March 27, 2024 - Again showing really well, and so much more giving than the 2010 next to it.
March 25, 2024 - Tasted with mr_mando: decanted for 6 hrs
Nose with dried plums, dried pears, complex. On palate herbs, very well structured. Still very young, strong tannins. Great potential. Keep, try next bottle earliest in 5 years. 95+
March 24, 2024 - Spectacular wine - still tannic edges but already proving huge drinking pleasure.
December 31, 2023 - It’s time for another New Year’s eve review. This year we had a slate of heavy hitters – cabs, cab blends and even a merlot based right bank – of vintages ranging from 2009 to 2016. The only common feature was that all of the wines had received at least two 100 point scores from some reputable critic and in some cases three or four (to be fair, we could only find one 100 point score for the Wraith, but one of our party swore they had seen another 100 point review so we let it in). I am posting the same review for all 5 wines but scoring each wine separately. And to be frank, these were all stunning wines – to think that our little group of hodunk wine sippers could really distinguish among greatness like this would be a bit arrogant – this is just for fun and none of us really know what we are doing, which is probably evident based on the quality of this review. With all of those caveats, here we go. Oh, for those who care about things like this, all wines were decanted 2 hours in advance and served at about 60 degrees F in zalto crystal.
1. Colgin IX Estate (2016) – 100pts - this was the wine of the night by a 3-1 vote. It was drinking perfectly, super well-balanced with the fruit not too strong and an incredible finish. Now we also drank it after the other 4 were gone. Could that have something to do with it? Hmm, regardless, this wine was gorgeous and we all truly enjoyed the experience of perfection in a glass.
2. Hundred Acre Wraith (2013) – 100pts – one of the very best napa cabs we have ever had. It was really tossing a coin between this and the Colgin. This wine was so well-structured yet smooth, smooth, smooth. And layer upon layer of flavors and textures. Cherry fruits, fine tannins,, super complex – this one has it all. What an achievement (if you can’t tell by now, I was the one who chose this over the Colgin for wine of the night).
3. Cheval Blanc (2009) – 99pts – the only merlot based wine of the night, the group was a little split on whether this or the PC should be #3. More dark berry than red with silky smooth tannins and a very complex long lasting finish with the cab franc giving it a hint of spice – this wine is drinking really well right now – not too early to drink but you can tell it has a lot of future potential as well. Wonderful, wonderful wine.
4. Pontet-Canet (2009) – 99pts – really a tie for third with the CB. What else can be said about this fantastic wine that has not already been stated? So supple, precise and pure. This wine truly punches above its weight and is neck and neck with wines costing 2-4x more than it. Its so sophisticated but also so approachable always making it a crowd favorite. Drinking well right now so no reason to wait if you have a bottle.
5. Kapcsandy Grand Vin (2016) – 97pts – probably by itself this would have been 99 pts, but when having to compete against the above it was just a tiny bit lacking. It probably could use another 2-3 years, and perhaps the 2013 would have been a fairer pick for this competition but we drank our last one a year ago. With that said, this is still a stupendous wine we all truly loved and had perhaps the best nose of the night with a ton of complexity and spice.
Until next NYE! Cheers!
December 7, 2023 - A private Cheval Blanc tasting (Bolomey Wine Imports, Amsterdam, NL): Not decanted. A blend of 56% Merlot, 42% Cabernet Franc and 2% Cabernet-Sauvignon. Firmer extraction than both the 2012 and 2016 but not over the top, not really oaky but the tannins are a bit dusty on the nose, develops a cocoa note with aeration; the structure is very powerful, the palate is first and foremost textural, concentrated but with a charming freshness, wonderfully complete flavour profile, excellent length. A very complete wine with excellent potential, decant if you want to drink it now, to soften the tannins.
September 4, 2023 - What a wine! The nose is enough to win over any wine lover with its display of flowers, cocoa, dark red, and black fruits, earth, and spices. But, as good as the perfume is, it is on the seamless palate with its opulent, exotic, display of silk and velvet textures that is the perfect backdrop for more than 60 seconds of perfectly ripe fruits that express a sense of purity, elegance and yes, sex appeal. Still young, this is a future legend. Drink from 2023-2050.
June 24, 2023 - Cheval Blanc & Yquem dinner @ Anhelo Restaurant (with Pierre Lurton) (Phoenix, AZ): Instantly captivating, and clearly the stallion of the stable, the powerful push on the front end of the 2009 Cheval Blanc benchpresses the initial thrust of dark black and red cherry, licorice, cedar, and currant flavors with celebrity swag. Never overbearing nor out-flexing its clothes, the 2009 continues its delivery with certain fortitude, but in keen balance and focus, finishing with floral, cassis, and rock elements that provide some lift and relief to the otherwise Navy Seal performance.
Comparatively, the 2009 is less compacted than the 2010, offering more bear hug magnitude than its year-younger sibling. The 2009 is subsequently more giving and gushing, with an immediacy of flavor that is undeniably clutch-you-by-the-ears attention-grabbing. And even still, there is total sophistication and style here. Simply an incredible wine.
June 22, 2023 - Dinner with Château Cheval Blanc and Château d’Yquem President Pierre Lurton (Anhelo Restaurant Phoenix, Arizona): Create Story
June 22, 2023 - Cheval Blanc and Yquem Tasting Dinner (Anhelo (Phoenix)): PnP - Funny....when I went to this tasting, the President of Cheval Blanc started with the 2020 vintage, then the 2012 and finally the 2009. I thought it seemed rather backwards to start with the youngest wine and work toward the oldest wine....conventional wisdom dictated just the opposite! However, when I took a sip of this wine, it all became crystal clear....this was by far the biggest wine in the lineup!
The 2009 Cheval Blanc is a big, brooding wine. This wine is more about power than finesse (although it still maintains a certain degree of elegance). I like Chatters' description here of "dense" fruit, because that it is how it comes across....dense red and dark fruit. There is a lot going on with this wine! I did not detect any alcohol or heat, but there is some spice and anise, along with baking spices, forest floor, violets and cocoa. Tannins are smooth, but definitely detectable and mouth drying. Acidity is present as well, and fruit is still very lively and compact. This wine is going to need time....lots of time....to really show its best. This is a young man's Bordeaux to sip on when he reaches old age. No doubt this is a fifty year wine that will likely need a couple of decades to shine even brighter. If you are young and looking for a great wine to pop open to celebrate retirement, this is your wine! 97 points and fantastic even now, but should hit perfection with a lot of patience!
April 26, 2023 - En Primeur campaign for the 2022 vintage Day Five (Bordeaux): Less obviously ripe then I thought it would be on the nose; red and black plums and berries, sweet spice. Medium plus intensity acidity, the weight of the vintage is more obvious here; dense, baked black fruits, slightly drying tending to slightly chalky tannins, alcohol warmth on the finish and quite a lot of savouriness, just about avoiding some bitter notes. With time a touch more raisin/prune as well as a leather and alcohol derived peppery spice.