November 25, 2023 - Lighter, classic styled, fully-developed, soft-textured, earthy, herb, and cherry pipe tobacco-filled wine, with a pleasant, but, short finish that should be consumed over the next few years. Popped and poured, no decanting needed. Drink from 2023-2028.
November 13, 2023 - Korket.ðŸ˜
July 1, 2023 - nose - hay, manure, attractive earthy
mouth - minty, still lots of fruit, tobacco, coffee, decomposing vegetation. all in all a mixture of flavors some tertiary, with complexity, possibly offputting to some (not me). I'd venture to say mature, in its drinking window, possibly on the downslope. Fun to taste at age 48
March 2, 2023 - @ Casa Dani NYC. Base neck fill, 1 hour decant. Really fresh for its age and just entering tertiary stage, there was plenty of fruit left complemented by earth and smoke. Evolved to fruit leather notes 1 hour in. Liquid silk mouthfeel. Stunning longevity and freshness, hallmark of great terroir.
February 12, 2023 - Bottom neck fill with a near-pristine cork. Opened at 11am and slow-oxed until 7pm. My first Cheval Blanc, this was drank alongside a '67 Latour. A very pretty wine that was drinking beautifully right out of the bottle, with a stunning core of plum fruit, accented by sandalwood and spice notes. Smooth and silky, this is fully evolved without a trace of those hard '75 tannins (which were mostly avoided on the Right Bank anyway). Not quite up to the level of the stunning '75 Trotanoy, but close.
June 24, 2022 - Fantastic nose. A little lean on the palate. Lacking depth. Improved with air. Very nice wine but the 61, 71, 83, and 85 are better.
April 1, 2022 - Decanted the wine for a couple hours and it was everything I hoped. Drinking great now. A great bottle.
November 12, 2021 - Effortless opening using the Durand and the cork was only half saturated. On the nose, dried cherries, graphite and clove, with faint traces of smoked tri tip and leather. Nice initially and really good after 45 minutes of air. This bottle was very much alive with an opulent mouthfeel. A special experience.
September 12, 2021 - dark red, orange rim - beautiful mature nose of dried red cherries layered with Asian spice and some graphite - rich full mouth with excellent acid-tannin-fruit balance - long 20 sec finish - tasted alongside the 75 Lafleur, which had a more aromatic nose but was much lighter bodied and not as perfectly balanced as the CB - not the best CB vintage, but has developed into an excellent St. Emilion after 46 years (and can easily last another 5)
July 12, 2021 - Shared a case with my former partner in 1978-ish. The per bottle price tag was still on the bottle, but I think I paid $20 a bottle for 2 bottles, to go along with 2 bottles of Lafite and 2 bottles of Latour. This was the last one left. Perfectly sound with no adverse oxidation or skunkyness. Cork removed with a Durand and it came out clean in one piece. Decanted and then served right away. Despite the fierce tannins in the 1975s, which never resolved in some wines, they were gone here. Mostly herbal and earthy but some fruit. In the balance between power and finesse, finesse won and power was gone. Very smooth and a real pleasure.