Château Cheval Blanc - Saint-Émilion Grand Cru 2018

The world-class wines of Château Cheval Blanc are unparalleled Right Bank styles that, despite its involvement in recent bureaucratic turmoil, are wines of consistent quality reaching beyond the scope of any modern classification system. While vines have been cultivated on property since antiquity, the estate was officially formed in 1832 when land was split-off from the esteemed Château Figeac and sold as a separate property. In the hands of its dutiful new owners, Château Cheval Blanc was formed, its vineyards renovated, and the winery’s production quickly gained recognition for its exceptional quality. The wines were acknowledged early on for their excellence, earning prestigious medals at the 1862 London and 1878 Paris Universal Exhibitions, accolades that are still proudly featured on the Cheval Blanc label today.

As one of the two original Premier Grand Cru Classé A estates, Cheval Blanc consistently maintained its position amongst St-Émilion’s elite well into the 21st century. This dedication was counter-intuitively exemplified when Cheval Blanc, along with three other top estates, made the bold decision to withdraw from the Saint-Émilion classification system in 2022. This move was prompted by their dissatisfaction with the new scoring system, which they believed had shifted to place more emphasis on brand development than wine quality. By taking a stand against the local ranking system, Cheval Blanc only reaffirmed its steadfast commitment to producing wines of uncompromising excellence, confident that its reputation and the quality of its wines can speak for themselves.

“A great Cheval Blanc that stands up to the potential that I found during en primeur. Extremely restrained and classic in its construction, shot through with points of mint, liquorice, raspberry and eucalyptus. The fresh aromatics mean you could almost think that it is from a cool year, except for the huge density that runs through the palate, along with a creamy texture. Extremely good-quality. Something that you are going to want to put away for a good few decades. I get big, chewy tannins on the finish. Exceptionally good and extremely elegant. 3.77pH. Bottled July 2020. A yield of 44hl/ha.” - 100 Points, Decanter

“Love the floral character to the aromas of dark fruit, such as blueberries and black cherries. Red and black licorice, too. The full-bodied palate starts slowly and then expands with super polished, searing tannins that lead you up the palate into a place of grandeur. Lightly chewy at the end. Such great purity and presence here. 6% cabernet sauvignon in the blend with franc and merlot. Try after 2028.” - 99 Points, James Suckling

Showing beautifully from barrel and now from bottle, the 2018 Château “Cheval Blanc is a final blend of 54% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Cabernet Sauvignon. It's a pure, classic Cheval Blanc in that it relies more on complexity and elegance than power, offering a beautiful perfume of red and blackcurrants, spring flowers, spice, forest floor, incense, and tobacco. This carries to a medium to full-bodied Cheval Blanc offering wonderful purity of fruit, a seamless, layered texture, incredible tannins, and a lengthy, focused finish. It shows less of the sunny style of the vintage now than it did from barrel, and it's a wonderfully complete wine that delivers awesome freshness in its aromatics, plenty of ripe, sweet fruit, and the tannins and structure that seem to come from a long, cooler season. Reminding me slightly of the 2016, with a touch of the 2001, give this gorgeous wine 5-7 years of bottle age, count yourself lucky, and enjoy over the following 2-3 decades.” - 98 Points, Jeb Dunnuck

Producer: Château Cheval Blanc

Country: France

Region: Bordeaux

Varietal: Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon

Appellation: Saint-Émilion Grand Cru

Vintage: 2018

Size: 750ml