Cheval Blanc 1947 and company

Tøyen, Oslo
Tasted Tuesday, March 22, 2022 by Hugo Hilde with 196 views

Introduction

Wow, what an honour to taste this legend. The Borgogno completed this time capsule- feeling back to 1947, a treat.
I included Troplong Mondot 2009 for a juxtaposition between the Cheval and a modern day Saint Emilion grand cru from a warm but successful year. That went south as the Troplong was not a very compelling wine..
Honorable mention to the Pol Roger 2012, super QPR.

Flight 1 - Champagne (1 Note)

Flight 2 - Bordeaux (2 Notes)

  • 1947 Château Cheval Blanc 99 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

    A lot of anticipation going into this tasting, praying for a correct bottle.
    Bottled by the Norwegian Wine Monopoly, imported by barrel from the Cruse family. Perfectly stored since the 50ies.

    Cork out in one piece, immediately wonderful scents of sous bois, dried mushrooms and a strangely positive glue aroma. This is actually still youthful, could easily be stored several decades. No doubt this is going to last all night in the glass.

    What a nose. My god, complexity in the highest order. It´s not as deep as other wines, but features an endless myriad of very precise scents. I could sit all night poking my brain, always finding another element.
    The fruit is red and elegant, peaches, raspberries, candied strawberries, cherries, blood orange, as well as rose stalks, gentle pepper, cinnamon and nutmeg. Also quite high acidity, some VA and balsamic notes, but only in the sense of adding complexity and lift, keeping it light on its toes. This is just a fraction of the components, but I was busy enjoying the wine. This is not a technical exercise after all, a wine of this magnitude just wants to be cherished. A ballerina nose, superbly elegant.

    The palate needed some air to flesh out, after an hour in the glass it was perfect.
    Blackberries, pine needles and an array of tertiary aromas. The fruit grew sweeter with air, strawberries and cherries balancing out the tertiary features. Scary elegant. Resolved tannins, breadth to die for. Still, even developing in the glass, for hours, it has structure somehow beyond tannins, a perfect chassis. It covers the entirety of the mouth, super expansive but never heavy.
    The finish is the longest I have experienced. Close to endless, carried by strawberries, cedar and sous bois.

    Nose 100, palate 98-99, finish 100 = 99++

    Not an earth shattering wine in scale, (size isnt everything, ey?)but a perfect bottle of wine, not a hair out of place. Was nothing like the tasting notes from professionals, though this was not chateau bottled, seems like the barrels the chateau sold off in bulk was not as extreme as some of the barrels they bottled themselves. Obviously extreme bottle variations here, feeling lucky to experience a superb bottle of this legend.

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  • 2009 Château Troplong Mondot 80 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

    Wow, extreme stuff.

    Decanted an hour, not sure if more air would have helped.

    The nose is heady, very warm. Black and juicy fruits, paired with a ton of oak derived aromas. The nose is very much modern, but still possible to entertain.

    The palate, however, is an oak monster. I found zero fruit, air did not help, I was stuck with chocolate, vanilla, and dark coffee. The finish was akin to chewing coffee beans with your back teeth. It totally lacks freshness, I cant understand who this wine is made for. I was only able to drink a third of my glass (an eighth of a bottle). That bitter finish was haunting my gums even the next day.
    Was serving this in pair to the Cheval Blanc 1947, but it was clear they have nothing in common. I do not see this wine recovering, there is just no balance and no fruit to match the extraction of oak.
    Hopefully an off bottle, though it bore no mark of deficiencies.

    Score is for the nose only.. As a whole, this is dangerously near undrinkable.

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Flight 3 - Piemonte (2 Notes)

  • 1947 Giacomo Borgogno & Figli Barolo Riserva 96 Points

    Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

    Wow, this was a lovely bottle.

    First of all, the colour was amazing, completely transparent. Served with the Cheval Blanc 47, this wine held its own.

    Fine complexity on the nose, definitely sweet red berries. Wild strawberries with balsamico was mentioned by one at the dinner, and I completely agree. Also the slightest hint of nail polish. Also leather, rose hip, rose petals and "old" scents like an aged book or an old style library.

    Much of the same on the palate, it persevered admirably throughout the dinner, just a thrill to enjoy this wine. 96 points experience, maybe the technical score would be slightly lower, but hey, who cares

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  • 2013 Le Piane Boca 93 Points

    Italy, Piedmont, Northern Piedmont, Boca

    Excellent bottle. Very floral nose. Some minty notes as well.

    Lovely palate, all in its place. Surprisingly mellow tannins, this is very drinkable now. Long finish with minerals and red fruits.

    A super buy.

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Flight 4 - Dessert wine (1 Note)

  • 2013 Querciabella Chianti Classico Riserva

    Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Classico DOCG

    This has become somewhat of a favourite of mine.

    It was in big company this night, but still delivered that enjoyable Chianti expression. Cherries the dominating force, supported by high acidity and great depth and purity.
    Velvety mouthfeel, silky, but still crackling with energy. Love it.

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