Chateau Cheval Blanc

2019

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  Vintage 2019
  100

Blackcurrants, cassis, graphite and earth on the nose, then changing to roses, violets and berries. Full-bodied with incredible energy of fine tannins and lively acidity. It grows on the palate and escalates to the summit of perfect wine. Very powerful at the end. Holding back and a great finish. Quantity and quality. Menthol. Cool. One of the greatest young Cheval Blancs I have ever tasted. 58% merlot, 34% cabernet franc and 8% cabernet sauvignon. Great finish. Give it time. Try after 2028.

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  Vintage 2019
  100

The 2019 Cheval Blanc is a blend of 58% Merlot, 34% Cabernet Franc, and 8% Cabernet Sauvignon. 41 out of 53 blocks have had a part to play this year, representing 10 different soil types. The Grand Vin in 2019 represents 82% of production. Deep purple-black in color, it needs a lot of swirling to shake loose fragrant scents of Indian spice, potpourri, star anise, and cardamom, over a core of preserved plums, boysenberries, and charcoal with touches of wood smoke and cracked black pepper. Full-bodied, rich and immediately impactful in the mouth, the layered nuances slowly expand, beautifully framed by ripe, rounded tannins and seamless freshness, finishing with cascading savory and earth flavors and lots of lingering mineral notes. "You give a winemaker a piece of paper and ask them to write the perfect conditions for harvest and they will write down what happened in 2019," said Pierre-Olivier Clouet. "I had the same sensations I had in 2009. I was afraid it would be too ripe. But every time we tasted the juice and the blend and during aging, the wine was fresher and fresher and fresher. At Cheval Blanc, the 2019 is like 2009. This was the kind of vintage at Cheval Blanc where you had to accept doing as little as possible. It was a vintage that made itself in the vineyard. You just needed to preserve it - not to oxidize, etc. This was the earliest we blended. There was no press wine in here...it can bring a certain rusticity and dirtiness. We want to preserve the beautiful purity on the nose. You must be very careful not to ruin it. I think in 2018 and 2019, the Quinault is where we want it to be. With these vintages, the changes in the vineyard, at harvest time, and in the winery really show. We have density without over-extraction."