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1988 Chateau Cheval Blanc
- Saint-Emilion, France
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- Avg Price (ex-tax)
- $ 635 / 750ml
- Red - Savory and Classic
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Prior to the 2022 vintage, this wine was classed as Premier Grand Cru Classe A.
Critic tasting note: "Medium bodied, fresh, earthy, floral wine, with a steak of herbs, and leafy notes. There is softness to the tannins, but there is a leafy, green, discernable note in the otherwise, red plum finish. There is no reason for further aging here. 91 Points" - 91/100, Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider
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Highlights
- From Saint-Emilion, France
- Avg. Price (ex-tax) $ 635 / 750ml
- Red Wine – Savory and Classic
- Bordeaux Blend Red
- Pairs well with Beef and Venison
Winery
Château Cheval Blanc is a highly lauded wine estate in the Saint-Émilion region of northeast Bordeaux. It is certainly the most famous Cabernet Franc-based wine in the world, albeit often alongside very similar levels of Merl...
Details
- Region or Appellation
- Classification
- Saint-Emilion Premier Grand Cru Classé A
- Drinking Window
- 1994-2015
- Alcohol ABV
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12.5%
- Residual Sugar g/L
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1 g/L
- Sweetness
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Dry
- Acidity TA
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3.53 g/L
- Blend
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Merlot, Cabernet Franc & Cabernet Sauvignon
- Maturation
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Oaked
- Oak Type
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French
- Management
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Pierre Lurton
- Ownership
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Laussac-Fourcaud family
- Harvest date
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1st October - 10th October.
- Closure Type
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Cork
- Vintage Notes
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After a cool, wet spring, the growing season was off to a somewhat late start in 1988. Flowering took place around the 10th of June and véraison occurred on about the 20th of August. Although there was a threat of mildew at the beginning of the growth cycle, this was completely thwarted by the return of fine weather after flowering. The weather was beautiful during the harvest, which started at the beginning of October. The relatively cool, but very dry conditions during ripening were ideal for locking in rich aromas. The grapes were ripe, but not at all overripe, and displayed a great balance between sugar and acidity. Yields were fairly high: 40 hectolitres per hectare.
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- Producer Tasting Notes
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Cheval Blanc 1988 is a vintage of great classicism, complex and airy, balanced and elegant. Its evolution in the bottle is remarkable. The deep and beautifully intense dress bears the marks of an evolution that corresponds to its age. The first nose, very complex and of great intensity, reveals aromas of menthol, truffle, blond tobacco and undergrowth that evoke to the hustle and bustle a walk in the forest after the rain. Then notes of leather, cinnamon and cloves appear. Elegance and finesse dominate. It is a concentrated wine, with an exceptional harmony in the mouth, whose spicy freshness recalls the mint leaf, mocha, caramel and Russian leather. The tannins are elegant, the finish is of exceptional length, with aromas of pepper and plum. Very airy, the 1988 vintage of Cheval Blanc is without a doubt a very great wine on duty that will appeal to classic Bordeaux lovers. Now near its peak, it deserves to be forgotten a little more in the cellar. 15th April 2010.
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About the Wine
Suggested Dishes to Pair With This Wine
- Lamb kreatopita Starter Course
- Meat in filo pastry
- Contains: lamb mince
- Greek
- Galloway bone-in-ribeye Main Course
- Flavourful and lean beef from traditional Scottish breed
- Western
- Galician bone-in-ribeye Main Course
- Intense, creamy beef cooked with with red wine
- Western
- Steak and kidney pie Main Course
- Contains: beef steak, lamb kidneys, puff pastry
- British
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User Ratings
(14)Compare vintages
Vintage quality: Excellent
Current condition: Ready to drink
The 1988 vintage for Bordeaux was generally excellent.
A cold, wet winter gave way to an equally claggy spring, which predictably made rot an issue. Although temperatures fortunately never dropped low enough for frost damage to occur, the soggy humid weather, howeve...
Price History
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