Cheval Blanc 2011

St Emilion, Premier Grand Cru Classé A

Units	Size	Case size	GBP Price:	Quantities	Buy
3	150cl Magnum	Case 3	£2,000 per Case	Case	[Add to shopping basket]

Tasting Notes
The 2011 Cheval Blanc has an elegant, quite refined bouquet with brambly red fruit, scorched earth, terracotta and sage, very complex and harmonious. Could this be Figeac? [Post-script. No, but not far off!] The palate is medium-bodied with rounded tannins, quite plush and sensual, rich for this vintage with plenty of concentrated, quite sweet and spicy, hoisin-tinged fruit on the precise finish. This is a very fine Saint-Émilion. Tasted blind at the annual 10-Year-On tasting. Score: 94 Neal Martin, Inside Bordeaux Maturity: 2020-2040 01 April 2022
Plenty of grip at 10 years old, but as with many of the bigger wines in the 2011 vintage, it is fairly closed right now, after a good number of years when it felt approachable. I would suggest leaving it for another five years to let these tannins soften and the peony aromatics fully emerge. It does soften after a double carafing (I tried this both from bottle and later over food), when the violet and precisely-drawn raspberry and redcurrant notes take the lead. Cabernet Franc dominant right now, but it lacks a little generosity at this stage of its life. 64% first wine. Score: 94 Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux Maturity: 2025-2045 22 September 2021
Bright red-ruby. Ripe, scented aromas of raspberry, strawberry, violet, licorice, cedar and wild herbs on the knockout nose. Wonderfully sappy and juicy but not thick, with intense, very pure red berry, white pepper, floral and cedar flavors showing terrific thrust and lift. Finishes dense and long, with repeating floral, white pepper and red berry nuances. Boasts a serious spine for cellaring, and the youthfully chewy tannins will need time. An essence of cabernet franc: when Cheval Blanc aces this variety, it's one of the most unique--and greatest--wines in the world. There just aren't too many wines anywhere (Lafleur excepted, perhaps) that can express the variety like Cheval does. Apparently the cabernet franc percentage was increased to 57%, up from the 52% I had been told was in the blend at the Primeurs. Score: 92 Ian D'Agata, Inside Bordeaux 01 July 2014
The 2011 Cheval Blanc is one of the more plump, opulent and sexy Cheval Blancs made over recent vintages, and its forwardness, lusciousness and complexity seemingly suggest this wine is on a fast evolutionary track. The wine exhibits a dense ruby/purple/plum color, a medium to full-bodied opulence, a sumptuous mid-palate (atypical for the vintage), and a lush, heady finish. It is a super, complex, evolved Cheval Blanc that can be drunk now or cellared for 15+ years. Bravo! Score: 95 Robert Parker, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com 01 April 2014
Somewhat reminiscent of their brilliant 1998, the 2011 Cheval Blanc has turned out to be a top-notch success. Its deep garnet/plum/purple color is followed by hints of blueberry confiture intermixed with raspberries, mocha, damp forest and a hint of mint. Exhibiting a velvety, opulent texture along with considerable class and flesh as well as sweet tannin, this flavorful, forward 2011 should drink beautifully for two decades or more. The harvest at this estate lasted from September 6 through October 1 (for the Cabernet Franc). Score: 94 - 96 Robert Parker, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Maturity: 2012-2032 27 April 2012
55% Cabernet Franc, 45% Merlot, 100% new oak, benefiting from the extra precision allowed by the new, small concrete vats (described by Jancis here) in which the 44 separate parcels they have identified can be vinified separately, says winemaker Pierre-Olivier Clouet. Merlot picked al dente 6-14 September, then waited for the sunny days and cold nights to work their magic on the Cabernet Franc. Deep dark cherry crimson. Delicately floral and fruity, so subtle but gently aromatic. A touch of oak sweetness and spice but very restrained. Very very fine grained, you can feel the tannins but they melt across the palate. There's intensity but it's so TENDER. It's dark-fruited rather than savoury. There's minerality in both taste and texture. Fabulous way to start a day's tasting. (JH) 13.5% Score: 19 Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com Maturity: 2021-2041 24 April 2012
A beautiful, understated wine with great depth and intensity. Pure and fragrant with cashmere tannins and great length and line. A resounding success for the first vintage in the new winery. Remains true to style. Drink 2018-2040. (18.5 points) Score: 18 - 19 Decanter, Decanter.com Maturity: 2018-2040 16 April 2012
Very perfumy, with lovely red and black fruit that's pure and refined. There's a creamy feel, with hints of bergamot, cassis and toasted spice. Long and very suave through the finish. Well put together. Tasted non-blind. Score: 93 - 96 James Molesworth, Wine Spectator 11 April 2012
A really beautiful wine with super silky tannins with chocolate, spice, berries and spices. Full body, with super polished tannins and a long, long finish. The first wine from the new winery of Cheval. Very precise. Very polished. Cabernet Franc give the quality. Score: 93 - 94 James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com 01 April 2012

Tasting Notes

The 2011 Cheval Blanc has an elegant, quite refined bouquet with brambly red fruit, scorched earth, terracotta and sage, very complex and harmonious. Could this be Figeac? [Post-script. No, but not far off!] The palate is medium-bodied with rounded tannins, quite plush and sensual, rich for this vintage with plenty of concentrated, quite sweet and spicy, hoisin-tinged fruit on the precise finish. This is a very fine Saint-Émilion. Tasted blind at the annual 10-Year-On tasting.

Score: 94

Neal Martin, Inside Bordeaux Maturity: 2020-2040 01 April 2022

Plenty of grip at 10 years old, but as with many of the bigger wines in the 2011 vintage, it is fairly closed right now, after a good number of years when it felt approachable. I would suggest leaving it for another five years to let these tannins soften and the peony aromatics fully emerge. It does soften after a double carafing (I tried this both from bottle and later over food), when the violet and precisely-drawn raspberry and redcurrant notes take the lead. Cabernet Franc dominant right now, but it lacks a little generosity at this stage of its life. 64% first wine.

Score: 94

Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux Maturity: 2025-2045 22 September 2021

Bright red-ruby. Ripe, scented aromas of raspberry, strawberry, violet, licorice, cedar and wild herbs on the knockout nose. Wonderfully sappy and juicy but not thick, with intense, very pure red berry, white pepper, floral and cedar flavors showing terrific thrust and lift. Finishes dense and long, with repeating floral, white pepper and red berry nuances. Boasts a serious spine for cellaring, and the youthfully chewy tannins will need time. An essence of cabernet franc: when Cheval Blanc aces this variety, it's one of the most unique--and greatest--wines in the world. There just aren't too many wines anywhere (Lafleur excepted, perhaps) that can express the variety like Cheval does. Apparently the cabernet franc percentage was increased to 57%, up from the 52% I had been told was in the blend at the Primeurs.

Score: 92

Ian D'Agata, Inside Bordeaux 01 July 2014

The 2011 Cheval Blanc is one of the more plump, opulent and sexy Cheval Blancs made over recent vintages, and its forwardness, lusciousness and complexity seemingly suggest this wine is on a fast evolutionary track. The wine exhibits a dense ruby/purple/plum color, a medium to full-bodied opulence, a sumptuous mid-palate (atypical for the vintage), and a lush, heady finish. It is a super, complex, evolved Cheval Blanc that can be drunk now or cellared for 15+ years. Bravo!

Score: 95

Robert Parker, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com 01 April 2014

Somewhat reminiscent of their brilliant 1998, the 2011 Cheval Blanc has turned out to be a top-notch success. Its deep garnet/plum/purple color is followed by hints of blueberry confiture intermixed with raspberries, mocha, damp forest and a hint of mint. Exhibiting a velvety, opulent texture along with considerable class and flesh as well as sweet tannin, this flavorful, forward 2011 should drink beautifully for two decades or more. The harvest at this estate lasted from September 6 through October 1 (for the Cabernet Franc).

Score: 94 - 96

Robert Parker, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Maturity: 2012-2032 27 April 2012

55% Cabernet Franc, 45% Merlot, 100% new oak, benefiting from the extra precision allowed by the new, small concrete vats (described by Jancis here) in which the 44 separate parcels they have identified can be vinified separately, says winemaker Pierre-Olivier Clouet. Merlot picked al dente 6-14 September, then waited for the sunny days and cold nights to work their magic on the Cabernet Franc. Deep dark cherry crimson. Delicately floral and fruity, so subtle but gently aromatic. A touch of oak sweetness and spice but very restrained. Very very fine grained, you can feel the tannins but they melt across the palate. There's intensity but it's so TENDER. It's dark-fruited rather than savoury. There's minerality in both taste and texture. Fabulous way to start a day's tasting. (JH) 13.5%

Score: 19

Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com Maturity: 2021-2041 24 April 2012

A beautiful, understated wine with great depth and intensity. Pure and fragrant with cashmere tannins and great length and line. A resounding success for the first vintage in the new winery. Remains true to style. Drink 2018-2040. (18.5 points)

Score: 18 - 19

Decanter, Decanter.com Maturity: 2018-2040 16 April 2012

Very perfumy, with lovely red and black fruit that's pure and refined. There's a creamy feel, with hints of bergamot, cassis and toasted spice. Long and very suave through the finish. Well put together. Tasted non-blind.

Score: 93 - 96

James Molesworth, Wine Spectator 11 April 2012

A really beautiful wine with super silky tannins with chocolate, spice, berries and spices. Full body, with super polished tannins and a long, long finish. The first wine from the new winery of Cheval. Very precise. Very polished. Cabernet Franc give the quality.

Score: 93 - 94

James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com 01 April 2012

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