Château Cheval Blanc 2011
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 2011 Reviews / Tasting Notes
Lisa Perrotti-Brown - The Wine Advocate
Point Score: 94
Medium to deep garnet in color, the 2011 Cheval Blanc features a nose of warm mulberries, preserved plums and figs with suggestions of dried herbs, dusty soil and underbrush plus a touch of Sichuan pepper. Medium to full-bodied, taut and muscular in the mouth, it has a solid frame of chewy tannins supporting the restrained fruit and a long earth and Provence herbs-layered finish.
James Suckling
Point Score: 94
A beautiful nose of ripe black fruits such blackberries, as well as cocoa, black truffle and mint. Full body with a solid core of very refined tannins that lasts for minutes. Very refined texture, especially for the vintage. 57% cabernet franc and 43% merlot. Try after seven to eight years.
Wine Spectator
Point Score: 94
Offers a loamy, dense feel, with the vintage's briary grip tumbled with dark plum, blackberry and black currant fruit. Anise and tobacco notes fill out the finish, which expands steadily with air, showing added range and echoes of bittersweet cocoa and tobacco. Seems to have a lot in reserve. Best from 2016 through 2030.