélange of red and black fruit with herbs. In this flight, the Cheval seemed lighter and slightly more developed than the other wines. Cheval’s opulent, voluptuous, accessible style can be enjoyed now, but based on where this wine’s at, and previous older bottles of Cheval, I’m willing to bet this wine evolves for decades.
98 points - Tasted Jun 15, 2007
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This is so opulent, complex, rich, sensual and seamless. Can wine get any better than this? The fruit glides across your palate and awakens all your senses. This is what elegance in a wine is all about.
99 points - Tasted Nov 2, 2005
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1989 Château Cheval Blanc
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Considering the vintage and the great success enjoyed by many properties from the Right Bank, is slightly disappointing. Light in color, with flowers, herbs, cherries and smoke aromas. Elegant and silky, and filled with finesse, but, unfortunately, also quite light. The finish was short in the mid palate as well. If this were a quarter of the price, I’d be thrilled; yet, for Cheval Blanc, all I can say is that it’s no 1990.
90 points - Tasted Jun 19, 2009
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Light in color, flowers, herbs, cherries and smoke aromas. Medium bodied. Very elegant, but unfortunately, also very light. The finish was short with little mid palate
90 points - Tasted Oct 5, 2004
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1988 Château Cheval Blanc
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The years have been kind to this wine as it has developed well. With its lush, plum, coconut, truffle and cherry perfume, medium body and slight hint of rusticity to the tannins, this nice example of a classic Cheval Blanc is drinking great today.
92 points - Tasted May 1, 2012
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1985 Château Cheval Blanc
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Truffle, tobacco, plum, flowers, cherry, earth and spice scents opened to a plush, opulent, sensuous, medium/full bodied, lush, sexy, Cheval Blanc that is drinking beautifully today.
95 points - Tasted Aug 16, 2012
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Stellar aromatics and a palate presence that is pure silk and sex appeal. Incredible, velvet fruit caresses your palate in layer after layer of pleasure. Not the most concentrated vintage of Cheval Blanc. But so what? This wine is a treat for tasters seeking a sensuous drinking experience.
95 points - Tasted Jun 6, 2010
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The complex nose excites your senses, but, the opulent, sexy, suave, sophisticated mouth feel is the money shot. Other wines score higher technically, many wines are more concentrated, but few wines deliver as much on the hedonistic pleasure meter. You drink Cheval Blanc to experience the beautiful voluptuousness that is only found in Cheval Blanc.
95 points - Tasted Feb 17, 2009
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1983 Château Cheval Blanc
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Sweet pipe tobacco, boysenberry, chocolate, spice, truffle, black cherry and forest aromas pop from the glass. As good as the perfume it, the silky, lush, sexy, refined texture and long, opulent finish are even better. It's not cheap. But for a mature vintage of Cheval Blanc, this is the wine to buy,
97 points - Tasted Sep 4, 2012
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Coconut, sweet cherry blossoms. smoke, blackberry, plum and truffle aromas. Soft, sexy, opulent and polished textures are in full force in this quintessential, finesse styled wine. The fresh, ripe, cherry, plum and spicy finish is pure velvet. This is my favorite Cheval Blanc for current consumption. The only thing from stopping me for awarding more points is the finish could be a little longer.
96 points - Tasted Jun 13, 2011
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Cheval Blanc Floral, spice, truffle, plum, earth and black cherry aromas lead to waves of soft, opulent, rich, ripe, polished plums. Round, soft, sweet and sexy, this is fully mature and due to the mixed reputation of the vintage, this wine sells for a fair price for a Cheval Blanc of this quality.
97 points - Tasted May 26, 2011
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83 Cheval Blanc is filled with scents of roses, plums, spice, coconut, coffee and cedar, While Cheval Blanc is often prized for its aromatic qualities, this wine takes over your palate with its voluptuous, opulent, velvet laced textures. The polished plum, black cherry and dark berries fill your mouth with pleasure. The long, silky finish is balanced and harmonious. 83 Cheval Blanc continues improving while 82 Cheval Blanc keeps becoming less interesting at each tasting.
97 points - Tasted Sep 5, 2010
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Cedar, plums, ripe black fruits and that unmistakable herbal, minty, forest note that comes from ripe Cabernet Franc. Still tannic, with a plush, lush, chocolate infused finish and good freshness. As good as it was, I’ve had better bottles of the 83 Cheval.
94 points - Tasted Feb 17, 2008
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1982 Château Cheval Blanc
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Even though the fruit was starting to fade, the coconut, plum, pepper, truffle, cocoa, tobacco leaf and spicy perfume got you going. Opulent, sensuous and plush in texture, the wine finishes with rich, silky, polished, exotic cherries. This was a better wine a decade ago and does not quite live up to its reputation.
96 points - Tasted Mar 26, 2013
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Coconut, cherry pipe tobacco, truffles, spice, old wood and wet forest floor aromas create the perfume. The fruit has faded since its glory days and finish is not as long or exotic as it used to be. It ends far too quickly. While this is still a great wine, for the money and the pleasure, 1983 Cheval Blanc is the better wine.
95 points - Tasted Dec 12, 2012
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1982 Cheval Blanc is starting to fade. Coconut, chocolate, mint, black cherry, earth, spice and fresh, green leaf aromas create the perfume. On the palate, the wine is pure silk and velvet. But its lost some of its richness and voluptuous qualities that were on display a decade ago. Sell or drink now.
94 points - Tasted Sep 4, 2012
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A beautiful bouquet of fresh picked flowers, spice, ripe black cherries, earth, truffle, tobacco, forest floor and smoke aromatics gets the wine noticed. The feminine, silky, refined, velvet textures keeps your attention. Not as concentrated as it used to be, plus the wine shows an advanced light color. While there is no hurry to drink it, bottles of 82 Cheval Blanc wine enjoyed 5-10 years ago seemed richer and more complex. The wine ends with a long, plum, truffle, spice, cassis and coffee.
95 points - Tasted Aug 17, 2011
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Coconut, truffle, flowers, plums, cassis, black cherry, chocolate, fresh herbs, Asian spice and espresso bean. Silky, soft and round, medium/full bodied and sexy in style, this Bordeaux wine is slightly past full maturity.
95 points - Tasted May 26, 2011
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1982 Cheval Blanc can offer an intense, exotic, coconut tinged tasting experience. Other times, the wine can seem past its prime. This bottle was in the middle. Great aromatics, but not as sexy or decadent on the palate as I would have liked. This was a very good 82 Cheval, but it lacked the intense exotic qualities emanating from the best bottles. Thess days, a strong bottle of 83 Cheval might be more fun and interesting to taste as well.
95 points - Tasted Aug 22, 2010
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This bottle seemed mature. Coconut, red and black fruits with herbs thrilled your nose and senses. The sensuous mouth feel from the concentrated, velvety, ripe fruit was the star of the show. If you want to try a wine that defines opulence, this is a good place to start.
97 points - Tasted Dec 22, 2008
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Red and black fruit, herbs, licorice, and an intoxicating note of chocolate covered, roasted coconut. The coconut aromatic was absolutely compelling and remained the entire evening. Does the coconut aroma come from the cooperage? On the palate, dense, concentrated, plush, rich, sexy, velvety fruit bathed your senses. Very deep and complex, with multiple layers of fruit that cascades over your palate. This is pure elegance.
97 points - Tasted Jan 10, 2007
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The color seemed too developed for its age and the aromatics were not as interesting as I, or the others remembered. Fully developed, decadent fruit, but because of the bottles condition, not as good as we had hoped.
94 points - Tasted Nov 7, 2006
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1978 Château Cheval Blanc
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With some wines, it's easy to tell if they are dead, or dying. It was a close call on this one. The aromatics offered more life with their truffle, tobacco, earth, spice, smoke and hint of cherry. On the finish, it was tart, dry and sour red berries. I would not buy this as a birth year wine as their is no future in holding it. Drink up.
84 points - Tasted Nov 18, 2012
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1975 Château Cheval Blanc
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Fully mature and quite charming for the vintage, truffle, plum, black raspberry, dark cherry, forest floor and tobacco notes create the perfume. Sweet, cherry fruit, earth, spice box and soft textures, with a slight bit of rusticity are found in the finish.
90 points - Tasted Aug 14, 2012
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1970 Château Cheval Blanc
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Tasted twice in the same week, from different cases, the wine offered similar results. Light ruby with bricking in color, the perfume opened with tobacco, earth, spice box, plum, herb and forest floor scents. Medium bodied, with a simple, light weight, short, spicy, dark red berry finish. There is no reason to age this wine. Drink up before the remaining fruit fades away.
85 points - Tasted Mar 7, 2012
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This was a bit tired. Ample leafy scents, fresh herbs, smoke, truffle, coffee, dark cherries and caramel were easy to find. Medium bodied and softly textured, this elegant, but light wine ended with caramel coated cassis flavors. There is no reason to hold this any longer. Drink up.
87 points - Tasted Jul 29, 2010
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1964 Château Cheval Blanc
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At first, the wine was marked with VA, but that faded after a short time in the decanter and glass. Spice, earth and a decadent array of truffles. Rich, silky, opulent fruit poured over your palate like oil dripping from a spout. The wine finished with a plethora of roasted, opulent, black fruits accompanied by velvet textures. Surely, 64 Cheval has to be in contention for wine of the vintage in a year that favored the Right Bank.
95 points - Tasted Aug 6, 2008
3650 Views
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1955 Château Cheval Blanc
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Coconut, truffle, wet earth, gravel, floral and cherry scents created the aromatics. On the palate, the wine was soft, round and silky, ending in a plush, spicy, red cherry finish. This has moved past its prime time drinking window. I would not hold it for improvement as there is more to lost than gain by waiting.
92 points - Tasted Oct 16, 2012
1614 Views
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1950 Château Cheval Blanc
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This showed a brown sugar color with vague hints of red and brick poking through. The longer the wine remained open, the darker the color got. By the end of the lunch, the wine was a completely different shade. As Spock would say, "Fascinating." Incredible scents of licorice, earth, truffles, herbs, soy, kirsch, black cherry, root beer and fresh coffee wafted from the glass in a continuos stream of perfume. In the mouth, your palate was drenched with very concentrated, dense, blackberry, coffee, black fruit and cola notes. The viscous texture with the silky patina of age was a treat I will not forget. The finish, texture and flavor continued opening and improving in the glass during the two hours we spent with the wine. It reminded me of the 21 Cheval Blanc.
97 points - Tasted Aug 6, 2008
1662 Views
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1949 Château Cheval Blanc
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1949 Cheval Blanc explodes with complex aromatics the moment the cork is gently pulled from the clutches of the bottle. Crushed stone, truffle, tobacco, smoke, cherry blossoms, cigar box, 5 spice and melted cherries are the first things you sense. This wine is all about the fragrance and texture. The mouth feel, shaped by the patina of 6 decades of aging is pure silk and velvet. This delicate St. Emilion ends with spicy, sweet, earthy cherries, herbs and strawberry. This was my second time tasting '49 Cheval Blanc. The previous bottle was a much better tasting experience. You know what they say, with time, there is no such thing as a great wine, just great bottles. While this bottle might not have been great, it was good and I was honored to have tasted it.
93 points - Tasted Aug 6, 2011
2616 Views
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1947 Château Cheval Blanc
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This deeply colored wine offered an array of aromatics including plums, spices, leather, earth and chocolate mint. The wine was clearly concentrated offering great depth. The palate presence was very weighty, but, the finish seemed a little shorter than you find in the best bottles of 47 Cheval Blanc. Still, this was an honor and a treat to taste
95 points - Tasted Jun 15, 2008
12879 Views
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1928 Château Cheval Blanc
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Just the thought of drinking Cheval Blanc that is edging close to 100 years of age is enough to make a taster weak in the knees. But being a professional, I was ready. Flowers, smoke, kirsch, barbecue, forest floor, earth, gravel, cigar box and mocha created a beautiful cornucopia of fragrances. Pure, long, lush and silky on the palate, the wine finished with layers of sweet, juicy, ripe, cherry and strawberry.
98 points - Tasted Mar 29, 2012
1453 Views
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1924 Château Cheval Blanc
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Dark rust in color, coffee, iron, cassis, tobacco and cedar wood. Tart, acidic, cranberry and cassis flavors that starts softly and ends with dry tannins.
65 points - Tasted May 1, 2012
908 Views
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1921 Château Cheval Blanc
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This incredibly, complex Bordeaux nose offered so many aromas, I’d have an easier time trying to count the holes in Albert Hall before I could name them all. But, the fireworks did not end with an amazing nose. The Port like syrupy texture of the wine gliding over your palate was surreal. The decadent wine continued gaining in the glass for several hours. This was positively riveting. Unfortunately, I will never be able to see what my 90 Cheval Blanc will taste like at 85, but I will never forget tasting this wine!
99 points - Tasted Mar 15, 2006
2484 Views
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