Cheval Blanc and Yquem with Pierre Lurton (presented by Zachys)

La Tete d’Or
Tasted Wednesday, March 19, 2025 by nywine68 with 227 views

Introduction

Phenomenal wine dinner hosted by Zachys at Daniel Boulud’s (relatively) new Manhattan steak house. The chef himself joined us for a bit. Pierre Lurton brought a number of spectacular bottles from top vintages straight from the Chateaus.

Flight 1 (2 Notes)

  • 1934 Château d'Yquem 98 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes

    What a treat! Straight from the Chateau. Dark amber color. A hugely complex melange of flavors with almond and butterscotch. Despite the overt sweetness, there is plenty of freshness and acidity. The flavors linger on and on.

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  • 2022 Château d'Yquem 94 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes

    Not quite sure how to evaluate such a young Yquem. It has lots of sweetness and flavor depth but remains fresh. Rather viscous. Not much nuance yet, but that will undoubtedly come with age.

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Flight 2 (2 Notes)

  • 1949 Château Cheval Blanc 98 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru

    Surprise addition to the line-up, straight from the Chateau. Still incredibly vibrant and alive. Gorgeous secondary and tertiary development with lots of smoke, bacon and savory elements to complement the stewed strawberry fruit. Silky soft with a nice lingering finish. This proves once again how long-lived well-stored Bordeaux can be.

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  • 2017 Château d'Yquem Y de Yquem 94 Points

    France, Bordeaux

    Great acidity and vibrancy. Lemon peel and green apples. Good depth and saturation. Refreshing yet refined. Very enjoyable

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Flight 3 (4 Notes)

  • 2009 Château Cheval Blanc 96 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru

    Drank alongside the 2010, which got the edge. The 2009 is noticeably softer than the 2010, which was a table favorite. The 2009 has bramble black fruit with some smoke and black licorice. It gradually gained weight in the glass, revealing a bit more of its structure. Good freshness to balance out the ripe fruit.

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  • 2010 Château Cheval Blanc 98 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru

    Drank alongside the 2009 and was my (and the table’s) clear favorite. Beautiful firm structure and mouthfeel. Similar black fruit profile as the 2009 but with even more depth. It felt the 2010 had just a little bit more of everything compared to the 2009, a bit more freshness, greater length and more structure. A gorgeous wine that was impossible to put down.

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  • 2012 Château Cheval Blanc 93 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru

    Poured alongside the 2009 and 2010 which was a bit of an unfair comparison. The 2012 displayed the signature Cheval Blanc flavor profile but was noticeably lighter and less concentrated. This is fully ready to drink today.

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  • 2022 Château Cheval Blanc 97 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru

    Tough to compare a young vintage like the 2022 alongside its 2009, 2010, and 2012 sisters (and even a surprise appearance by the 1949!). Nonetheless, the 2022 showed that it is destined for greatness. Lots of beautiful red raspberry fruit balanced by fresh acidity in a package of superfine silky tannins. The smokiness is held back by the fruit today but will undoubtedly reveal itself as the wine matures. This is so good that it’s difficult to put down today but will only improve further.

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Flight 4 (2 Notes)

  • 2005 Château Cheval Blanc 95 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru

    Interestingly, the 2005 cut a very different profile than all the other vintages tasted tonight. I suspect it had more Cab Franc in the mix compared to more Merlot in the others. This was noticeably more herbaceous with green pepper and eucalyptus. At once light on its feet but with full flavor saturation. Elegant.

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  • 2006 Château Cheval Blanc 94 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru

    Drank alongside the 2005. A different flavor profile than the 2005, more in line with the 2009, 2010, and 2012. Beautiful stewed red fruit with some smoke on the finish. Lacks a bit of the depth and complexity of the better vintages but very enjoyable. This is at peak drinking age today.

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Flight 5 (1 Note)

  • 1985 Château d'Yquem 93 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes

    Nicely mature Yquem. Lacked the depth of the 1934 and the 2022 tasted the same evening. Notes of brioche and almonds.

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Closing

The Cheval Blancs clearly show a “house style” and proved their incredible age worthiness. Truly a top tier estate.

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