Chateau Cheval Blanc - 30 year vertical (1949-2015) tasted blind

Back in Fribourg with Switzerland's most prolific Bordeaux collector. As always with his tastings, the French wine journalist and Bordeaux specialist Jean-Marc Quarin (www.quarin.com) was also present and commented on the wines. All wines were tasted blind in flights of 4.

The tasting was educational for me as I never did a Cheval Blanc comparison before since I am much more of a Medoc guy. I can safely say that this has not changed with this tasting. Cheval Blanc is a good wine but I clearly prefer the Medoc Premier Grand Crus. If I had to describe the Cheval style it is as follows:
- The wine is lighter than most top end Bordeaux, an element I particularly liked. In that spirit, I found the lesser vintages often equally interesting. Extraction does not do this wine a service.
- Lots of red fruit, tame tannins, sweetish, often a bit like raspberry juice. Almost non-Bordeauesque in its aroma profile, it can be like a Grenache or like a ripe Pinot, at least I found so. I do miss the forest floor, farmyard and leather, smokey side of Bordeaux here - prefer Figeac, VCC from that side.
- The wine is quite drinkable when young, unlike most top Bordeaux. This is another nice side. A short decant and you are good to go.

My top 5 wines were:
1) 2015, 2009, 1998 (98pt)
4) 2010, 1982 (97pt)

Noteworthy mentions of lesser vintages
1994, 2001, 2002, 2007, 2011

Enjoy!

• 2003 Château Cheval Blanc 92 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  Expressive nose of red fruit, fruit compote, earthy notes. The palate feels young, medium bodied, the finish is a touch dry. Good news, I did not find much heat of 2003 here. On the other hand, aromatically not very long.

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• 2004 Château Cheval Blanc 93 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  Darker fruit aroma profile than the 2003 next to it. Has a sight musty note, tertiary. Earthy and a bit rustic on the palate, tannins could be of better quality.

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• 2005 Château Cheval Blanc 94 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  The nose is very ripe here with raspberry syrup, cake and caramel dominating. The palate follows up in this tone, red fruit marmalade, some heat on the finish. May be age will tame it. This found some friends at the table but it was too ripe for me. Alas, another 2005 St.Emilion 100 pointer that got too much of a good thing during the height of the Parker era. Sore higher if like this riper/extracted style.

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• 2007 Château Cheval Blanc 95 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  Very aromatic nose, different than the others next to it, with more of a Medoc aroma profile, cedar, forest floor. The palate is on the light side pointing towards an off year but the wine is very aromatic and elegant. Like a good St.Julien almost. The group was a bit split on this, I liked it a lot, no surprise since I am more of a left bank drinker.

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• 2000 Château Cheval Blanc 96 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  Lovely nose here with red fruit and spices, a bit timid still. The palate is refine, light bodied, tannins well present. Classic proportions, could do with a bit more fruit.

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• 1998 Château Cheval Blanc 98 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  Red fruit dominates the nose, spices, toasty oak. Enters the palate with very good presence, stays elegant, long, complex finish with forest floor notes. One of the Top 5 WOTN for me in this tasting.

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• 2002 Château Cheval Blanc 95 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  Nose of strawberry, pepper, spices, licorice, good complexity. The palate is light, also here the off-vintage cannot fully hide but the overall package was still impressive due to the elegance and complexity.

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• 2001 Château Cheval Blanc 96 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  Very spicy nose here dark and red fruit. The palate is racy with good tannins supporting the fruit, deep and dark. A more masculine Cheval. There was some discussion whether it had a slight TCA note. I think it had but for me light enough to still properly rate the wine.

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• 2011 Château Cheval Blanc 95 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  Expressive nose of red fruit, licorice, raspberry. Elegant tannins and good mid mouth volume, some toasty notes re-appearing. Very nice showing for this off-vintage.

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• 2015 Château Cheval Blanc 98 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  Ok, here we have a stunner in the glass I wrote. Expressive and complex nose fo dark and red fruit, cassis, spices, caramel, very long. The palate is dense with great presence and energy. Everyone loved this. One of the clear WOTNs if not the best wine of the night. 98-100

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• 2012 Château Cheval Blanc 94 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  A hard stance for this wine as it sat next to the spectacular 2015 who blew everyone out of the water. The reason for my low note of this wine is its over-ripeness in the nose. I found there too much fruit compote (score higher if you can handle this). The palate has good volume but a slightly drying finish. Also here there was discussion whether it had a slight TCA taint. Light enough for me to notice but still rate the wine.

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• 2013 Château Cheval Blanc 93 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  Nose of red berries, cherry, roses. Lovely aromatics, light palate. It did not find many friends at the table, I thought it was actually quite pleasant to drink. Of course from a QPR perspective you can go elsewhere for this.

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• 2008 Château Cheval Blanc 94 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  The nose is interesting here with a medicinal touch, red fruit and licorice (95pts). The palate has good density with a dusty body. Unfortunately the finish was a touch dry, so I gave the palate only 92/93pts. Hold on to this a bit longer it may mellow and then a higher score is possible.

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• 2009 Château Cheval Blanc 98 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  The nose has some roasted elements with toast but also dark fruit and forest floor, very good complexity., The palate convinces as well, it stays elegant. A very sexy wine to drink and a grand Cheval for sure. Liked universally, one of the clear WOTNs. 98+

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• 2010 Château Cheval Blanc 97 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  Darker and denser than the 2009 next to it, meaty, masculine, very ripe but also fresh. The palate is dense but fresh, no sign of cooked fruit. Wild. Today, it was outshined by the more balanced and drinkable 2009 but I think the potential here is high. Don’t waste your money by opening this before 2025 and expect reach its peak plateau earliest in 2030 at age 20. 97+

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• 2006 Château Cheval Blanc 89 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  This was my least favorite wine of the tasting. Of course it had a hard stance next to the stellar 2009/10 duo. The issue I had with this wine was its cooked fruit nose which was followed buy an alcoholic palate and slightly dry finish which. Felt somewhat disjointed. One of my least favorite wines of this vertical.

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• 1999 Château Cheval Blanc 93 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  Red fruit dominates the nose, cherry, on the ripe side. The palate was quite acidic. Elegant and pleasant if you are a Burgundy fan but the fruit compote note disturbed me.

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• 1997 Château Cheval Blanc Flawed

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  Clearly corked

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• 1996 Château Cheval Blanc 96 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  Clearly tertiary notes here in the nose with farmyard, game, cranberry. Very good balance and length. At its peak. Similar style than the 1995 next to it. Enjoy if you have this in your cellar. The 96 had a slight edge for me.

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• 1995 Château Cheval Blanc 95 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  Ripe cherry on the nose, a touch of heat which I did not like but the palate was nice with good presence and Good tertiary aromatics providing complexity and length. Good showing, similar style than the 1996, which I slightly preferred side by side.

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• 1987 Château Cheval Blanc 95 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  Ripe nose of fruit compote, cherry, Roses, lovely. Polished palate, light and fruity. Reminds me a bit of a mature Sangiovese from Poggio di Sotto. Solid, the best of the modest 86/87/88 trio, which was a bit modest compared to the strong 82/85/90 showing on the next flight.

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• 1986 Château Cheval Blanc 93 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  Nose of farmyard, raspberry, cherries also here. Medium- body, finish is on the dry side. Decent but not great. The 86/87/88 trio was really modest compared to the strong 82/85/90 showing on the next flight.

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• 1988 Château Cheval Blanc 93 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  Very meaty and smoky nose with forest floor. Savory on the palate, almost light bodied. Decent but not great. The 86/87/88 trio was really modest compared to the strong 82/85/90 showing on the next flight.

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• 1989 Château Cheval Blanc 94 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  This is very tertiary in the nose with a funky side, licorice, farmyard. The palate has some Maggi aromas which points towards oxidation. Drink up.

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• 1985 Château Cheval Blanc 96 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  Medicinal nose, forest floor, clearly tertiary. I loved this wine, the palate reminded be a bit of a less sweet version of a Soldera or Rayas, with clear barnyard funk present. The tannins were soft and mellow and there was ripe Merlot fruit present. Definitely an overlooked gem this 85 it was. The 82/85/90 was a very strong trio next to each other which could not be said for the 86/87/88.

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• 1982 Château Cheval Blanc 97 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  I started out with this wine and thought it was overripe but after a few minutes that blew off and underneath was a mature gem of a Bordeaux. Red cherry, caramel, toffee, some earthy notes. A pleasure, fully mature, drink up. The 82/85/90 was a very strong trio next to each other which could not be said for the 86/87/88.

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• 1990 Château Cheval Blanc 96 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  Also here, clear tertiary notes with forest elements intermixed with raspberry, fruit compote. Very good complexity, a grand wine for sure, just a little dry on the finish preventing an even higher score.

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• 1991 Le Petit Cheval 94 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  Cheval Blanc was not produced in this vintage, only Petit Cheval due to the frost. It also marks Pierre Lurton's first vintage. Nose of blackberry, licorice with a medicinal touch. The palate has good energy and volume. A good showing. I was really surprised to see that this was only a Petit Cheval, well done for the challanging vintage I found.

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• 1981 Château Cheval Blanc 94 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  Licorice and spice jump out of the glass. Lots of tannins still, not for the faint hearted but tannins at least not drying on the finish. Good length.

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• 1993 Château Cheval Blanc 94 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  Nose of spice, licorice, ripe red fruit. Lighter bodied. The acidity is very present on the palate. Long, aromatic finish. Another good showing from a lesser vintage where this Cru is often elegant and Burgundian.

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• 1994 Château Cheval Blanc 96 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  Nose of forest floor with barnyard dominating. Medium bodied with good structure, denser than the 1993 next to it. Long, aromatic finish here as well. Mature. A strong showing from this difficult vintage.

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• 1949 Château Cheval Blanc 95 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  This was very particular to say the least. Full of Co2 like a sparkling wine at the start. After shaking it out, a wonderful wine actually appeared. Lots of red fruit, raspberry, tertiary animalic notes as well, sweet spices, like a CdP Reserve from Pegau from a light vintage almost or a ripe California Pinot. Very good complexity. How do you score such an encounter? Don’t know but my pleasure score was clearly 95+.

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