| Region | |
|---|---|
| Subregion | France > Bordeaux > Right Bank > St Emilion |
| Colour | Red |
| Type | Still |
Cheval Blanc is one of the great names of Bordeaux and the most famous château in Saint Emilion. The 39 hectares of vines border Pomerol but the wine is different from Pomerol thanks to the high percentage of Cabernet Franc in the vineyard. Vinification takes place in a stunning modern winery. There is no doubt that this is a great vineyard with an excellent wine-making team led by the talented Pierre-Olivier Clouet and overseen by Pierre Lurton. It is now planted with 49% Cabernet Franc, 45% Merlot and 6% Cabernet Sauvignon.
Of the 56 parcels of vines at Cheval Blanc, 37 will be used for the grand vin this year, with 8 for Petit Cheval. 3 plots of young Cabernet Sauvignon were sold off in bulk and 8 are fallow or new plantings. 54% Grand Vin. When the grapes were picked, the yield was 39 hl/ha but about a third of them were rejected in a laborious sorting process that included the use of a densimetric sorting table. The final yield was 28 hl/ha. The blend is 46% Merlot, 48% Cabernet Franc and 6% Cabernet Sauvignon - aged almost entirely in new oak. Picked from the 18th September to the 3rd of October. The alcohol is 13% and the wine strikes the team here as being like a better, more modern version of the lovely 2004 vintage made here.
A blend of 48% Cabernet Franc, 48% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2024 Château Cheval Blanc is one of the stars of the vintage. Unwinding in the glass with notes of minty berries and plums mingled with violets, cigar wrapper and rose petals, it's medium-bodied, suave and complete, with a cool, layered core of fruit, beautifully integrated tannins and a long, aromatic finish. Pierre-Olivier Clouet and his team conducted an aggressive green harvest and also, exceptionally, used densimetric sorting to mitigate heterogenous maturity between and within bunches (a consequence of a protracted flowering), accepting losses to rot in pursuit of full maturity. Yields were 39 hectoliters per hectare at harvest, but some 34% of that was eliminated between sorting and press wine (which is never retained at Cheval Blanc). Of what fermented, however, 70% ended up in the grand vin.
The 2024 Cheval Blanc was picked from September 18 until October 3 and aged entirely in new oak with a little dabbling in concrete tanks and amphorae. The purity on the nose is the first facet that you notice with perfumed black cherry, blackcurrant, wild strawberry and touches of potpourri and crushed stone. There is certainly some mineralité here. The palate is medium-bodied with slightly brittle tannins. Very well balanced, this is clearly a Cheval Blanc built in a more elegant, sapid, linear style with a residual pepperiness that lingers in the mouth. It will need just 2 or 3 years in bottle and should drink well for 20 to 25 years. The 2024 is charming and refined. 2029 - 2050
Bright purple colour. One of the best aromatic profiles in 2024 hits immediately with this Cheval Blanc. Gun smoke sparks, violets and iris, cocoa powder, bitter chocolate and rosemary all form over pure red fruits. The palate is led by this cherry-accented core, together with more pressed flowers, fresh sage and roasted woody herbs. This is crunchy and quite firm for the vintage without losing its mid-palate sheen of fruit. Cleverly judged wood adds sweetness and intrigue here and there without losing purity or focus. As Pierre-Olivier Clouet says, this wine is long rather than large. Chiselled and very well done for the vintage. This will need patience.
So succulent and long on the compacted palate, this shows just enough clean ripe berries as well as cedar and chocolate. This has polished, energizing tannins with a lovely and thoughtful drive, the light austerity giving the wine a push in the finish. Only 12.8% alcohol. A blend of 46% merlot, 48% cabernet franc and 6% cabernet sauvignon.
Deep garnet-purple colored. Is quite closed at this youthful stage, offering up a wall of clove oil, cedar, crushed rocks, and sandalwood scents, unfurling to reveal glimpses of red currant preserves, fresh blackberries, red roses, Sichuan pepper, and mint tea. The light-bodied palate is so, so elegant and finely knit, with filigree tannins and seamless freshness framing the perfumed black and red berry layers, finishing with impressive length and a myriad of floral, spice, and mineral nuances. Gorgeous.
48% Cabernet Franc, 46% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc. 37 out of 48 plots went into the production this year. The wine is aging in around 97% new French oak. You can pick the oak up on the nose, yet it makes total sense on the palate. "The new oak polishes the attack of the wine,” said Cheval Blanc’s MD, Pierre-Olivier Clouet. “It is what this wine needs. The pH is 3.61, which is super-rare. Usually, we are at 3.8 pH.” 70 IPT.
Lilac, peony flowers, same family of aromatics as the Petit Cheval, same feeling of finesse and precision, but here everything has been taken up a notch, more density, more slate and pumice stone texture. Expect subtle complexity, a wine that steals up on you, impresses in its precision and clarity. July and August just 20mm of rain each month, well below 30 year average, 140mm rain in September, highest since 2006, harvest September 18 to October 3, 3.62ph (3.9ph in 2022), 37 plots out of the 56 in the vineyard are in here. 100% new oak for ageing. Looking forward to seeing after ageing, it has all the elements and bones in place for a totally delicious Cheval.
The 2024 Cheval Blanc is a blend taken from 37 of the 45 parcels on the property. Dried flowers, mocha, rose petal and blood orange open nicely in the bouquet, leading to an understated mid-palate and a subtly persistent finish. Understated and nuanced, the 2024 offers lovely forward fruit in a soft, accessible style with no hard edges or awkward contours. All the elements are nicely put together, and yet there is no denying the fact that the 2024 is very light. Élevage will be everything here. Drink: 2032-2054
