Popped and into a decanter. At 15 years, this is still an infant in diapers, not even ready for potty training. The oak dominated everything for 90 min and after that, acted like a bouncer, letting through only a few bits of simplistic fruit and floral. We ran out of time before the oak ran its course. Blind I would have put this as a restrained 2019 Napa.
User error in opening this too early and/or lack of extended decant.
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Boy, this matured beautifully. Tannins were woody and strong tasted 5 to 7 years ago but they have melted sufficiently for the black fruit to surface. Not plump.....classicial and impressive length for the vintage.early maturity
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Classically styled, medium-bodied, reserved, bright, crisp, and floral, the wine is ready to deliver its thyme, dried flower, spearmint, red plum, and cocoa-packed character. This is a fresh, vibrant, aromatically focused charmer. Drink from 2022-2045.
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A delicious Cheval Blanc, while not a major one. Very classical, fresh and focused, medium-bodied, with elegant tanins and quite a decent length. Very cabernet franc, and very pretty. The more I taste this Bordeaux vintage the more I like it. Reminds me the style and structure of 2001 and 2004.
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30 Vintages of Cheval Blanc: All tasted blind. 1982 to 2015 (with 1949 in the mix). The wines are fragrant, perfumed, seductive and always soft and without weight. Best performing vintages: the rather hot/ripe vintages 2015, 2009 and 1982 (all complex, seductive, complete and with elevated concentration). Next best: the promising and pure 2010, the still sexy 1990 and the immortal 1949. Notable outperformer: 2011 with many other good off-vintages. Notable underperformer: 2005, 2000, 1998 which all showed rather muted and not yet ready.
TN: This is one of the weaker vintages missing concentration and showing a bit much ripness and slightly too much alcohol and a slightly drying finish. Not much to chase. It got a bit better and more balanced with time in the glass but overall quite mediocre, despite the signature soft structure.
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Chateau Cheval Blanc - 30 year vertical (1949-2015) tasted blind: The nose is interesting here with a medicinal touch, red fruit and licorice (95pts). The palate has good density with a dusty body. Unfortunately the finish was a touch dry, so I gave the palate only 92/93pts. Hold on to this a bit longer it may mellow and then a higher score is possible.
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Regular dinner group (@ JvT): In the bouquet earth and autumn impressions. On the palate a lot of beautiful red fruit acidity, also some forest impressions as well as chocolate. Very elegant and juicy wine with still firm tannin and pleasant bitterness. The Cabernet Franc shows. The wine was decanted more than 24 hours before drinking and still not fully showing itself. Probably wise to wait until 2028 - 2030 before drinking. 94 - 96
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Starting to develop secondary nuances, with air you find flowers, tobacco, red fruits and cigar box notes. This is a classic style of Cheval Blanc, with concentration, energy and freshness that will require another decade before it starts getting ready to drink. It's going to be worth the wait, but be patient with this one.
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A perfect bottle sourced at Luvian’s in St. Andrews. Quite full-bodied and at first I got a nice taste of dark fruits and Cheval earth along with strong tannins and lots of raw material for future development. Then the wine closed up in the decanter and never really returned. There are fierce tannins on the finish and I’m sure this rather surly Cheval will open up in time but it’s truly a waste to open now as it’s charmless and closed tight at the moment. 90?+
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Tasting: I think this closed down a bit, during the tasting. Initially I scored this higher (95 pts), but finally I settled for 94. Wait. My third CB, 1994, 2008 and 2009.
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Decanted 1.5 hours from magnum. There's fruits, but not memorable. Its not a bad thing as the main event in the nice long round finish (> 60 secs). Tannin nicely integrated. The lasting memory is the finish...
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Drank at the HK Club with '08 Latour and '82 Cheval Blanc. Make no mistake this is a lovely wine it was however pipped at the post by the Latour. Much more fragrant than it's left bank cousin, it is nevertheless a quality wine and if anything unfurled more quickly than the Latour. The '82 Cheval followed the '08 and whilst you can see the pedigree in the '08 I don't think it has the ingredients to rival the '82 in the future.
2008 Cheval Blanc produced from a blend of 50% Merlot and 50% Cabernet Franc is another 2008 that improved over the past year. The intense perfume is filled with fresh herbs, cassis, plums, black cherries, exotic spice and spring flowers. Very classy and stylish, this elegant, sophisticated, balanced, rich and velvet textured wine offers freshness, purity and an evocative combination of red and black fruits.
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Only a glass drunk. Colour impenetrable red/black. Perfumed bouquet, better on bouquet than palate at this early stage. I could happily sniff this for hours. Notes of blackberry, bramble, blueberry, leather saddle, tobacco leaf, Provençal herbs, with a hint of violets. Merlot/Cabernet Franc 50/50, but no plum or other typical Merlot aromas detected. On palate, quite austere, very primary and closed, so very hard to assess at this early stage. Bright and fresh with prominent acids. Not much more than medium weight but with real concentration and power on the mid palate. Flavours tending red berried: raspberries, red cherries and cranberries, some soil. Fine grained tannins but a little hard and drying on the finish. A lot of elements to integrate over the next 10+ years. I was slightly underwhelmed, as compared with say the 2010 Pontet-Canet. Probably unfair to score this young, but 93.
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2012 Bordeaux Trip; 4/1/2012-4/4/2012 (Bordeaux, France): From an enomatic machine and in 2oz samples. Unknown when bottles were opened. No detailed notes. My first taste of Cheval Blanc. Great exotic cab franc dominated nose . Very acidic palate, bright red fruits with polished fine tannins. Slightly austere, but fleshy enough as it coats the mouth though the finish was shorter than expected. Clearly, very young and difficult to assess. Needs 10+yrs.
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08 Château Cheval Blanc is 50% merlot with 50% cabernet franc. Deep ruby with some purple accents, the wine was produced from low yields. Fresh flowers, oak, spice, and licorice on the nose. Soft, elegant, and rich, with round tannins and good structure and depth. This elegant wine ends with a long, fresh, pure, polished blackberry and black raspberry note. 94-97 Pts
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Bordeaux 2008 (Bordeaux): Tasted only en primeur, with a discrete nose. Not quite integrated oak, at this stage and the palate shows power that seems a bit compacted. There is a lovely dark chocolate aspect. With time, the nose improves, showing lovely layers of aromas, repeated on the palate and echoed on the finish. But all is not in place, showing a disjointed aspect. Not the best Cheval Blanc en primeur, but has potential... 89-94
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Regency Club: Subtle brown-burnt sienna color; youthful, fresher woods and small berries; brighter than 99; prune, blk currant; very structured mth; grt a’s, silky. Cranberry in there, hint of lite choc. dust; long silky fin.
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4/30/2023 - Geaux Tigers wrote:
Popped and into a decanter. At 15 years, this is still an infant in diapers, not even ready for potty training. The oak dominated everything for 90 min and after that, acted like a bouncer, letting through only a few bits of simplistic fruit and floral. We ran out of time before the oak ran its course. Blind I would have put this as a restrained 2019 Napa.
User error in opening this too early and/or lack of extended decant.
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12/29/2022 - Andice wrote: 94 Points
Boy, this matured beautifully. Tannins were woody and strong tasted 5 to 7 years ago but they have melted sufficiently for the black fruit to surface. Not plump.....classicial and impressive length for the vintage.early maturity
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12/26/2022 - dnnk88 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Needs more time but you can taste the pedigree
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7/9/2022 - Jeff Leve wrote: 95 Points
Classically styled, medium-bodied, reserved, bright, crisp, and floral, the wine is ready to deliver its thyme, dried flower, spearmint, red plum, and cocoa-packed character. This is a fresh, vibrant, aromatically focused charmer. Drink from 2022-2045.
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7/5/2022 - Vinum Deorum wrote: 93 Points
A delicious Cheval Blanc, while not a major one. Very classical, fresh and focused, medium-bodied, with elegant tanins and quite a decent length. Very cabernet franc, and very pretty. The more I taste this Bordeaux vintage the more I like it. Reminds me the style and structure of 2001 and 2004.
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7/9/2020 - fcxj wrote: 94 Points
Very tasty. Black fruit aromatics, juicy easy palate.
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6/14/2020 - maranoli Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted. Initially very closed. Opened a little after an hour.
Deep purple. Slightly dry.
The fruit is generous even rich
This wine needs time.
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12/16/2019 - Cailles wrote: 90 Points
30 Vintages of Cheval Blanc: All tasted blind. 1982 to 2015 (with 1949 in the mix). The wines are fragrant, perfumed, seductive and always soft and without weight. Best performing vintages: the rather hot/ripe vintages 2015, 2009 and 1982 (all complex, seductive, complete and with elevated concentration). Next best: the promising and pure 2010, the still sexy 1990 and the immortal 1949. Notable outperformer: 2011 with many other good off-vintages. Notable underperformer: 2005, 2000, 1998 which all showed rather muted and not yet ready.
TN: This is one of the weaker vintages missing concentration and showing a bit much ripness and slightly too much alcohol and a slightly drying finish. Not much to chase. It got a bit better and more balanced with time in the glass but overall quite mediocre, despite the signature soft structure.
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11/29/2019 - Collector1855 wrote: 94 Points
Chateau Cheval Blanc - 30 year vertical (1949-2015) tasted blind: The nose is interesting here with a medicinal touch, red fruit and licorice (95pts). The palate has good density with a dusty body. Unfortunately the finish was a touch dry, so I gave the palate only 92/93pts. Hold on to this a bit longer it may mellow and then a higher score is possible.
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8/3/2019 - Zweder wrote: 95 Points
Regular dinner group (@ JvT): In the bouquet earth and autumn impressions. On the palate a lot of beautiful red fruit acidity, also some forest impressions as well as chocolate. Very elegant and juicy wine with still firm tannin and pleasant bitterness. The Cabernet Franc shows. The wine was decanted more than 24 hours before drinking and still not fully showing itself. Probably wise to wait until 2028 - 2030 before drinking. 94 - 96
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8/3/2019 - jkoenen wrote: 93 Points
24hrs decanter time.... still a tad hard and tightly wound.
Next bottle in 5-10 years time...
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9/17/2018 - Jeff Leve wrote: 96 Points
Starting to develop secondary nuances, with air you find flowers, tobacco, red fruits and cigar box notes. This is a classic style of Cheval Blanc, with concentration, energy and freshness that will require another decade before it starts getting ready to drink. It's going to be worth the wait, but be patient with this one.
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8/4/2018 - dream wrote: 90 Points
A perfect bottle sourced at Luvian’s in St. Andrews. Quite full-bodied and at first I got a nice taste of dark fruits and Cheval earth along with strong tannins and lots of raw material for future development. Then the wine closed up in the decanter and never really returned. There are fierce tannins on the finish and I’m sure this rather surly Cheval will open up in time but it’s truly a waste to open now as it’s charmless and closed tight at the moment. 90?+
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3/15/2018 - Sundbyberg wrote: 94 Points
Tasting: I think this closed down a bit, during the tasting. Initially I scored this higher (95 pts), but finally I settled for 94. Wait.
My third CB, 1994, 2008 and 2009.
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1/14/2018 - appel54 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Mörkröd färg
Körsbär, cederträ, jordigt, blyerts, dill
Torrt, strävt, bra tanniner, en viss eldighet, trevlig och bra längd
Kul att prova ett sådant kultvin. Dock inget som stack ut i kvällens provning (som innehöll några andra riktigt högklassiga bdxviner)
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11/5/2016 - dcwino wrote: 95 Points
2016 Villa d’Este Wine Symposium - Kelly, Alan and Kevin's excellent adventure; 11/3/2016-11/12/2016 (Villa D’este, Lake Como, Piedmont, Milan and Frankfurt): Beautiful harmonious subtle red fruit driven nose, strawberry jam, lavander, a hint of green and light caramel. Beautifully balanced, medium concentration, warm and round, good acidity, fine tannins and a lovely subtle finish. Starts to open up but needs another ten years to reach the peak. Not a big scale wine but elegant and precise.
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4/10/2015 - bboard Likes this wine:
Decanted 1.5 hours from magnum. There's fruits, but not memorable. Its not a bad thing as the main event in the nice long round finish (> 60 secs). Tannin nicely integrated. The lasting memory is the finish...
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1/20/2015 - KoalaHK wrote:
Drank at the HK Club with '08 Latour and '82 Cheval Blanc. Make no mistake this is a lovely wine it was however pipped at the post by the Latour. Much more fragrant than it's left bank cousin, it is nevertheless a quality wine and if anything unfurled more quickly than the Latour. The '82 Cheval followed the '08 and whilst you can see the pedigree in the '08 I don't think it has the ingredients to rival the '82 in the future.
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7/18/2014 - Jeff Leve wrote: 97 Points
2008 Cheval Blanc produced from a blend of 50% Merlot and 50% Cabernet Franc is another 2008 that improved over the past year. The intense perfume is filled with fresh herbs, cassis, plums, black cherries, exotic spice and spring flowers. Very classy and stylish, this elegant, sophisticated, balanced, rich and velvet textured wine offers freshness, purity and an evocative combination of red and black fruits.
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3/15/2014 - HowardNZ Likes this wine: 93 Points
Only a glass drunk. Colour impenetrable red/black. Perfumed bouquet, better on bouquet than palate at this early stage. I could happily sniff this for hours. Notes of blackberry, bramble, blueberry, leather saddle, tobacco leaf, Provençal herbs, with a hint of violets. Merlot/Cabernet Franc 50/50, but no plum or other typical Merlot aromas detected. On palate, quite austere, very primary and closed, so very hard to assess at this early stage. Bright and fresh with prominent acids. Not much more than medium weight but with real concentration and power on the mid palate. Flavours tending red berried: raspberries, red cherries and cranberries, some soil. Fine grained tannins but a little hard and drying on the finish. A lot of elements to integrate over the next 10+ years. I was slightly underwhelmed, as compared with say the 2010 Pontet-Canet. Probably unfair to score this young, but 93.
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4/3/2012 - Nutty08 wrote:
2012 Bordeaux Trip; 4/1/2012-4/4/2012 (Bordeaux, France): From an enomatic machine and in 2oz samples. Unknown when bottles were opened. No detailed notes. My first taste of Cheval Blanc. Great exotic cab franc dominated nose . Very acidic palate, bright red fruits with polished fine tannins. Slightly austere, but fleshy enough as it coats the mouth though the finish was shorter than expected. Clearly, very young and difficult to assess. Needs 10+yrs.
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8/1/2009 - Jeff Leve wrote: 96 Points
08 Château Cheval Blanc is 50% merlot with 50% cabernet franc. Deep ruby with some purple accents, the wine was produced from low yields. Fresh flowers, oak, spice, and licorice on the nose. Soft, elegant, and rich, with round tannins and good structure and depth. This elegant wine ends with a long, fresh, pure, polished blackberry and black raspberry note. 94-97 Pts
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6/1/2009 - PanosKakaviatos Likes this wine: 92 Points
Bordeaux 2008 (Bordeaux): Tasted only en primeur, with a discrete nose. Not quite integrated oak, at this stage and the palate shows power that seems a bit compacted. There is a lovely dark chocolate aspect. With time, the nose improves, showing lovely layers of aromas, repeated on the palate and echoed on the finish. But all is not in place, showing a disjointed aspect. Not the best Cheval Blanc en primeur, but has potential... 89-94
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11/5/2007 - peternelson wrote: 94 Points
Regency Club: Subtle brown-burnt sienna color; youthful, fresher woods and small berries; brighter than 99; prune, blk currant; very structured mth; grt a’s, silky. Cranberry in there, hint of lite choc. dust; long silky fin.
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