The 2012 Château Cheval Blanc is a beautifully balanced wine with a deep red-purple color. It features aromas of red and blackberries, floral notes, and a touch of mint and graphite. On the palate, it offers a smooth attack, fine tannins, and incredible length. A blend of 53% Merlot and 47% Cabernet Franc, this elegant wine is already complex and will continue to evolve gracefully over the next 20 years.
Decanter | D 96
A beautifully balanced claret with a fragrant silky texture, fine backbone and length on the palate, promising a long life. Not a ‘big’ wine but a delicious one with class. Made in the spanking new cellar (inaugurated June 2011).
The Wine Advocate | RP 95
Medium to deep garnet colored, the 2012 Cheval Blanc reveals lovely cassis, warm black cherries and redcurrant jelly notions with underlying hints of cedar chest, garrigue, Indian spices and damp soil. Medium to full-bodied, it possesses wonderful energy and freshness on the palate with a beautifully poised ethereal nature and long mineral-tinged finish. This elegantly crafted beauty should enter its drinking window in a couple of years and cellar gracefully for another 20 years.
About Winery
The present-day Cheval Blanc vineyards had vines at least as far back as the 18th century, as shown by Belleyme's map of the region dated 1764. Nearly a century later, the estate was acquired by the Fourcaud-Laussac family who owned it until 1998, when it was sold to Mr Bernard Arnault and Baron Albert Frère.
The vineyard is in a single block, and borders on the Pomerol appellation. An outstanding terror and unusual proportions of Cabernet Franc and Merlot give this great wine an absolutely unique flavor. Chateau Cheval Blanc has had a greater number of outstanding vintages than any other classified great growth over the past century.
Another unusual characteristic of Cheval Blanc is that once it reaches its peak, it maintains it for a very long time. This admirable wine is powerful, soft, rich, round and silky. It has tremendous fruit and elegance as well as exceptional quality from year to year.
PRE-ORDER
1994 | V 92
Good medium color, less saturated than the '95. Pungent, vibrant aromas of sappy berries and resiny oak, with an intriguing floral nuance. At once thick and polished on the palate, with an herbal, peppery complexity. Very long, subtle aftertaste, with some vanillin oak and a slight tannic edge. Not quite as ripe or seamless as the '95, but a very classy, intensely flavored wine that should put on weight in bottle.
1996 | WS 91
Medium ruby, with a garnet edge. Aromas of plum and fresh herbs, such as basil, that turn to cedar and cigar box. Full-bodied, with soft, silky tannins. Long and flavorful, with subtle chocolate, berry and light coffee aftertaste.
1998 | WA 100
The 1998 Cheval Blanc, a blend of 65% Merlot and 35% Cabernet Franc, is deep garnet-brick in color and absolutely explodes with scents of exotic spices, incense, dried roses, cigar box and licorice, with a core of crème de cassis and dried cherries plus touches of black tea and dusty earth. Medium to full-bodied, it fills the mouth with rich, plushly textured fruit and then POW—it hits the mid-palate with an explosion of Chinese five spice and floral perfume sparks, leading to an epically long finish.
1999 | WA 93
Dense ruby with slight garnet/purple nuances. Medium-bodied, remarkably elegant and harmonious, characterized by a refined structure and a silky, approachable texture.
2002 | WA 92
The 2002 is characterized by a blend of blackcurrant, blackberry, and blueberry, with a distinct peppery finish stemming from high Cabernet Franc content.
2005 | JS 98
Medium to full-bodied with incredible, fine-grained tannins that feel like cashmere. It displays great purity and energy, with a potent saline note that drives the finish.
2006 | V 97
The 2006 Chateau Cheval Blanc is a highly acclaimed, elegant Saint-Emilion (55% Merlot, 45% Cabernet Franc) known for its precision, aromatic complexity, and silky tannins. it features notes of red/black fruits, menthol, tobacco, and mineral, with a long, structured finish.
2007 | WA 91
It is a mature, medium-bodied red featuring, violet, red fruit, spice, and cedar notes, with silky tannins and a long finish, designed for drinking no
2009 | JS 98
It is described as a "benchmark" vintage, combining ripe black fruit (blackcurrant, plum) with violet, leather, and truffle notes. It is drinking well now but will continue to evolve through 2035+
2010 | WA 100
A complex, slightly closed nose that opens to aromas of blueberry, raspberry, violets, sandalwood, and subtle hints of menthol and cedar. Full-bodied and structured with immense power. Features concentrated black fruit, espresso, cigar box, and profound mineral fireworks.
2011 | WA 97
Aromatic with ripe black and white cherries, floral notes, truffle, smoke, earthy aromas, and a touch of menthol.
2012 | V 97
Medium-bodied, focusing on finesse rather than sheer power, with vibrant fruit, silky texture, and a mineral-tinged finish.
About Winery
The present-day Cheval Blanc vineyards had vines at least as far back as the 18th century, as shown by Belleyme's map of the region dated 1764. Nearly a century later, the estate was acquired by the Fourcaud-Laussac family who owned it until 1998, when it was sold to Mr Bernard Arnault and Baron Albert Frère.
The vineyard is in a single block, and borders on the Pomerol appellation. An outstanding terror and unusual proportions of Cabernet Franc and Merlot give this great wine an absolutely unique flavor. Chateau Cheval Blanc has had a greater number of outstanding vintages than any other classified great growth over the past century.
Another unusual characteristic of Cheval Blanc is that once it reaches its peak, it maintains it for a very long time. This admirable wine is powerful, soft, rich, round and silky. It has tremendous fruit and elegance as well as exceptional quality from year to year.
PRE-ORDER
About Winery
Located on the right bank of Bordeaux, the Château Cheval Blanc is one of the most prestigious references of the Saint-Émilion appellation. This Premier Grand Cru Classé A stands out for its unique style of wines with immense class and among the most sought after in the world.
Produced under the Dry White Bordeaux appellation, Le Petit Cheval is the result of an adventure and a challenge that Château Cheval Blanc set itself more than 10 years ago: to produce a very great white wine on a terroir historically renowned for its red wines. If the initial idea was to produce a wine intended for exclusively family and friendly production, very quickly, the idea of making it a very great wine became an obvious choice. Embodying the essence of Cheval Blanc's identity, Le Petit Cheval Blanc enjoys a plot that is entirely dedicated to it. This 6.6-hectare vineyard was formerly that of la Tour du Pin. Benefiting from its own winemaking and aging tool, Le Petit Cheval Blanc is thus assembled from a mosaic of 13 different plots combining vines planted on sandy soils and clay soils.
PRE-ORDER
Winemaker Notes
The aromas are typical of a warm vintage. Black fruit mingles with notes of garrigue and pepper. The minty freshness holds the aromatic ensemble well. The attack is opulent. The power and density of the wine are remarkable, and the mouth lingers thanks to a rich and full tannin structure. The wine lengthens as it tightens to an impressive finish.
About Winery
The present-day Cheval Blanc vineyards had vines at least as far back as the 18th century, as shown by Belleyme's map of the region dated 1764. Nearly a century later, the estate was acquired by the Fourcaud-Laussac family who owned it until 1998, when it was sold to Mr Bernard Arnault and Baron Albert Frère.
The vineyard is in a single block, and borders on the Pomerol appellation. An outstanding terror and unusual proportions of Cabernet Franc and Merlot give this great wine an absolutely unique flavor. Chateau Cheval Blanc has had a greater number of outstanding vintages than any other classified great growth over the past century.
Another unusual characteristic of Cheval Blanc is that once it reaches its peak, it maintains it for a very long time. This admirable wine is powerful, soft, rich, round and silky. It has tremendous fruit and elegance as well as exceptional quality from year to year.
