Tasted blind. Sweet spices abound, caramel and cinnamon, fine smoky layers, herbs, while intense and ripe, the fruit profile manages to come across as pretty cool. Furthermore, there are meaty angles and you’ll also find cool minerality, cranberry and red berries and espresso – the latter is becoming more dominant over time in the glass. Perfectly balanced with seamlessly integrated tannin carrying a great sweet and fruity profile. Again coffee notes. Delicate, graceful and detailed. Second best Cheval Blanc I’ve had today, only bested by the 2015, slightly ahead of 2000, 2009, 1995 and in another league from 1980, 1983, 1990, 2010 (wasn’t ready) and 1998. I tasted this right next to Angélus 2016 and while that was one of the best Angélus to date as well, I couldn’t help but notice the difference in precision, number of layers and overall grace.
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Like many out there, I fear that many Bordeaux and especially right bank wines might be too massive, too ripe, too hot in 2018. But not this Cheval Blanc. Despite being this young, this Cheval is close to perfection. The epitome of elegance, without any hard edges yet with a beautiful tension and freshness, not a shred of over-ripeness and massive depth. I’m not a big scorer on potential but call it more like it is in the glass right now, so this 98/99 pts are the experience you can get from it today. This is just a WOW wine and certainly a candidate for perfection. So what was missing for the three digit score? The nose could have been a touch more expressive and certainly the tertiary complexity that will come with age.
TN: Medium expressive on the very seductive yet so elegant nose full of fine dark red and blue berries, lots of floral notes, some wet earth notes and some spices. With time more and more signature espresso notes come forward. On the palate this is so elegant and soft, so much fine dark red berries, espresso, caramel, wet earth, some meaty notes, strong minerality, spices. The highlights are the unbelievable elegance and weightlessness, with ultra-fine tannins, absolute no hard edges, perfectly integrated perfect acidity, creamy texture, yet - as mentioned - no weight. Very long and complex finish with loads of espresso and pure blue and dark red fruit. Superbly complete and harmonious.
Decanting: Decanted for roughly 60 mins, back in the bottle and consumed 2 hours later over a time span of another 2 hours in which the wine gained with every minute. A solid two hours in the decanter seems right at this point (but with young wines it’s always a bit dangerous to decant for too long).
Glass: Conterno Sensory
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Bordeaux 2018 - Langtons tasting (Virtual with samples sent): Red and black fruited beauty with a certain lifted floral character. Dry herbs and mixed spices. A real X factor wine - something ethereal about it. Initially for me seemed a little looser in structure than others but eventually took it as a broader taste spectrum across the palate. “The Ethereal”
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Inky purple. Perfumed nose, more spices, tobacco than fruit. Regal on the palate. Supremely elegant and graceful yet powerful at the same time. Glossy. No rough edges. Spices, aniseed pepper, chai notes. Dark berry notes. Long sweet finish. Bravo.
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Taste with Langton's 2018 Top Chateau of Bordeaux - virtual event. Decanted two hours prior.
Appearance: deep mulberry. Nose: restrained power, red and black fruits, herbs and spice. Palate: Good structure and concentration, beautiful mouthfeel and texture.
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I was incredibly lucky to be able to compare some great Saint-Emilion 2019 (samples) and 2018 (bottles). I don't have time to comment on everything below but the general opinion of the tasters is that it seems that, unlike Pomerol and Left Bank, the year 2019 may well be the better of the two. . Of course, it is too early for this advice to be final. Well, not surprisingly and "at that time" Figeac 2019 dominated all the others for the majority of people present. Here are the best notes. I will add others, soon, directly to the wines concerned, especially if my first "en primeur" notes have moved in one direction or the other.
And for information, we had fun giving a "gold palm" at the best value for money of the evening and it is the Larcis Ducasse 2019 which is on the podium (96-98 / 100)
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If awards were given out for sensuality, this gem would take the trophy. Incredibly sexy, with its velvet drenched textures, silky tannins and opulent personality, this wine stands out in a crowd. The nose, with its aromatic display of flowers, plums, cherries, espresso, licorice, dark cocoa and oyster shell is compelling. The seamless finish crosses the 60 second mark with its non-stop display of concentrated, perfectly ripe, dark sweet, red fruits, chocolate, licorice and spice. If you can afford it, it is a wine you should have in your cellar and you'll want to age this for at least 15 years before popping a bottle. The wine was made using 54% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Franc and 6% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14.5% ABV. This wine is a legend in the making.
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Bordeaux 2018 from bottle (Bordeaux and Strasbourg): Here a case where 2018 surpasses 2016, and by a wide margin. The Saint-Émilion Premier Grand Cru Classé A Château Cheval Blanc elicits complex aromas from rose stem and violet, to ripe, red fruit and fine cocoa powder. The 54 percent Merlot, 40 percent Cabernet Franc and 6% Cabernet Sauvignon blend has impressive and suave density and depth with elegance and freshness, which director Pierre Olivier Clouet attributes in part to earlier picking and higher yields (about 45 hectolitres per hectare). The tannins may be silky but prominent, providing structure for cellaring. A long finish is marked by floral freshness. Clouet compares 2018 to both 1990 and 1998. For me this is easily in the top three wines of the vintage. The tannin index is fairly low, at 64 IPT, and alcohol just over 14.5% with a solid 3.77 pH for acidity (the Graves are warmer so you get a higher pH, but it all comes together amazingly, consistent from barrel and from bottle!). Full notes in wine-chronicles.com
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Bordeaux 2018 from barrel: some selections (Bordeaux): Sumptuously floral and fresh. A wine of both elegance and (near) decadence. “The densest wine we have made since 2011”, remarked director Pierre Olivier Clouet. The blend of 54% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Franc and 6% Cabernet Sauvignon has enough acidity for balance. “Early picking helps to maintain that,” he said. Fine freshness and opulence, with black fruit and floral notes, leading to fresh mint and licorice on the lifting, long finish. “The balance comes from (higher) yields”, says Clouet, comparing the 2018 to the Cheval 1990 and 1998, but the 1990 especially makes me think of the 2018. 98-100
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Resembling the color of a dark ruby gemstone, this outstanding experience begins with roses, violets, roasted plum, oyster shell, fennel and spice. From there you'll move to the velvet drenched, decadent, opulent, silky palate. The depth of fruit is off the charts. The sensual, sexy feel on the palate is unique. The over 60 second finish is too short because you'll never want it to end. This is bottled decadence. If you can afford it, it is a wine you should have in your cellar and you'll want to age this for at least 15 years before popping a bottle. The wine was made using 54% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Franc and 6% Cabernet Sauvignon, reaching 14.5% alcohol with a pH of 3.75. The Merlot was harvested September 10-October 1, Cabernet Franc was picked September 24-October 10 and the Cabernet Sauvignon was picked October 11. 98-100 Pts
Geproefd op Château Cheval Blanc op vrijdag 05.04.2019. Grand Vin. Dit is wat het moet zijn. Wat een wijn. Krachtig, maar toch ook super elegant. Heel breed en zacht. 98-100!
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5/29/2023 - alexbhurst1678 wrote: 96 Points
Silly smooth; opened up at zz's while watching Heat game; crispy fruit notes; finish is still super young.
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11/1/2022 - Irish_Wine wrote: 97 Points
Medjum ruby.
Incredible nose - rich, refined, and decadent. Black plum, red plum, black cherry, sweet spices, cedar.
Amazing intensity and concentration on the palate. Long, expanding and evolving finsh. What an amazing wine.
*** Tasted as part of a walkaround 2018 Bordeaux tasting. Not full notes ***
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1/2/2022 - sirpat00 Likes this wine: 98 Points
Tasted blind. Sweet spices abound, caramel and cinnamon, fine smoky layers, herbs, while intense and ripe, the fruit profile manages to come across as pretty cool. Furthermore, there are meaty angles and you’ll also find cool minerality, cranberry and red berries and espresso – the latter is becoming more dominant over time in the glass. Perfectly balanced with seamlessly integrated tannin carrying a great sweet and fruity profile. Again coffee notes. Delicate, graceful and detailed. Second best Cheval Blanc I’ve had today, only bested by the 2015, slightly ahead of 2000, 2009, 1995 and in another league from 1980, 1983, 1990, 2010 (wasn’t ready) and 1998. I tasted this right next to Angélus 2016 and while that was one of the best Angélus to date as well, I couldn’t help but notice the difference in precision, number of layers and overall grace.
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1/2/2022 - Cailles wrote: 99 Points
Like many out there, I fear that many Bordeaux and especially right bank wines might be too massive, too ripe, too hot in 2018. But not this Cheval Blanc. Despite being this young, this Cheval is close to perfection. The epitome of elegance, without any hard edges yet with a beautiful tension and freshness, not a shred of over-ripeness and massive depth. I’m not a big scorer on potential but call it more like it is in the glass right now, so this 98/99 pts are the experience you can get from it today. This is just a WOW wine and certainly a candidate for perfection. So what was missing for the three digit score? The nose could have been a touch more expressive and certainly the tertiary complexity that will come with age.
TN: Medium expressive on the very seductive yet so elegant nose full of fine dark red and blue berries, lots of floral notes, some wet earth notes and some spices. With time more and more signature espresso notes come forward. On the palate this is so elegant and soft, so much fine dark red berries, espresso, caramel, wet earth, some meaty notes, strong minerality, spices. The highlights are the unbelievable elegance and weightlessness, with ultra-fine tannins, absolute no hard edges, perfectly integrated perfect acidity, creamy texture, yet - as mentioned - no weight. Very long and complex finish with loads of espresso and pure blue and dark red fruit. Superbly complete and harmonious.
Decanting: Decanted for roughly 60 mins, back in the bottle and consumed 2 hours later over a time span of another 2 hours in which the wine gained with every minute. A solid two hours in the decanter seems right at this point (but with young wines it’s always a bit dangerous to decant for too long).
Glass: Conterno Sensory
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11/23/2021 - nwebstar Likes this wine: 96 Points
Bordeaux 2018 - Langtons tasting (Virtual with samples sent): Red and black fruited beauty with a certain lifted floral character. Dry herbs and mixed spices. A real X factor wine - something ethereal about it. Initially for me seemed a little looser in structure than others but eventually took it as a broader taste spectrum across the palate. “The Ethereal”
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11/7/2021 - iobtoel Likes this wine: 98 Points
Inky purple. Perfumed nose, more spices, tobacco than fruit. Regal on the palate. Supremely elegant and graceful yet powerful at the same time. Glossy. No rough edges. Spices, aniseed pepper, chai notes. Dark berry notes. Long sweet finish. Bravo.
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11/4/2021 - BAJRiley Likes this wine: 96 Points
Taste with Langton's 2018 Top Chateau of Bordeaux - virtual event. Decanted two hours prior.
Appearance: deep mulberry. Nose: restrained power, red and black fruits, herbs and spice. Palate: Good structure and concentration, beautiful mouthfeel and texture.
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8/27/2021 - watcheslover Likes this wine: 99 Points
I was incredibly lucky to be able to compare some great Saint-Emilion 2019 (samples) and 2018 (bottles). I don't have time to comment on everything below but the general opinion of the tasters is that it seems that, unlike Pomerol and Left Bank, the year 2019 may well be the better of the two. . Of course, it is too early for this advice to be final.
Well, not surprisingly and "at that time" Figeac 2019 dominated all the others for the majority of people present.
Here are the best notes. I will add others, soon, directly to the wines concerned, especially if my first "en primeur" notes have moved in one direction or the other.
1) Figeac 2019 100/100
2) Cheval Blanc 2018 99/100
3) Ausone 2018 98-99 / 100
4) Figeac 2018 97-98 / 100
And for information, we had fun giving a "gold palm" at the best value for money of the evening and it is the Larcis Ducasse 2019 which is on the podium (96-98 / 100)
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3/9/2021 - Jeff Leve wrote: 100 Points
If awards were given out for sensuality, this gem would take the trophy. Incredibly sexy, with its velvet drenched textures, silky tannins and opulent personality, this wine stands out in a crowd. The nose, with its aromatic display of flowers, plums, cherries, espresso, licorice, dark cocoa and oyster shell is compelling. The seamless finish crosses the 60 second mark with its non-stop display of concentrated, perfectly ripe, dark sweet, red fruits, chocolate, licorice and spice. If you can afford it, it is a wine you should have in your cellar and you'll want to age this for at least 15 years before popping a bottle. The wine was made using 54% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Franc and 6% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14.5% ABV. This wine is a legend in the making.
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1/26/2021 - PanosKakaviatos Likes this wine: 100 Points
Bordeaux 2018 from bottle (Bordeaux and Strasbourg): Here a case where 2018 surpasses 2016, and by a wide margin. The Saint-Émilion Premier Grand Cru Classé A Château Cheval Blanc elicits complex aromas from rose stem and violet, to ripe, red fruit and fine cocoa powder. The 54 percent Merlot, 40 percent Cabernet Franc and 6% Cabernet Sauvignon blend has impressive and suave density and depth with elegance and freshness, which director Pierre Olivier Clouet attributes in part to earlier picking and higher yields (about 45 hectolitres per hectare). The tannins may be silky but prominent, providing structure for cellaring. A long finish is marked by floral freshness. Clouet compares 2018 to both 1990 and 1998. For me this is easily in the top three wines of the vintage. The tannin index is fairly low, at 64 IPT, and alcohol just over 14.5% with a solid 3.77 pH for acidity (the Graves are warmer so you get a higher pH, but it all comes together amazingly, consistent from barrel and from bottle!). Full notes in wine-chronicles.com
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5/10/2019 - PanosKakaviatos Likes this wine:
Bordeaux 2018 from barrel: some selections (Bordeaux): Sumptuously floral and fresh. A wine of both elegance and (near) decadence. “The densest wine we have made since 2011”, remarked director Pierre Olivier Clouet. The blend of 54% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Franc and 6% Cabernet Sauvignon has enough acidity for balance. “Early picking helps to maintain that,” he said. Fine freshness and opulence, with black fruit and floral notes, leading to fresh mint and licorice on the lifting, long finish. “The balance comes from (higher) yields”, says Clouet, comparing the 2018 to the Cheval 1990 and 1998, but the 1990 especially makes me think of the 2018. 98-100
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4/19/2019 - Jeff Leve wrote: 99 Points
Resembling the color of a dark ruby gemstone, this outstanding experience begins with roses, violets, roasted plum, oyster shell, fennel and spice. From there you'll move to the velvet drenched, decadent, opulent, silky palate. The depth of fruit is off the charts. The sensual, sexy feel on the palate is unique. The over 60 second finish is too short because you'll never want it to end. This is bottled decadence. If you can afford it, it is a wine you should have in your cellar and you'll want to age this for at least 15 years before popping a bottle. The wine was made using 54% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Franc and 6% Cabernet Sauvignon, reaching 14.5% alcohol with a pH of 3.75. The Merlot was harvested September 10-October 1, Cabernet Franc was picked September 24-October 10 and the Cabernet Sauvignon was picked October 11. 98-100 Pts
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4/5/2019 - dvansteenderen Likes this wine: 99 Points
Geproefd op Château Cheval Blanc op vrijdag 05.04.2019.
Grand Vin. Dit is wat het moet zijn. Wat een wijn. Krachtig, maar toch ook super elegant. Heel breed en zacht. 98-100!
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