2012 Château Cheval Blanc

Community Tasting Notes (26) Avg Score: 94.8 points

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  2/21/2024 - SWHighlander Likes this wine: 94 Points

  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.

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  12/7/2023 - Xavier Auerbach wrote: 93 Points

  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.

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  8/10/2023 - Odedis.Wine.reviews Likes this wine: 93 Points

  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.

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  6/24/2023 - csimm wrote: 95 Points

  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.

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  6/22/2023 - LiteItOnFire Likes this wine:

  Dinner with Château Cheval Blanc and Château d’Yquem President Pierre Lurton (Anhelo Restaurant Phoenix, Arizona): Create story

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