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  • Country ranking ?

    73
  • Producer ranking ?

    5
  • Decanting time

    4h
  • When to drink

    from 2025
  • Food Pairing

    Beef

The Tb points given to this wine are the world’s most valid and most up-to-date evaluation of the quality of the wine. Tastingbook points are formed by the Tastingbook algorithm which takes into account the wine ratings of the world's best-known professional wine critics, wine ratings by thousands of tastingbook’s professionals and users, the generally recognised vintage quality and reputation of the vineyard and winery. Wine needs at least five professional ratings to get the Tb score. Tastingbook.com is the world's largest wine information service which is an unbiased, non-commercial and free for everyone.

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Thirty-three plots contributed to this wine, out of the 43 in production. Five went into Petit Cheval and five into bulk. 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 prese...

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The Story

Whether by design or by pure chance, there are in the world exceptional places. Cheval Blanc is one of these. Combining a unique soil with a symbiotic mix of grape varieties, Cabernet Franc and Merlot, Cheval Blanc produces a wine, which has the rare quality of being good at any age. It is without doubt one of the most consistent wines in the world. Cheval Blanc's unique identity is due to its varied soils, early-ripening microclimate, the per...

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Wine Information

Cheval Blanc is one of the great names of Bordeaux and the most famous Chateau 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. A stunning new winery has recently been completed. 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....

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Vintage 2018

2018 Bordeaux Vintage Report and recommendations

by Andrew Caillard MW

2018 is an exceptional year. The Bordeaux whites and sauternes are very good, but from an Australian perspective the excitement is all in the red wines. All sub regions produced examples of really good wines, but some performed better than others. Generally the very top estates made exemplary wines illustrating that the human factor and wealth can have a major impact ...

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Tasting note

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Written Notes

What strikes you is how aromatic this already is at this stage. Complex and decadent, showing lots of dark berries, smoked meat, wet earth, and dried leaves. Decadent. Full-bodied with very ripe and polished, velvety tannins. Great finish.

  • 99p

Cheval Blanc - 54% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Franc and 6% Cabernet Sauvignon. Cabernet Franc's quality in this vintage was mind-boggling. Immensely refined and sophisticated, distinguished nose, aromatic, great structure and richness, mega long aftertaste. Could surpass amazing 2016 version here on the long run. Simply an extraordinary effort. 98-99p

  • 99p

The 2018 Cheval Blanc was harvested from 10 September to 11 October, with only 14 days of picking. The yield was 44.8hL/ha, which they believe moderated the level of alcohol and pH. It has a ripe and more open bouquet compared to the Le Petit Cheval with pixelated black cherries, wild strawberry and subtle orange pith aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins and very good acidity that maintains freshness. This is quite compact and linear at the moment, gentle in terms of grip with an underlying spiciness that develops towards the finish. It is not a flamboyant Cheval Blanc, stricter than expected and in some ways overriding the excessive tendencies of the growing season.

  • 97p

The 2018 Cheval Blanc is another magical wine from this estate and is certainly in the same league as the 1998, 2000, 2005, 2009, 2010, and 2015. A blend of 54% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Cabernet Sauvignon, its deep purple color is followed by a thrillingly complex bouquet of red and black fruits, smoked herbs, liquid flowers, and incense. Possessing medium to full body, flawless integration of its fruit, tannins, and acidity, a terrific mid-palate, and a great finish, it shows the sunny, sexy style of the vintage yet has incredible purity and precision at the same time. It will be accessible with just short-term cellaring yet evolve for 30-40 years. Barrel Sample: 97-100.

  • 100p

33 plots on the 53 that can make Cheval have gone into this extra-ordinary wine. The depth is linked to the acidity and tannins that answer back to one another. We have the texture of cashmere of the greatest vintages with an floral and fruity aromatic palette that will surpass 1998. A great emotion.

  • 99p

This is ripe and juicy with immense fruitiness, the black currant flavors and solid tannins are an indication of the long future ahead of this wine. Big in structure, it has a richly perfumed character as well as great fruit. Eternal finish!

  • 98p

Ruby. Blueberries, cassis, some spices, scented, red fruity, some floral notes, layered and detailed. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, anise, blueberries, some spices, layered and detailed, nuanced, long. 74% of the total production is in the Grand Vin. 96-98

  • 98p

Deep colour. Intense dark cherry plum chocolate praline aromas with vanilla roasted chestnut notes. Round and smooth with lovely dense ripe pure lack currNt plum fruits, fine long dense beautifully precise tannins and fresh acid line. Finishes firm and pastille like with long tannin plume. Like a peacocks tail on steroids.

  • 99p

The fruit and tannins reached full and perfect ripeness and the structure shows incredible cohesion, easily approaching the quality of the 2015 but with softer tannins. Beautifully complete with great integrity of coffee grounds and rich damson fruit. Opens up in the glass, the personality and complexity ripples through. Super Start of the vintage! 

  • 100p

Dark purple red colour with violet hue and almost black core. Great wine with freshness and concentration, wonderful fruit with well balanced character. Excellent depth and length, the slightly higher quantity harvested gave the perfect balance, wonderful! 

  • 99p
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Information

Origin

St. Emilion, Bordeaux

Inside Information

54 Merlot, 30 Cabernet Franc, 6 Cabernet Sauvignon) | 100% new oak for 18 months | 43 hl/ha | 14.5% alc | 74% of production went into this wine This is a much more structured and intense wine than expected and it has a dark core and a stern mineral edge which runs all of the way to the finish. There is great freshness and lift on the finish and the tannins are firm but not dry. Tense and introverted, the Cabernet Franc element takes control and it forces the Merlot to stand firm. It was the cool nights in the autumn that fixed the perfume and majesty of the Cabernet Franc and this in turn has made this wine what it is. This is a superbly suave and commanding Cheval Blanc and I like its restraint and control.

Score: 18.5+Matthew Jukes, MatthewJukes.com, April 2019

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