About the Wine
Chateau Cheval Blanc (the White Horse) is considered by many to be the leading winery in St. Emilion. Many would also say it's a leading winery in Bordeaux and the world. The 1947 Chateau Cheval Blanc is often referred to as one of the best wines ever produced. This wine, from the 2015 vintage, may also occupy a similarly hallowed status judging by the reviews below.
An exquisite, if petite, architectural Chateau, the property is now a modern marvel thanks to the innovation and investment from France's wealthiest man, Bernard Arnault. Since he acquired the property, Pierre Lurton has managed the winery. In 2009, Arnault's company, Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessey (LVMH) assumed control of the Chateau.
The vineyard is planted to 53% Cabernet Franc, 42% Merlot, and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine can be enjoyed in its youth with several hours of decanting but is generally hitting its stride after 10 years.
Reviews
Made with 45% Cabernet Franc, this great wine offers a beautiful, rich and perfumed character. It was an exceptional vintage for the estate, which incorporated fruit from parcels of the vineyard that would normally be used for the chateau's second wine into this blend. It is packed with black-fruit flavors and broad tannins, with a background of juicy acidity and a firm structure. Drink from 2027. ~100 WE, Cellar Selection
Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, the 2015 Cheval Blanc is still incredibly primary at this very youthful stage. With coaxing, it unfurls to reveal beguiling notions of ripe black cherries, mulberries, licorice, baking spices, and smoked meats with touches of incense and potpourri plus wafts of cast iron pan and crushed rocks. Full-bodied, very rich, very firm/taut and with very ripe, fine-grained tannins, it allows a glimpse at its incredible depth of flavors with a very long multi-layered finish. Wow. ~100WA
It can be a dangerous combination for all the right reasons when you blend decadent sensuality with velvety tannins and layers of silky fruits. You cannot help but devour the wine far too quickly. Concentrated, full and rich, the fruit glides across your palate effortlessly. There is lift, volume, length and complexity. This is a wine for the future which will easily earn a legendary status as it ages evolves and matures. If you cannot afford it, make you find friends that can, as this is a wine you need to taste. ~100 Jefe Leve, Wine Cellar Insider
Totally seamless in the glass, with no beginning and no end, the 2015 Cheval Blanc is simply extraordinary. It's hard to describe the 2015, because all of its elements are so perfectly in place. Beautifully delineated aromatics make a strong opening statement. Vibrant and wonderfully nuanced on the palate, the wine exudes energy and vitality through to the persistent, silky finish. Many other 2015s speak with more assertiveness and volume, but Cheval Blanc is more understated. In 2015, Cheval Blanc created quite a stir in announcing that a whopping 91% of their crop would be bottled as Grand Vin. There will be no Petit Cheval, while the rest of the wine was sold internally. ~99VM
Phenomenal aromas of cherries, flowers, blackberries and sandalwood. Pure fruit. Full-bodied, dense and polished with incredible tannin quality like the finest, densest silk ball. In perfect proportions. Compact. Seamless and endless. Gorgeous to taste now but give it six or seven years to understand it better. ~99JS
Powerful aromas leap out of the glass – dark red fruit characters, violets, spices and savoury balsamic notes. A top wine with so much purity and finesse that it's hard to tell there is 14.5% alcohol here. An abundance of super-ripe tannins will keep this going strong until at least 2050. Majestic and memorable. Due to exceptional quality, there was no Petit Cheval produced in 2015 with 91% of the crop bottled as the Grand Vin. ~99 Decanter
A lovely sanguine hint leads off, followed by racy, elegant juniper, tobacco, red currant and damson plum notes that move in unison. Broadens and deepens, adding notes of currant preserves, warm ganache and smoldering tobacco, with a swath of loamy structure. Yet even as the bass line increases in volume through the finish, this maintains purity and poise. Should deliver some stunning aromatics at peak, which will take awhile to achieve. Best from 2025 through 2045. 8,250 cases made. ~98WS
I continue to absolutely love the 2015 Chateau Cheval Blanc. It’s one of those powerful, sexy, yet also weightless and elegant wines that’s going to drink well all its life. Checking in as a blend of 55% Merlot and 45% Cabernet Franc brought up in new barrels, it offers a kaleidoscope of aromas and flavors led by beautiful sweet fruits as well as incredible floral, spice, and graphite nuances. It’s full-bodied, with a rich, rounded, opulent texture, sweet tannins, and a blockbuster finish. As with a lot of 2015s, it has the sweetness of fruit and ripe tannin that allows it to drink well today, but it’s going to be very long-lived and have 3-4 decades of prime drinking. ~98 Jeb Dunnuck
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