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  • Country ranking ?

    1 171
  • Producer ranking ?

    55
  • Decanting time

    2h
  • When to drink

    now to 2035
  • Food Pairing

    Roast chicken & turkey and guineafowl

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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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 percentage of Cabernet Franc in the vineyard, and the close proximity of the finest wines of Pomerol.

Château Cheval Blanc has the rare ability to be good at whatever age. It is enjoyable young or as much as a century old in certain vintages. However, a great wine only reveals its full potential and all its subtle nuances after several years in bottle. It takes time to show its true colours and before reaching its peak. Every vintage of Cheval Blanc is made according to the traditional philosophy that great wine needs to age.
It should nevertheless be said that wines with ageing potential go through several periods, and that each one has its own type of attractiveness. This is all part of Château Cheval Blanc's fascinating complexity. Three different bottles of Cheval Blanc from the same vintage drunk at five, twenty, and forty years of age will each show a different facet of the same wine, variations on the same lovely theme. A bottle of fine wine meant to age is like a library of flavours that develop throughout its existence.
Wine is a "cultural" beverage that is very much alive and develops countless nuances over time. That is why this long waiting period needs to be respected. It is crucial to the wine's evolution, so that it can deliver its very best.

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Wine Information

1962 IS A VERY GOOD VINTAGE. IT REMAINED TOO LONG IN THE SHADOW OF THE SUMPTUOUS 1961.

It is an interesting unknown vintage. After a cold spring but with no frost and a late blooming, around June 20th,summer is warm and dry and compensates for the delay of the vine. The grape harvest takes place between September 26th and October 16th, the yield
is of 32 ho/ha for 11,7° of alcohol.

Initially this interesting vintage lacks concentration, but it evolves very nicely; the wine is rich in prune aroma with a delicious bouquet. It preserves its color, its fruit and its freshness thanks to a good acidity.
Its elegant texture as well as its taste rich in blackberry jelly is singled out at the end of the Nineties by distinguished critics.

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Vintage 1962

Bordeaux Vintage Report by Tb / If 1962 was also a fabulous year, it fell irrevocably in the shadow of 1961. The cold winter, with its biting frosts, allowed the vines to get a well-deserved rest after their hard work in 1961. The growing season started three weeks late. When the vines finally sprouted in mid-June, the weather improved. Toward fall, the weather warmed measurably, with the resulting drought ultimately having a negative impact on the vines. The few bountiful September harvests arrived just in time to save the grapes from vine wilting. The harvest, which resulted in the largest harvest of the 1950s and 1960s, did not begin until October 1. Few people believed that the vintage would be as good as it became. An excellent vintage for dry whites, reds and Sauternes. As for Sauternes, the year 1962 is clearly better than that of 1961. The best reds were Cheval Blanc, Pétrus and Mouton-Rothschild. A common characteristic of the best wines from 1962 today is their serene and balanced appearance. Only a few show real body and complexity, but they work well especially as dinner wines, also because of their excellent availability and affordability. Even the best wines should not be decanted for more than an hour.

 

 

 

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Tasting note

color

Deep and Ruby red

ending

Medium, Extensive and Flavorful

flavors

Tar and Leather

nose

Intense and Opulent

recommend

Yes

taste

High in Acidity, Low tannin, Balanced, Concentrated, Developing, Medium-bodied, Elegant, Medium-Dry and Hard tannins

Verdict

Transparent and Full-bodied

Written Notes

The 1962 Cheval Blanc has always left me wanting more. As I have commented previously, it might be excused by coming from younger vines, but then so did the superior 1959. The bouquet is animally and feral, missing some cohesion and fruit intensity. The palate is medium-bodied and linear, unapologetically conservative for a Cheval Blanc, with an attenuated finish that suggests only large formats with perfect provenance are worth keeping longer. Tasted at a private lunch in Hong Kong.

  • 86p
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Information

Origin

St. Emilion, Bordeaux

Vintage Quality

Excellent

Value For Money

Very good

Investment potential

Average

Fake factory

None
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