Cheval Blanc 2016

Cheval Blanc

Case Format: 3x150cl

Max score: 100.0

The leading estate in Saint-Émilion, Château Cheval Blanc has continued to create beautifully complex wines that are unrivalled in terms of finesse, flavour and cellaring potential. Unusual for Saint-Émilion, Cheval Blanc uses majority Cabernet Franc in its blend (c.52%), resulting in a wine that is fresh, elegant and delicate. The 39-hectare estate is divided into 45 different plots where each one is treated differently to account for the age of the vines, soil type and more. Their rich terroir is formed of gravel, clay and sandy soils all which sit atop a sedimentary rock – this unusual mixed terrain is what allows Cheval Blanc to stand out. Château Cheval Blanc are committed to honouring the land that produces their magnificent wines and at the forefront of recent work has been an unwavering commitment to biodiversity and agroecology in a bid to allow the vineyards to thrive and to ensure the longevity of the estate amidst the ongoing crisis of climate change. Expect a gorgeous and expressive wine wrapped in velvety tannins and laced with aromatics. Each requires a minimum ten years of bottle age, with the best vintages lasting for 50 years or more.

IN BOND

CRITIC REVIEWS

94
James Suckling

On the nose, the restrained black fruit aromas are interwoven with a striking leather note and some spice. A very classical Bordeaux with a self-confidently dry personality. Long and ripe finish that feels more mature than most of the wines of this vintage. Drink or hold. Château Quintus vertical tasting. SP.

97-99
Neal Martin

The 2016 Cheval Blanc is a blend of 59% Merlot, 38% Cabernet Franc and (the return of) 3% Cabernet Sauvignon from the gravel soils since in this vintage the vines showed absolutely no stress. It delivers 14.25% alcohol with an IPT of 75 and a pH 3.67, which Pierre Lurton told me is a little lower than normal. As usual, it is matured in 100% new oak. It has a very pure, correct and quite penetrating bouquet with black cherries, blackcurrant, graphite and a touch of wild mint. It is bashful at first but opens with confidence with aeration (incidentally, I allowed my sample 40 minutes to open). The palate is medium-bodied with filigree tannin and a killer line of acidity that imparts so much freshness from the starting gun. That soupçon on Cabernet Sauvignon does make a difference, lending a subtle vein of graphite that runs throughout the wine. It remains linear, with laser-like focus towards the extraordinarily persistent finish, pencil lead on the "HB" aftertaste. This is a classic and intellectual Cheval Blanc, not as charming perhaps as the 2015 Cheval Blanc, but it will unquestionably age gracefully over decades not years.

DELIVERY INFORMATION

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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

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MAX CRITIC SCORE

100.0

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Cru Wine Ltd.

Registered company 08579498. Cru Wine Limited, 109 Hammersmith Road, London, United Kingdom, W14 0QH. VAT Number: GB180547111. All rights reserved.