2018 Cheval Blanc (St-Emilion)

54% Merlot/40% Cabernet Franc/6% Cabernet Sauvignon. In St.Emilion but on the border with Pomerol, and the high proportion of Cabernet Franc does make this seem it has more in common with Pomerol than St Emilion. Refined, elusive, complex, and super silky in texture. Liquorice, cocoa, coffee and mint, and a fruit character that seems distinctively Cabernet Franc. The finish seems to go on forever. (NT 29/04/19)
Origin
St-Emilion, Right bank, Bordeaux FRANCE
Colour
red
Wine Style
dry
Dominant Grape
Merlot
Closure Style
cork
Maturity
young
Bottle Size
75cl
Case Quantity
6
Alcohol
14.5%
Wine Score
99 points, Jane Anson, decanter.com, April 2019 18.5 points, Julia Harding, jancisrobinson.com, May 2019
97-99 points, Lisa Perrotti-Brown, robertparker.com, April 2019
97-100 points, Antonio Galloni, vinous.com, April 2019
98-100 points, Chris Kissack

This product is delisted and unavailable for sale.

Media Reviews

Jane Anson

This is a wonderful, fairly classic Cheval Blanc, less exuberant than some of the wines that you`re going to find in 2018. It`s full of intense red and black berries, floral notes, and a ton of menthol, eucalyptus and liquorice which underpins the entire concentrated fruit expression. Silky tannins slowly layer up over the palate. It`s full of focus and extremely elegant but it accelerates through the mid-palate, gathering strength as it goes. I love this wine in so many vintages, and they have done it again in 2018. There`s no press wine, as ever, with 74% of the crop making it into this wine. 99 points

Julia Harding

54% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Franc, 6% Cabernet Sauvignon. Deepest cherry red. Pure cassis, with a more savoury mineral aspect and opening to become more scented. Very, very fresh. Dark and mineral on the palate. Extremely fine tannic texture. More savoury, with that dark finesse on the finish. Long, chalky finish, so dry and yet so elegant. 18.5 points

Lisa Perrotti-Brown

The 2018 Cheval Blanc is a blend of 54% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Franc and 6% Cabernet Sauvignon, with a 3.75 pH and 14.5% alcohol. Deep purple-black in color, the nose is more open at the core of the wine than the Le Petit Cheval, strutting out of the glass with bold, ripe black cherries, cassis, warm plums and raspberry preserves notes. With coaxing, a whole array of fragrant spice, floral and earth notes emerge, followed by candied violets, star anise, powdered cinnamon, iron ore, tapenade and truffles plus wafts of camphor and mocha. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is firm yet possesses a beautifully plush structure of velvety tannins wrapping round the densely packed, complex, fragrant fruit, with seamless freshness and a very long, layered finish. 97-99 points

Antonio Galloni

The 2018 Cheval Blanc is dazzling. Creamy, supple and inviting, the 2018 is endowed with phenomenal balance. The tannins and overall structure are imposing, and yet the richness of the fruit and perfect ripeness of the tannin really stand out. In 2018, Cheval is a bit richer than is often the case, but that is not at all a bad thing. I am struck by how much freshness and energy the 2018 has. Hints of lavender, spice and licorice add shades of nuance, but it is the wine`s overall sense of harmony that leaves the strongest impression. A precise counterpoint of fruit richness and finesse makes for a truly unforgettable Cheval Blanc. 97-100 points

Chris Kissack

This is 54% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Franc and 6% Cabernet Sauvignon, a blend which closely reflects the vineyard, picked between September 10th and October 11th. This took 74% of the crop. This has a beautiful nose, pure and perfumed, energetic, and like many samples in this vintage it shows a reductive character. It is not domineering though, and it presents fabulous scents of red and black fruits, especially black bean and blackcurrant, and behind there are seams of cigar box and tobacco oak spice. This is fresh, cool, pure on the palate, very precise, with lovely grip and substance. There is an energy to it, slowly building through the middle, which displays succulence and a delicious balance. Its chalky edges add to the perfumed character, with floral notes, and these are all underpinned by a svelte body of seamless tannin and some highly polished oak. It feels concentrated, pure and vigorous, but also such silky, succulent and seductive. This is a fine Cheval Blanc, deceptive in that it feels so understated, but it is perfumed, very complete, with great structure, freshness, density and silky-velvety substance, and it finishes long, with such drive and energy. Very well done. 98-100 points

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