Robert Parker, tasting note published in December 14th 2011
This famous estate sits at the junction of Pomerol and the sandy, gravelly soils of St.-Emilion, facing the two noble estates of l'Evangile and La Conseillante. A blend of 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc, the 2009 Cheval Blanc tips the scales at just under 14% natural alcohol. Its dense blue/purple colour is accompanied by an extraordinary nose of incense, raspberries, cassis, sweet forest floor and a subtle hint of menthol. Opulent and full-bodied with low acidity but no sense of heaviness, this dense, unctuous-textured, super-soft, velvety, pure and deep Cheval Blanc is impossible to resist despite its youth.
Château Cheval Blanc is a Grand Cru Classé A, the highest step in the Saint-Emilion classification since 1954 and the origin of this classification.
All the harvesting is manual and the wine is aged each year in barrels new to the set for 18 months before being bottled. The year 2009 was a hot and dry year, but without excesses. The excellent ripeness of the grapes gives the wine, from this great vintage of Château Cheval Blanc, a lot of smoothness, concentration and exuberant richness.
Allergens information
Contains sulphites.
SKU: 106624
Château Cheval Blanc
Since 1871, the surface area of Château Cheval Blanc has remained unchanged: 41 hectares including 37 hectares in one part, located on the Saint-Emilion plateau on the edge of the Pomerol appellation.
The vines are planted in approximately identical clay-clay soil in the subsoil, supplemented with ferric screeds in places, thus forming a unique terroir.
The average age of the vines is 40 years, but the oldest vines date back to 1920.
The grape varieties are original and very specific: Cabernet franc: 49%, Merlot 47% and Cabernet Sauvignon 4%. Production is of the order of 156 barrels depending on the vintage, i.e. about 180 to 190,000 bottles for a very low yield per hectare of 3,500 litres.
