Château Cheval Blanc 2003
Review of the Estate
Château Cheval Blanc (French for "White Horse Castle"), is a wine producer in Saint-Émilion in the Bordeaux wine region of France. As of 2012, its wine is one of only four to receive the highest rank of Premier Grand Cru Classè (A) status in the Classification of Saint-Émilion wine, along with Château Angèlus, Château Ausone, and Château Pavie.
The estate's second wine is named Le Petit Cheval.
In 1832, Château Figeac sold 15 hectares/37 acres to M. Laussac-Fourcaud, including part of the narrow gravel ridge that runs through Figeac and neighbouring vineyards and reaches Château Pètrus just over the border in Pomerol. This became Château Cheval Blanc which, in the International London and Paris Exhibitions in 1862 and 1867, won medals still prominent on its labels. The château remained in the family until 1998, when it was sold to Bernard Arnault, chairman of luxury goods group LVMH, and Belgian businessman Albert Frère, with Pierre Lurton installed as estate manager, a constellation similar to that of the group's other chief property Château d'Yquem.
Vineyard
Surface area: 100 acres
Grape Varieties: 57% Cabernet Franc, 40% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Sauvignon and 1% Malbec
Average age of vines: 39 years
Density of plantation: 6,000 - 7,00 vines per hectare
Average yields: 35 - 40 hectoliters per hectare
Average cases produced: 6,000 per year
Plateau of maturity: 15 - 50 years
Château Cheval Blanc 2003 Reviews / Tasting Notes
Robert Parker - The Wine Advocate
Point Score: 92
The 2003 Cheval Blanc, a blend of 56% Cabernet Franc and 44% Merlot, reveals an exquisite bouquet of mulberries, forest floor, new saddle leather, spice box and spring flowers. The first-growth quality aromatics are followed by a complex medium-bodied wine with more density than anticipated. The wine seems fully mature although there is an unexpected freshness and underlying depth of fruit. This beauty should continue to drink well for another 7-8 years.
Side Note:
One of the principal theories of the bizarre, historically hot and dry summer of 2003 is that grapes planted in gravelly and sandy soils were the least successful. If that was true 100% of the time, Cheval Blanc would have made a horrible wine. In fact, both the grand vin and second wine at Cheval Blanc did well in this vintage. It was the earliest harvest in over 110 years at this estate, and the resulting wine is a beauty.
Wine Spectator
Point Score: 95-100
Very pretty licorice and mineral aromas. Hints of flowers. Medium- to full-bodied, with sweet and silky tannins. Lovely chocolate character. Racy and modern for Cheval-Blanc. Not the 1998, but very fine indeed. Seductive juice. Long and beautiful. Score range: 95-100
Stephen Tanzer - Vinous
Point Score: 89-93
Bright ruby-red. Blackberry, bitter chocolate and shoe polish on the reticent nose; less floral today than the estate's second wine. Then tightly wound and backward but quite penetrating, with subtly sweet flavors of dark berries and bitter chocolate. Not yet especially nuanced in the mid-palate, but shows very good definition and verve and considerable class. Finishes subtle and long, with fine tannins and lingering, sweet suggestions of black fruits, licorice, violet and bitter chocolate. Interestingly, I find more density and breadth in the mouth today than is typical for young Cheval, but less inner-palate complexity; very often it's the other way around. This will be very interesting to follow.