Château Cheval Blanc 2013
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 2013 Reviews / Tasting Notes
Lisa Perrotti-Brown - The Wine Advocate
Point Score: 92
Medium garnet colored, the 2013 Cheval Blanc has a captivating, open-knit nose of roses and lilacs over a core of fragrant soil, charcuterie, kirsch and raspberry preserves plus a waft of stewed plums. Medium-bodied, chewy and with tons of spring to its step, the palate is delicately fruited with an earthy finish.
Antonio Galloni - Vinous
Point Score: 90-92
There is a lot to like in the 2013 Cheval Blanc. Sweet red berries, crushed flowers, mint, pomegranate and bright floral notes meld together gracefully. The mid-weight style of the year is evident, but there is good energy in the glass. Silky, polished tannins round out the persistent, supple finish. The 2013 is 52% Cabernet Franc and 48% Merlot. Production will be around 45,000 bottles as opposed to the more typical 75-80,000.
Ian D'Agata - Vinous
Point Score: 90-92
(53% cabernet franc and 47% merlot): Luminous ruby color. Captivating aromas of strawberry, raspberry, minerals, violet and graphite: very cab franc! The palate offers an uncanny combination of sweetness and penetrating power, with brisk acidity framing and lifting the fine-grained flavors of blackcurrant, spearmint and aromatic spices. The very long, slowly mounting finish conveys an impression of energy and great finesse, and the firm tannic spine suggests that this will age better than most 2013s. This reminded me of the 1993 Cheval Blanc, but it has a little more meat and depth than that wine, not to mention greater precision. Lurton suggested it is more like the 1988.