September 9, 2023 - Decanted 30-60min. This was a great surprise. Wide array of tertiary notes of sous-bois, forest floor, leather, tobacco, mushroom. A green herbal, minty dimension loosed things up. Continued to open up with aeration, adding signature roasted coffee beans, spice and pepper. Fruit profile shifted towards the lighter, more red berry style. Still present dark berry fruit. The palate with fresher fruit of mixed berries. Tannin molten away, but still pulling off good tension, density and firm structure. Weightless with a warm softness around the satin texture. Staggering also how this gained in intensity and precision. A versatile and delicate wine at its absolute prime, easily surpassing 1982 and 1983.
March 1, 2023 - Leathery color with some hints of garnet. Earthy nose with a little cassis. Fruit was still there but didn’t last to long in the finish. Amazing that was still worthwhile 43 years in.
April 12, 2017 - Mid ruby. Mellow and smooth, there's warm worn leather, a little spice and some soft red fruit. Fully resolved and mature, this has good fresh acidity, and enough residual fruit and character for a traditional palate, but avoid it if you prefer fruit to tertiary flavours. An excellent accompaniment to simple lamb. ***1/2
January 7, 2016 - Lithe and supple, silky and red fruited with leather, sweet tobacco, spice box, wet rocks, tannins in perfect harmony. Seamless with great persistence.
November 4, 2015 - 2015 Villa d’Este Wine Symposium - Kelly and Kevin's excellent adventure; 11/3/2015-11/9/2015 (Villa D’este, Lake Como): Damp dirty cellar smell that remains. Red fruits, cedar and leather. Medium concentration and fully integrated tannins. It is not corked but definitely some sort of taints.
March 8, 2014 - Cheval Blanc tasting (30 different vintages) at the Rheingau Gourmet Festival 2014: rubin red color; coffee and smoke; light/medium body; narrow texture.
Vintages 4th flight: 1979-1980-1981-1982-1984
May 20, 2013 - Served from magnum this is quite smoky on the nose to begin with. Has some perfumed fruits, sweet tobacco and cedar notes as it breathes. It is plump and full without a hair out of place. Tannins are relatively soft and it is a classy wine. It doesn’t have the most depth or length but is beautifully proportioned and a pleasure to drink.
November 30, 2010 - sublime.
December 19, 2009 - I bring my last bottle of Cheval Blanc 1980 to test not because of Ryoko's Birthday but for good friends at the Christmas time.
The nose's still seductive, clean fruit, elegant, fresh but can not hold on that long in the glass. Sweet, soft tannin, smooth, very fine fine wine indeed. Aftertaste is not complex but nice.
It seems the most perfect condition of my 6 bottles of them.
After 1.45 hrs, more fuller-bodied, not too sweet, delicious....I like it a lot !!!
Testing along with Ch. Magdelaine 1982.............A Nice Pair..................
Drink now - 2013.......................90+/100..............................
March 1, 2006 - I drank many bottles of this wine. I prefer 1980 than 1986, 1989, 1995.
It likes Burgundy wine. Strawberry, clean and soft. Very smooth and fine. Nice aftertaste. All the most of Ryoko's Birthyear 1980 wines, Petrus is No. 1 and Cheval Blance is No. 2 for me.
Drink it now - maybe in decline