Cheval Blanc 1986

Tasted at the château, the 1986 Cheval Blanc has a far superior bouquet to the 1996 Cheval Blanc when I tasted them side by side. The aromatics here are far more cohesive and complex, very delineated with expressive Cabernet Franc, hints of cooked meat, cranberry, juniper berries and wilted rose petals - just gorgeous. The palate is beautifully balanced with slightly furry tannin that is offset by a superb seam of acidity. It is nicely structured but not overbearing, leather and truffle filtering through the black fruit and while there is a little austerity on the finish, it is purely complementary. Though 1986 is not known as a Right Bank vintage, the 1986 Cheval Blanc pulled victory out of the bag and at 30 years, it continues to give immense pleasure. Tasted July 2016.

At one time I thought the 1986 was better than the 1985, but the open-knit charm and currant exotic personality fo the 1985 makes a more persuasive case for it than for the more reserved, tannic, and backward 1986. The 1986 still has a youthful dark ruby saturated color with no amber at the edge. The wine possesses a developing bouquet that offers up weedy tobacco, juxtaposed with sweet black berry, raspberry, and cherry fruit. The new oak that was so obvious in the wine's youth has moved to the background, offering more of a cedary character than raw wood. Medium to full-bodied, and moderately tannic, this is a delineated Cheval Blanc with more of a Medoc personality than typical St.-Emilion opulence. The wine is rich, intense, and well-made, but still requiring a few more years of bottle age. Anticipated maturity: 1999-2012 Last tasted 12/97

The 1986's bouquet jumps from the glass, with a combination of exotic, herbaceous, curranty scents intermingled with sweet, vanilla-scented new oak. The wine is splendidly rich, lush, forward, and evolved for a 1986. I enjoy it already and suspect it will put on more weight and reveal even more structure as it evolves. Anticipated maturity: Now-2008. Last tasted, 6/93.