Chateau Cheval Blanc

I thought the 1990 Cheval Blanc was the greatest Cheval Blanc following 1982 and before 2000. In a half dozen recent side-by-side comparisons, it was literally no contest, with the 1990 simply beating up on a great, but less dimensional and seemingly less concentrated 1982. But great wine is never that predictable, and I always say, "Thank God for the mysteries and things we can never quite figure out." The 1982 Cheval Blanc, which I thought was a 100-point wine in its first 5-6 years of life before it entered an awkward, adolescent stage - seemingly never to rebound and live up to my high hopes, was in full majestic glory on the gorgeous night in Washington, DC. Absolutely perfect, it had people shaking their heads with its glorious perfume, complexity, richness, opulence, and decadence. Of course, in 1982 there was no selection made and no second wine at Cheval Blanc, which may give readers an idea of how extraordinary more recent vintages could be - assuming the raw materials were as magical as they were in 1982.

This was consistanly a perfect wine early in its life, but it seems to be going through a stage where the tannins are more present, and the extraordinarily exotic opulence the wine had young, while still present, is not now as dominant a characteristic. Nevertheless, there is plenty to admire in this full-bodied, very lush Cheval Blanc that has reached full maturity. Sweet notes of red and black fruits intermixeed with licorice, spice box, and incense jump from the glass. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, layered, and very rich. It seems to develop interesting nuances the more it sits in the glass, and then suddenly takes a dive. A very fascinating Cheval Blanc, and certainly the greatest Cheval Blanc after the 1964 and before the 1990. Anticipated maturity: now-2016. Last tasted, 1/03.

Revealing considerable amber in its dark plum/garnet colour, this intensely fragrant 1982 is somewhat of a paradox in that the front end suggests full maturity, but the mid-palate, finish, and overall texture denote a closed wine. A gorgeously sweet entry displays flavours of caramel, roasted coffee, jammy red and black fruits, coconut, and smoke. It is fat and full-bodied, with considerable tannin, structure, and muscle in the finish. Flamboyantly rich and precocious early in life, it is going through an awkward stage where the tannin is present, but it is also sexy, juicy, and formidably-structured. When the 1982 Cheval Blanc's component parts become totally in sync, it will be capable of meriting a three-digit rating. Anticipated maturity: now(?) - 2015.

More of a cloud than a spear in its impact on the palate (cf the 'spear' of 1990). Very intense and looks quite a bit older than the 1990 but clearly a very good vintage. Extremely rich on the nose. The acidity was initially quite obvious on the palate but the fruit blossomed in the glass so that it became less marked. A drier finish than the 1990. Less opulent. Drink 1996-2012.Date tasted 31st Oct 08.

At one time I thought the 1986 was better than the 1985, but the open-knit charm and currant exotic personality fo the 1985 makes a more persuasive case for it than for the more reserved, tannic, and backward 1986. The 1986 still has a youthful dark ruby saturated color with no amber at the edge. The wine possesses a developing bouquet that offers up weedy tobacco, juxtaposed with sweet black berry, raspberry, and cherry fruit. The new oak that was so obvious in the wine's youth has moved to the background, offering more of a cedary character than raw wood. Medium to full-bodied, and moderately tannic, this is a delineated Cheval Blanc with more of a Medoc personality than typical St.-Emilion opulence. The wine is rich, intense, and well-made, but still requiring a few more years of bottle age. Anticipated maturity: 1999-2012 Last tasted 12/97

The 1986's bouquet jumps from the glass, with a combination of exotic, herbaceous, curranty scents intermingled with sweet, vanilla-scented new oak. The wine is splendidly rich, lush, forward, and evolved for a 1986. I enjoy it already and suspect it will put on more weight and reveal even more structure as it evolves. Anticipated maturity: Now-2008. Last tasted, 6/93.

Tasted at the château, the 1986 Cheval Blanc has a far superior bouquet to the 1996 Cheval Blanc when I tasted them side by side. The aromatics here are far more cohesive and complex, very delineated with expressive Cabernet Franc, hints of cooked meat, cranberry, juniper berries and wilted rose petals - just gorgeous. The palate is beautifully balanced with slightly furry tannin that is offset by a superb seam of acidity. It is nicely structured but not overbearing, leather and truffle filtering through the black fruit and while there is a little austerity on the finish, it is purely complementary. Though 1986 is not known as a Right Bank vintage, the 1986 Cheval Blanc pulled victory out of the bag and at 30 years, it continues to give immense pleasure. Tasted July 2016.

Our special guest for the night was administrator Pierre Lurton, and one of his favorite vintages under his impeccable guidance at Cheval Blanc is the 1998, a wine that has gone from strength to strength. I rated it in the mid- to upper-90s early on, but it seems to have hit the magical three-digit perfection. It offers extraordinary, exuberant aromatics ranging from truffle to forest floor to floral notes intermixed with blackcurrant and black raspberry. It is an incredibly complex, full-bodied, opulent wine that seems to be in mid-adolescence and capable of lasting another 25 to 30 years. The 1998 was a spectacular vintage in Pomerol and Saint-Émilion, and to a lesser extent in Graves, and all three of those appellations eclipsed anything that was made in the Médoc.

I seriously underestimated this wine, as I have often tended to do with Cheval Blanc. A potentially immortal example that has gained significant weight since it has been bottled, this blend of 55% Cabernet Franc and 45% Merlot has a saturated purple color and a glorious nose of menthol, plums, mulberries, new saddle leather, cocoa, and vanilla. Remarkably fuller bodied than I ever remembered it young, with an amazingly seamless texture and tremendous concentration and extract, this full-bodied yet gorgeously pure and elegant wine is impeccably balanced and certainly one of the all-time great Cheval Blancs. If it continues to improve as much as it has over the last three years since bottling, this wine will certainly rival the 2000, 1990, and 1982. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2030.

This blend of 55% Cabernet Franc and 45% Merlot exhibits a dark ruby/purple color as well as classic aromas of menthol, plums, mulberries, and assorted black fruits. The oak, texture, acidity, and tannin are all beautifully integrated. While full-bodied, elegant, concentrated, and impeccably balanced, it requires several years of cellaring.

This offering is just beginning to put on more weight and reveal the multiple dimensions that Cheval Blanc can achieve. An extremely difficult wine to judge young because of the high percentage of Cabernet Franc in the blend, the dark ruby/purple-colored 1998 possesses medium body, and a gorgeously sweet nose of black fruits, flowers, minerals, and toast. Rich and expansive, with a silky texture, a sexy, exotic personality, and an elegant, stylish, creamy-textured finish, it is weightier, thicker, and richer than when tasted in spring, 1999. If it continues to develop, the above score will appear stingy. I like the direction of this wine's evolution. Anticipated maturity: 2004-2020.

Cheval Blanc harvested its Merlot in mid to late September, and the Cabernet Franc after the rains of September 27 and 28. Yields were a modest 32 hectoliters per hectare, and approximately 72% of the production went into the grand vin. The 1998's final blend was 52% Merlot and 48% Cabernet Franc. A beautifully made Cheval, it may be the finest effort since 1990, although it does not possess that vintage's over-ripeness and opulence. Nevertheless, it is an impressive, sweet, distinctive wine with a deep dark ruby/purple color, and aromas of blackberry liqueur, vanillin, coconut, and a touch of coffee. The 1998 is elegant and sweet, with surprisingly good fatness, medium body, and well-integrated, velvety tannin. This wine can be difficult to taste young (because of the high percentage of Cabernet Franc), and often puts on considerable weight, meriting an even higher score after several years. That being said, the 1998 performed extremely well for such a young Cheval Blanc. Anticipated maturity: 2002-2016.

On this occasion, the 1998 Château Cheval Blanc could not match the stellar performance of the 1990, though it is still a great wine. It has a very pure, svelte bouquet with black cherries, camphor, creme de cassis and sage aromas. Giving it ten minutes to open in the glass, there is an attractive mint note that becomes ever more pronounced. The palate is medium-bodied with succulent tannins cloaked in glossy red cherry and strawberry fruit. There is great backbone and structure to this Cheval Blanc with a very long finish that fans out gloriously. I'd be inclined to give it two, three, maybe even four more years in bottle before it reaches its peak. Drink: 2019 - 2045.

An ex-château bottle, I have enjoyed the Cheval Blanc '98 on a number of occasions, though in the company of the 2000 I think it does not quite have the same class. It has a lifted perfumed bouquet that has an almost Northern Rhône-like allure. It is high-toned compared to the millennial wine, without quite the same delineation. The palate is medium-bodied with good length. Lively and focused, more ostentatious than either the 1990 and 2000, there is a slight Californian element to this wine. With fine symmetry towards the finish, one can see it ageing for another two decade without problem, though it needs to muster a little more soul. Tasted February 2014.

This is destined to be a legendary Cheval Blanc. A deep garnet colour. The nose is intense, though more broody than the bottle shown four months later with hints of blackberry, plum and sloe. The bouquet needs time to unfurl, so advise serious decanting if opening any bottles now. The palate is full-bodied, beautifully delineated with here, a hint of oyster sauce on the mid-palate. Crunchy blackberry, oodles of sweet Merlot but unlike the '01, complemented by some wonderful Cabernet Franc. Even after a couple of hours in glass, this wine is revealing nuances. Stunning. Tasted October 2007

Subtle, complex and refined, with aromas of cherry, licorice, mineral, berry and other sweet, ripe fruit. Full-bodied and compacted, with masses of fine, silky tannins. Long, long finish. Best after 2010. 8,330 cases made. (JS)

Mid crimson with a tad more development at the rim than Ausone or Pétrus. Already complex nose - sweet and rather dusty, more like the old traditional Cheval than recent vintages. Currant bun nose, Rich and yet firm and stylish on the palate, Silky and polished. Dry yet sappy finish. This grew in the glass to be very impressive. Both ripe and yet gorgeous to drink with real freshness. Quite a triumph. Drink 2009-2022. Date tasted 7th April 08.

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. This cannot fail to impress and can easily cellar for another 30 years or more.

Coming out of a relatively dormant state, this 2000 is a spectacular Cheval Blanc. Of recent vintages, I think only the 2009 can give it a run for its money. A blend of 53% Merlot and 47% Cabernet Franc, the wine has a sweet nose of menthol, melted licorice, boysenberry, blueberry, and cassis. A broad wine with compelling purity, a layered texture, and sweet tannin, with hints of coffee and earth in the background, this is by far the best Cheval Blanc since 1990 and before 2009. It is a legend in the making and can actually be drunk now, as the tannins have nearly melted away. This is a beauty with incredibly complex aromatics. Drink it over the next 25-30 years.

Among the young Chevals of the last 25 years, this is the most Port-like I have ever tasted. It represents the essence of this noble vineyard. A blend of 53% Merlot and 47% Cabernet Franc, it boasts a saturated purple color along with a reticent but striking bouguet of blackberries, truffles, and mocha. Beginning to close down, aeration reveals scents of locorice, menthol, and saddle leather. Opulent and full-bodied, with a diaphanous quality (each layer peels away to reveal even more nuances), low acidity, sweet tannin, and a 60-second finish, it is unquestionably as profound as the 1990 and 1982. It is the most compelling Cheval Blanc since the mythical 1947 and 1949, but patience is required. Potentially, this is a perfect wine. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2030+. Last tasted, 1/03.

This closed, backward blend of 53% Merlot and 47% Cabernet Franc boasts a saturated purple color along with a reticent but striking bouquet of blackberries, blueberries, truffles, and mocha. In spite of its tightness, aeration reveals scents of licorice, menthol, and saddle leather. Opulent and full-bodied, with low acidity, sweet tannin, and a 60-second finish, it is unquestionably as profound as the 1990 and 1982. I still believe the 2000 has the potential to be the most compelling Cheval Blanc since the mythical 1947 and 1949, but patience is required. It should merit a three digit score in 7-10 years, but it is closed at present. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2030+.

Last year, the 2000 Cheval Blanc appeared to be the wine of the vintage. It has not changed, but about a half dozen other offerings have added considerable weight and are now worthy rivals to this prodigious effort. The most port-like Cheval Blanc I have ever tasted, it represents the essence of this noble vineyard. A blend of equal parts Merlot and Cabernet Franc, it boasts a saturated purple color along with a striking bouquet of blackberries, blueberries, truffles, and mocha. As the wine sits in the glass, scents of licorice, menthol, and saddle leather also emerge. Opulent and full-bodied, with a diaphanous quality (each layer peels away to reveal even more nuances), low acidity, sweet tannin, and a 60-second finish, it is unquestionably a profound wine. Anticipated maturity: 2007-2030+.

Readers can put money on this one ... it's a no-brainer, Cheval Blanc 2000 is the wine of the vintage! Approximately 50% of the harvest made the grade for manager Pierre Lurton. This wine offers an explosion of berry fruits, a texture akin to cashmere, and layers of melted tannin infused with awesome levels of extract and fruit. Seamless and extraordinarily pure, the 2000 Cheval Blanc has everything one would ever want in a wine. It is not enormous, but it has a level of intensity and concentration without any sense of heaviness that sets it apart from most wines. Moreover, the tannins are melted and totally unobtrusive in a wine that, analytically, is high in tannin.The glorious nose of blueberries, blackberries, coconut, new saddle leather, and flowers is to die for. The texture is so plush that the palate gets lost in a dizzying smorgasbord of flavors and aromas. This is the greatest young Cheval Blanc I have ever tasted. If there is one wine worth killing for in 2000, it is Cheval Blanc. As a postscript, this wine is a blend of 50% Cabernet Franc and 50% Merlot.

An ex-château bottle, this is the best bottle of Cheval Blanc 2000 that I have encountered in several years, though we had to reject one corked example first! Coming directly from the château, it has a backward, sultry bouquet that demands coaxing form the glass, but it eventually reveals wonderful delineation and brooding power with scents of dark plum, fireside hearth and anis. The palate has a sublime entry, almost understated until a wave of intense dark cherry and iodine crashes onto the back palate. Velvet smooth in the mouth, this is clearly a vin de garde that has a very long future ahead. Tasted February 2014.

The Cheval Blanc 2000 continues to age at a glacial pace, although the aromatics are open with lovely blackberry and graphite scents, here augmented with a hint of undergrowth and autumn leaves. The palate is full-bodied with precise, poised tannins that give this wine wonderful focus and drive. It is very fresh with a core of opaque dense black fruit at its heart. There is a sense of compactness to this Saint Emilion that urges you to cellar it for another decade…it promises to repay your patience. Tasted December 2012.

A wine of exquisite aromatic depth and grace, the 2000 Cheval Blanc is fully captivating. All the elements fall into place in an effortless, gracious wine. It’s frankly hard to move past the 2000 Cheval, because at this point, I want nothing to compete with it.

A blend of 59% Merlot and 41% Cabernet Franc, the complex, explosively fragrant 1999 Cheval Blanc is already showing well, which is a good sign for a wine that traditionally is reserved early in life, but puts on weight and richness in the bottle. Stylistically, this wine is probably cut from the same mould as vintages such as 1985, 1966, and 1962. The color is a dense ruby with purple nuances. Once past the blockbuster bouquet of menthol, leather, black fruits, licorice, and mocha, the wine reveals medium body, extraordinary elegance, purity, and sweet, harmonious flavors with no hard edges. A seamless beauty of finesses, charm, and concentration, 1999 has produced an exciting Cheval Blanc to drink relatively young. Anticipated maturity: 2006-2022. Last tasted, 1/03.

Wonderfully aromatic, with chocolate, berry and plum character. Medium bodied, with firm yet fine tannins and a tight finish. A fine and elegant cheval blanc. Drink now through 2004.

Eighty thousand bottles of 2004 Cheval Blanc were produced from a blend of 55% Cabernet Franc and 45% Merlot. Subtle herb, menthol, cranberry, black currant, and licorice aromas emerge from this dark ruby/plum-colored wine. It is medium-bodied and elegant with plenty of sweet fruit, but not a lot of weight or intensity. The complexity and nobility of Cheval Blanc’s gravelly terroir is apparent in this delicate, subtle St.-Emilion. Give it a few years to develop additional aromatics, and drink it over the following 12-15.

The 2004 Cheval Blanc displays a dark plum/ruby color in addition to a perfumed sweet nose of cranberries, cherries, incense, dried herbs, espresso, and mocha. Elegant, medium-bodied, layered, and significantly richer than its weight suggests, this defined, perfumed, stylish wine should at its peak between 2008-2019. It is an outstanding, but hardly inspired effort.

This may be the finest Cheval Blanc since the monumental 2000. Only 50% of the crop made it into the final blend (55% Cabernet Franc and 45% Merlot). Cheval has a tendency to come across as a bit light in its infancy, but the 2004 lacks neither stuffing nor intensity. A deep ruby/purple color is accompanied by a classic Cheval perfume of menthol, red as well as black currants, smoke, oranges, and black tea. It possesses beautiful sweetness and purity, medium body, extraordinary elegance, and potential complexity. While not a blockbuster in the style of the 2000 and 1998, it is a precise, fragrant, potentially top-flight effort as well as one of the finest wines of the vintage. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2022.

Intense aromas of tar, blackberry and wet earth, with just a hint of tobacco and flowers. Full-bodied, chewy and long. Extracted, yet turns caressing and velvety in texture. Broad-shouldered and muscular for this estate. Better than the 2000. Best after 2012.

Incredible richness of Cabernet Franc here, with blackberries and dark chocolate character. This is full-bodied, with a solid core of fruit, but it's like a tightly knit ball of cashmere thread. The manager of the estate thinks it's better than his classic 2003. I think he may be right

[CF 5%; M 45%; average yields 45 hl/ha; grand vin represents 50% of total production; third wine, 27%, also produced] Very deep, purplish crimson. Much more reticent on the nose than the second wine Petit Cheval. Deep flavours with some floral notes. Extremely round, supple tannins and impressive depths of undeveloped flavour with lovely appetising dry tannins (as opposed to a drying, rasping finish) - truly winemaker Pierre Lurton's "cashmere" tannins. Round, intense mulberry flavours. Quite insistent, ripe tannins on the finish. Relatively gentle and the vintage with the most recognisable Cheval character of recent years. Great balance, savoury and rather playful. Lots of fruit and well-hidden tannins. Good freshness without any excess of acidity.Drink 2014-28

The brilliant 2006 Cheval Blanc performed better from bottle than from barrel. A blend of equal parts Cabernet Franc and Merlot grown in a superb vineyard site facing La Conseillante and l'Evangile at the very edge of the sandy, gravelly soils of St.-Emilion, it boasts a dense ruby/purple color as well as a sweet perfume of menthol, charcoal, boysenberries, black currants, and hints of cocoa and caramel. Lush, textured, and opulent with superb purity, medium to full body, savory flavors, and sweet, sexy tannins, this stunning Cheval Blanc may be even better than the 2005. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2030.

Only 60% of the harvest was utilized in this marvelous blend of 55% Merlot and 45% Cabernet Franc. As always, the 2006 Cheval Blanc is made in a lighter, more elegant style based on finesse, purity, and beautiful nuances. A deep ruby/purple color is accompanied by scents of crushed rocks, menthol, raspberries, cherries, and assorted blue as well as black fruits. An impeccable integration of new oak, medium body, terrific palate penetration and purity, and light tannins suggest it will be drinkable in 2-3 years, but it should put on considerable weight because of its large Cabernet Franc component. While the 2006 may not eclipse the 2005, 2000, or 1998, it is not far off in terms of quality and longevity. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2028.

The 2006 Château Cheval Blanc is a blend of 55% Merlot and 45% Cabernet Franc. It has the most floral bouquet of the four Serié A Grand Cru Classé: an explosion of crushed violets and potpourri, hints of leather and cigar box, the Cabernet Franc clearly lending this complexity and character. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin. It feels wonderfully structured and comes with an insistent grip that coats the mouth. This is backward and almost surly, but you have to stand back and admire the precision and arching structure on the mineral-rich finish. Top-dog Saint Emilion? That's for sure.

Tasted at Cheval Blanc. A blend of 55% Merlot and 45% Cabernet Franc, this is an intellectual Cheval Blanc that does not go out of its way to charm, but nonetheless has its virtues. A fine mineral-driven nose with blackberry leaf, wet stones and a touch of dark chocolate - precise and taut. The palate is full-bodied, less fleshy that other vintages I have tasted at this stage, masculine, tannic with ripe red-berried fruits and a touch of pain grillé. Very good length, this has all the components to be a great, rather than iconic Cheval Blanc, but it will need some time in the cellar. Tasted April 2007.

Displays lots of milk chocolate, cedar, berry and cappuccino aromas. Full-bodied, with chewy tannins, this is structured and layered for the vintage. Mouthpuckering. Needs time. This is one of the wines of the vintage. Best after 2015

Very rich, showing lots of blackberry and licorice, with just a hint of wood. Full-bodied, with dense but polished tannins. This is subtle. Very, very pretty and elegant. Silky and long. Almost 95-100.

55% Merlot, 45% Cabernet Franc. Harvest 15–28 September. Average potential alcohol of the Merlot grapes was over 14%. Yields were 30% lower than usual, partly because the berries were very small after the heat from May to July and partly because selection in the vineyard was very strict. 62% of the harvest went into the grand vin.
Very good depth of crimson though pretty weak rim. Reticent nose though obviously more concentrated than the Petit Cheval. Very subtle light whiff of bonfires. Good round supple fruit on the front palate but no great intensity. Tasted straight after Evangile next door it seemed a rather green puny little thing. Definitely not one of Cheval’s most glorious vintages - decidedly inky. Mouthfilling though but no great depth. Some unripe green element underneath.

Good deep ruby-red. Captivating nose combines blackberry, menthol, licorice, bitter chocolate, violet and a flinty, iron-like element. Densely packed and very fresh, with superb energy and definition to the complex flavors of cassis, blackberry, licorice, menthol and minerals. A floral element contributes to the impression of vibrancy. This is more impressive than it was at any stage of its elevage, offering surprising chewy richness and sweetness for a brand-new Cheval. Finishes with broad, toothdusting tannins that mount slowly and saturate the palate. This wonderfully smooth wine gained in precision and floral perfume with 24 hours in the recorked bottle and should be at its best roughly between 2015 and 2035.

Good full red-ruby. Complex nose melds redcurrant, tobacco, iron, smoke and a floral element. Suave and bright, at once fatter and finer-grained than the 2007, but with perfectly integrated acidity to buffer its voluptuous texture. The broad, mouthcoating finish features very fine tannins and excellent length. This was to have been bottled in April. Estate Manager Pierre Lurton noted that Cheval Blanc typically gets no more than 15 months of elevage

The freshness of the fruit is apparent on the nose. The sweet mix of cassis and mulberry fleshes out the middle and the roundness of the tannins add a velvety touch. Supple and fleshy towards the back yet there is a mineral streak ensuring brightness.

The 2008 Cheval Blanc (55% Merlot and 45% Cabernet Franc) is a winner from this underrated, classic vintage. Notes of forest floor, Asian plum sauce, black currants, sweet cherries and spice are followed by a medium to full-bodied wine with deep fruit, admirable purity, and a long, textured finish. There is not a hard edge to this wine, and in all likelihood, it can be drunk now or cellared for two decades.

In time, the profound 2008 Cheval Blanc will rank alongside this estate's great successes of 2005, 2000, and 1998. A harvest that began at the end of September and concluded October 19 has produced a wine with the 1998's complexity and the power of the 2000. A blend of equal parts Cabernet Franc and Merlot, the dense ruby/purple-tinged 2008 reveals an ethereal nose of subtle menthol intertwined with spring flowers, plums, black currants, and sweet cherries. The wine's seamlessness is enthralling, and, despite the late harvest as well as late malolactics, it is already displaying admirable complexity. This is a beautifully complete, full-bodied Cheval Blanc that dances across the palate with the finesse of a world-class ballerina. Analytically, there is plenty of tannin, but it is totally integrated. While the acids are slightly elevated, they are not noticeable. A tour de force! This wine should evolve for three decades or more

The 2008 Cheval Blanc has a very precise, mineral-driven bouquet, a mixture of red and black fruit, energetic and incredibly focused, perhaps even more so than Ausone? The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin though I discerned a patina of oak dragging its heels, waiting to be subsumed. There is great concentration and yet conversely it feels bright and fresh; with aeration evermore nimble and sprightly. Towards the finish there are subtle hints of bay leaf and cedar, the Cabernet Franc taking over the steering wheel from the Merlot. There is a lot going on in this outstanding Cheval Blanc that does not deserve to be in the shadow of the feted 2009 or 2010. 2020 - 2050

Tasted ex-château and single blind in Southwold. The Cheval Blanc 2008 is a great wine. Here, this bottle has a pure, elegant bouquet that unfurls with each swirl of the glass. It offers a smorgasbord of red fruits: wild strawberry, a touch of kirsch, cranberry and just a touch of lifted alcohol. The new oak is seamlessly integrated. The palate is medium-bodied with succulent tannins that are ripe and rounded, perhaps belying the sheer weight of its sweet core of fruit. It is a little more ostentatious than I expected and blind, I conjectured whether it could be Château Angelus? Superb. Tasted January 2012.

This has a more understated nose that usual but do not be misled, it has wonderful definition and poise, a sense of natural harmony that had already been perceived on the Second Wine. There is a tertiary scent that is coming from the Cabernet Franc which is superb. The palate is very well a balanced, great vibrancy and tension, super-fine tannins, a little more structure thanks to the Cabernet Franc. PL - "a pixellated wine." Lovely pure raspberry and red cherry towards the poised, fresh finish. This is a wonderful, natural Cheval Blanc. Tasted April 2009

Offers blackberry and flowers on the nose, with hints of prune and spices. Full and chewy, with vanilla and rose petal. This is muscular and angular now, but the finish lasts a long time

Exceptionally dark crimson. Very polished. Fragrant and fresh. I got a hit of pine on this wine as well as on its new stablemate La Tour du Pin - maybe from the trees outside the tasting room here at Cheval? Very fine and sculpted and well mannered even if without perhaps quite the spark of life that one would ideally hope for. Very cool and fresh. Lots of very ripe tannin. Clearly lots of Cabernet Franc. Succulent and supple. Ticks all the boxes - am I being niggly to ask for just a little more misbehaviour? Perhaps because I have just tasted the pretty wild Pétrus. Clearly this will have a long life and I can't see it disappointing anyone. But whom will it actually thrill? Limpid and unctuous.

The nose has a mix of flavours red fruits and black fruits lots of complexity. Fresh red fruits are
there at the start of the palate with sweet black cherry and bramble in the middle the
suppleness helped by rounded tannins. It is lighter at the back with the red fruits tending to
dominate and give length and elegance on the finish. 2015-2030

A beautiful wine that always seems to drink well, the 2012 Cheval Blanc has a sweet, fragrant nose of black and red currants, floral nuances and spice. Supple, round and juicy, this wine can be drunk now or cellared for another 15 or more years. Drink 2015-2030.

The final blend for the 2012 Cheval Blanc was 54% Merlot and 46% Cabernet Franc. Despite the use of 100% new oak, there is not a hint of vanillin, toast or espresso notes in the aromatic bouquet, which is filled with scents of black currants, sweet cherries, lavender, forest floor and a hint of underbrush. Concentrated with a surprisingly lofty alcohol level of 13.9% as well as a tannin level that equals their 2010 (a wine bestowed a three-digit score), this full-bodied, opulent 2012 has a pH of 3.8, which accounts for its suppleness, velvety texture and heady richness. It is a great success in this vintage. It will be approachable early given its silky structural aspects, and should last for two decades.

Tasted blind at the 2012 Southwold tasting, the 2012 Cheval Blanc has a perfumed, outgoing, almost "glossy" bouquet that wants to be noticed, lavished with damson, wild strawberry, fig jam and crème de cassis scents that are totally seductive. The palate is medium-bodied with ripe, succulent, sensual red cherries and wild strawberry fruit, though perhaps the finish showed some superfluous hubris that just erased some of the potential delineation and focus. On this occasion it was pipped to the post by Ausone, but let us see how it matures, because the white horse always repays those that are patient. Tasted January 2016.

The Grand Vin is a blend of 54% Merlot and 46% Cabernet Franc, 26th September until the 13th October that comes from 35 different parcels. The picking is done in the vineyard for the first sorting by the pickers and then sorted by hand as they are sure delicate than using optical sorting machine. It has a dense, broody nose that has the looming presence of the Quinault L'Enclos. It veers towards a red fruit profile, with "rocky" aromas, perhaps a touch of marmalade and quince. The palate is medium-bodied but displays very good concentration for the vintages. It feels very harmonious - silky but with a citric acid edge that lends the finish the tension it needs to maintain the freshness. This will probably become a masculine Cheval Blanc that will need a decade in bottle. Tasted April 2013.

A Cheval Blanc with an impressive center palate of blueberries, chocolate, almonds and spices. Full body, a solid core of fruit and a long, long finish. Goes on for minutes. Beautiful wine. Seamless tannins. Needs a few years of bottle age. Better in 2017

This is really beautiful with blackberry, chocolate, and light nuts character. Full yet refined and beautiful. Seamless tannins. It goes on for minutes. This is so elegant and beautiful. The tannins are just right and not overdone for the vintage.

54% Merlot, 46% Cabernet Franc. Deep dark crimson. Marked Cabernet nose. Smells pure and fresh and crunchy. Finest of fine tannins but they go deep, as does the fruit. It is not leafy but there that classic Cabernet Franc fresh aroma that tends that way. There's some grip but fine friction. Elegant, long; energy underneath a relatively gentle-seeming exterior. 'Power and sweetness of Merlot and finesse of Cabernet Franc. The true Cheval Blanc style we like', says Kees van Leeuwen. Very clean, complex aromatic profile. Delicious and I think you could drink it, with much pleasure, even earlier than I have suggested. (JH)