Château Cheval Blanc - Saint-Émilion 'Le Petit Cheval' 2014

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.

The main guideline of the vinification at Cheval Blanc is based on a fresh ripening of the grapes, a pure parcel-by-parcel vinification, a gentle extraction, a long maceration, manual pumping over and a single delestage during 4 weeks of maceration. Malolactic fermentation takes place in vats, then the wine ages in barrels.

Château Cheval Blanc 2014 aged for 16 months with 100% new barrels.

“This has dreamy aromas already, with notes of Lapsang souchong tea, smoldering cigar and cold charcoal wafting up from the core of dense yet supple currant, fig and blackberry preserves. A loamy edge thumps through the finish, giving this an addictive, head-bobbing bass line. Best from 2026 through 2040.” - 97 Points, Wine Spectator

“The 2014 Cheval Blanc is a blend of 45% Cabernet Franc and 55% Merlot, picked from 19 September until 8 October. It has a very succinct, almost understated bouquet, here a mixture of red and black fruit, cold limestone and crushed rose petals (the latter observed when the wine was in barrel). It is not a set of aromatics that go out and grab your attention, rather the sophistication creeps up on you. The palate is medium-bodied with crisp tannin. Unlike the Deuxième Vin, there is real structure and backbone here, a gentle but insistent grip in the mouth. It errs towards black instead of red fruit, intermingling with sage and cumin, then segueing into a precise finish with a long, lingering ferrous finish (à la Pomerol!), finally a hint of oyster shell on the aftertaste. It is one of the most subtle Cheval Blancs that I have tasted in a long time, although it will doubtlessly be deceptively long lived. This is a serious Cheval Blanc for serious oenophiles.” - 96 Points, Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate

“With its high proportion of Cabernet Franc (45%), this is a finely perfumed rich wine. It has great tannins, a smoky character that comes from the wood. The tannins are quite marked, giving a tight firm edge to the wine that otherwise has generous fruitiness. This is a complex wine, impressive, and likely to age over many years. Drink from 2028.” - 96 Points, Wine Enthusiast

Producer: Château Cheval Blanc

Country: France

Region: Bordeaux

Varietal: Merlot, Cabernet Franc 

Appellation: Saint-Émilion

Vintage: 2014

Size: 750ml