Professional reviews have copyrights and you can view them here for your personal use only as private content. To view pro reviews you must either subscribe to a pre-integrated publication or manually enter reviews. Learn more.
Manage Subscriptions2012 Château Cheval Blanc
Red Bordeaux Blend
- France
- Bordeaux
- Libournais
- St. Émilion Grand Cru
Community Tasting Notes 26
-
SWHighlander Likes this wine: 94 points
February 21, 2024 - 54% Merlot, 46% Cab Franc. More Cab Franc in the nose. A mix of red and black fruit flavors, fine tannins, minerals, and then graphite coming in on the back of the palate.
Not a very good vintage in general for red Bordeaux wines. Cool & wet early w/ dry, hot August. Short harvest window from Oct rains, leaving some grapes with a bit more rustic tannins. -
Xavier Auerbach wrote: 93 points
December 7, 2023 - A private Cheval Blanc tasting (Bolomey Wine Imports, Amsterdam, NL): Not decanted. Clearly recognisable terroir expression, the fruit development is less perfect than in the 2016, but it is straight and has good tension, fresh, well-judged tannins almost match the lighter weight, starting to show some evolution, no lack of weight on the palate, very good length. Charming in a direct way, do not keep too long.
1 person found this helpful Comment -
Odedis.Wine.reviews Likes this wine: 93 points
August 10, 2023 - Dark ruby in color with a short reddish rim.
On the nose blackberries, plums, cooked cherries, oak, vanilla, licorice, cloves, eucalyptus, peppercorn, bell pepper, green beans, earth, tobacco leaf and herbs.
Full bodied with medium acidity.
Dry on the palate with currants, black cherries, plums, earth, oak, spices, licorice, coffee, dark chocolates, tobacco leaf, light river rocks and peppercorn.
Long finish with round tannins and tangy raspberries.
This 11 year old red Bordeaux is starting to drink nicely now, but oh so young.
Not fully balanced yet, and needs 10 years to come to its own. Will continue to age nicely in the next 30 years.
Showing great complexity already, with lots of earth notes. Spicy and entertaining.
Very yummy, and good by itself or with food. A gorgeous wine.
A blend of 54% Merlot and 46% Cabernet Franc. Aged in all new French oak barrels.
13.5% alcohol by volume.
93 points.
$550.1 person found this helpful Comment -
csimm wrote: 95 points
June 24, 2023 - Cheval Blanc & Yquem dinner @ Anhelo Restaurant (with Pierre Lurton) (Phoenix, AZ): Without question the best 2012 Bordeaux I’ve had to date, this bottling of Cheval Blanc is a smooth operator through and through. With an elegance (not fragility) that interlaces the core red cherry, fresh red and black raspberry, pink roses, and wet stone flavors within an encasement of perfectly defined acidity, the 2012 is all class. It displays as incredibly resolved, which is a testament to its smartly executed balance. Finishes with a gently flowing cassis note that firms up ever so slightly in the back end. It’s as if the 2012 is the Yin to the 2009’s Yang.
Compared to a 2012 Lafleur I had recently, the 2012 Cheval shows certain similarities - namely a red fruited contour that shapes the medium-bodied profile into an affable and appealing specimen, but the Cheval adds some next-next level classicism, complexity, and purity that are seemingly unmatched. The 2012 will continue to evolve gracefully for decades, but in many respects, there’s little need to delay gratification here. 11 years in from vintage and it’s already a winner ready and willing to show off its goods.3 people found this helpful Comment -
LiteItOnFire Likes this wine:
June 22, 2023 - Dinner with Château Cheval Blanc and Château d’Yquem President Pierre Lurton (Anhelo Restaurant Phoenix, Arizona): Create story
Pro Reviews 17
Add a Pro ReviewJamesSuckling.com
-
By James Suckling
5/31/2022 (link)(Château Cheval Blanc St.-Emilion, Red, France) Subscribe to see review text.
JancisRobinson.com
-
By Jancis Robinson, MW
5/31/2022 (link)(Ch Cheval Blanc St-Émilion Red) Subscribe to see review text.
Decanter
-
By Sebastian Payne MW
Bordeaux 2012: ten years on tasting, 3/3/2022 (link)(Château Cheval Blanc, St-Émilion, Bordeaux, France, Red) Subscribe to see review text.
JancisRobinson.com
-
By Jancis Robinson, MW
3/3/2022 (link)(Ch Cheval Blanc St-Émilion Red) Subscribe to see review text.
Winedoctor
-
By Chris Kissack
March 2022, 3/1/2022 (link)(Château Cheval-Blanc St Emilion Red) Subscribe to see review text.
JancisRobinson.com
-
By Jancis Robinson, MW
2/9/2022 (link)(Ch Cheval Blanc St-Émilion Red) Subscribe to see review text.
JebDunnuck.com
-
By Jeb Dunnuck
Up From The Cellar #6 & Misc New Releases, 6/14/2019 (link)(Chateau Cheval Blanc) Subscribe to see review text.
Winedoctor
-
By Chris Kissack
November 2016, 11/1/2016 (link)(Château Cheval Blanc St Emilion Red) Subscribe to see review text.
JancisRobinson.com
-
By Jancis Robinson, MW
1/20/2016 (link)(Ch Cheval Blanc St-Émilion Red) Subscribe to see review text.
Vinous
-
By Antonio Galloni
2012 Bordeaux: Messages in a Bottle (Jan 2016), 1/1/2016 (link)(Cheval Blanc Cheval Blanc) Subscribe to see review text.
JancisRobinson.com
-
By Jancis Robinson, MW
7/16/2015 (link)(Ch Cheval Blanc St-Émilion Red) Subscribe to see review text.
Decanter
-
By James Lawther MW
Bordeaux 2012 results: St Emilion Premier Grands Crus Classes, 4/19/2013 (link)(Château Cheval Blanc, St-Émilion, Red) Subscribe to see review text.
JancisRobinson.com
-
By Julia Harding, MW
4/9/2013 (link)(Ch Cheval Blanc St-Émilion Red) Subscribe to see review text.
Vinous
-
By Ian D'Agata
April 2013, IWC Issue #168 (link)(Chateau Cheval Blanc Saint-Emilion) Subscribe to see review text.
Winedoctor
-
By Chris Kissack
April 2013, 4/1/2013 (link)(Château Cheval Blanc St Emilion Red) Subscribe to see review text.
View From the Cellar
-
By John Gilman
Mar/Apr 2013, Issue #44, The 2012 Bordeaux Vintage: A Very Inconsistent, But Classically-Proportioned Year(Château Cheval Blanc) Subscribe to see review text.
Vinous
-
By Neal Martin
A Century of Bordeaux: The Twos (Sep 2022) (link)(Cheval Blanc Cheval Blanc Red) Subscribe to see review text.
Wine Definition
- Vintage 2012
- Type Red
- Producer Château Cheval Blanc
- Varietal Red Bordeaux Blend
- Designation n/a
- Vineyard n/a
- Country France
- Region Bordeaux
- SubRegion Libournais
- Appellation St. Émilion Grand Cru
- UPC Codes 3448821501639, 3609050635117
Community Holdings
- Pending Delivery 102 (6%)
- In Cellars 1,471 (82%)
- Consumed 224 (12%)
Food Pairing
Community Recommendations
diner carascosa 2022Who Likes This Wine
More About This Wine
Articles
- ProducerChâteau Cheval Blanc
- VarietyRed Bordeaux Blend
- CountryFrance
- RegionBordeaux
- SubRegionLibournais
- AppellationSt. Émilion Grand Cru
Add Articles
- Wine2012 Château Cheval Blanc (add)
- FamilyChâteau Cheval Blanc (add)
- ProducerChâteau Cheval Blanc
- VarietalRed Bordeaux Blend
- CountryFrance
- RegionBordeaux
- SubRegionLibournais
- AppellationSt. Émilion Grand Cru