Château Cheval Blanc Saint-Emilion AOP, 1er Cru Classé

Das Jahr 2021 war ein Jahr spektakulärer klimatischer Kontraste, welche die ständige Aufmerksamkeit der Équipe des Château Cheval Blanc erforderten. Die große aromatische Frische des 2021 Cheval Blanc wurde komponiert aus 52 % Cabernet Franc, 43 % Merlot und 5 % Cabernet Sauvignon. Zugleich saftig und vollmundig begeistern Aromen roter Früchte, die durch eine präzise Säure unwahrscheinlich frisch wirken. Dadurch wirkt die Cuvée sogar interessanter als der Grand Vin aus den Jahrgängen 2020, 2019 und 2018. Sie erzählt von Unterholz und saftig-verführerischen Himbeeren. Die Eleganz hinter der noch jungen Frucht, ihr Versprechen großartiger Noblesse, ist ganz typisch für Cheval-Blanc. Wahre Größe, die sich in 98 Tesdorpf-Punkten spiegelt. TR: 2026 – 2055 ----------------------------- A terrific achievement, the 2021 Cheval Blanc is a blend of 52% Cabernet Franc, 33% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. Unfurling in the glass with aromas of raspberries and cherries mingled with notions of cigar wrapper, vine smoke, rose petals and violets, it's full-bodied, layered and concentrated, with an elegantly muscular chassis of ripe, powdery tannin and lively animating acids. Long and penetrating, this is a serious, rather structured young Cheval Blanc that will require and reward patience. One of Bordeaux's most complex terroirs, Cheval Blanc sits on the site of an ancient river delta, with (to generalize) clay-rich soils in the lower-lying parts where rivulets once flowed and gravel and sand elsewhere. This complexity is reflected, of course, in the resulting wine but also in how it is farmed and made, with thoughtful use of cover crops according to soil type and parcel-by-parcel vinification. A concerted effort is being made, moreover, to bring life back to the vineyard, with hedges of native species to act as wildlife corridors and fruit trees planted among the vines. The same attention to detail that's applied in the vineyards, for example with regard to developing and testing an in-house massal selection, is applied in the cellar, where cooperage trials are notable for their exigence. All of that shows in the glass. Cabernet dominates in the 2021 blend, and the result is a serious Cheval Blanc built for the long haul. 95-97 Wine Advocate (William Kelley) ----------------------------- The 2021 Cheval Blanc is one of the wines of the vintage. Vertical and aristocratic in bearing, Cheval is just stunning. Time in the glass brings out compelling inner sweetness and perfume to play off a core of rich dark fruit, gravel, spice, menthol and dried flowers. I also tasted the final three blending components, none of which hints at the magnificence of the Grand Vin. Stunning. 96-98 Vinous (Antonio Galloni) ----------------------------- Dunkles Rubingranat, violette Reflexe, zarte Randaufhellung. Tabakig, feine Kräuterwürze, dunkle Beerenfrucht, reife Pflaumen, etwas Nougat, würzig und von feinem Edelholz markiert. Komplex, saftig und seidig, feine, reife Tannine, gute Frische, mineralisch und lange anhaftend, zeigt gute Länge und Balance, sicheres Reifepotenzial, feiner Schokotouch im Abgang, ein saftiger Speisenbegleiter. 96 Falstaff (Peter Moser) ----------------------------- This is so finely textured with very precise, tight tannins. Medium to full body. Lots of layers here with black and blue fruit, stones, tar, dark cocoa and spices. Dried herbs. Long and persistent. Stays focused all the way. So precise. 52% cabernet franc, 43% merlot and 5% cabernet sauvignon. 97-98 James Suckling