| Region | |
|---|---|
| Subregion | France > Bordeaux > Right Bank > St Emilion |
| Colour | Red |
| Type | Still |
The 2014 Cheval Blanc has an almost Left Bank-inspired bouquet, tarry black fruit, tobacco and forest floor scents unfolding in the glass, though not as "immediate" as the Canon. The palate is medium-bodied with pliant tannins, fleshy, very well balanced and nuanced with one of the few what I would describe as "precise" finishes that beckon you back for the next sip. Excellent. Tasted blind at the Southwold 10-Year-On tasting.
Aromas of strawberries, flowers and rose petals. Medium to full body and such beautiful polish and finesse. The texture is remarkably silky. It’s a wine all in elegance and harmony. Such length. Try in 2022 but already a joy to taste.
Deep garnet-brick in color, the 2014 Cheval Blanc needs a lot of swirling to unlock notes of plum preserves and fruitcake plus suggestions of garrigue, black pepper, and tapenade with a hint of camphor. The medium to full-bodied palate has a rock solid structure of chewy tannins and bold freshness supporting the savory, muscular fruit, finishing on a lingering mineral note.
Tasted blind. Real freshness here on the nose even if there is a slight lack of concentration. A hint of saltiness. Very appetising and rewarding without anything forced. Not that rich but very grown-up and sophisticated. Just about the first 2014 I was tempted to drink.
Drink 2023-2043
Cheval Blanc is one of the great names of Bordeaux and the most famous Chateau in Saint Emilion. The 37 hectares of vines border Pomerol but the wine is different from Pomerol thanks to the high percentage of Cabernet Franc in the vineyard (52% Cabernet Franc and 48% Merlot). A stunning new winery has recently been completed. There is no doubt that this is a great vineyard with an excellent wine-making team. The problem in recent years has been one of price. Once they get that right, Cheval Blanc could be back on the shopping lists of serious Bordeaux wine lovers. 45% Cabernet Franc, 55% Merlot, and 100% new oak. Medium-deep ruby colour. Graphite and flowers with a little ripe red fruit. Scorched earth, mulberry fruit and attractive herbal notes highlighting the Cabernet Franc. A classic Cheval Blanc nose. Very smooth, silky, rich texture on the palate. Lots of tannins but they are very fine grained and super silky. Lots of elegance and freshness from a bright core of fruit that is concentrated but light of foot. Complex and classy with real precision. A long finish of blueberry, red cherries, plums, violets and sweet vanilla.
This has dreamy aromas already, with notes of Lapsang souchong tea, smoldering cigar and cold charcoal wafting up from the core of dense yet supple currant, fig and blackberry preserves. A loamy edge thumps through the finish, giving this an addictive, head-bobbing bass line. Best from 2026 through 2040. 8,335 cases made.
Perfumed fragrant woodland violets the nose has lots of charm. There is a lovely richness on the palate the fruit sweet the tannins ripe a balance between sweetness and freshness. Ripe fruit at the back gives depth yet there is enough underling freshness to bring out the fragrances the finish has elegance and length. 2022-40
One of the great successes of the vintage, this grand vin represented 75% of production in 2014. It's a wonderfully refined, nuanced wine that doesn't show its 100% new oak. Grassy, mineral and elegant, with notes of graphite, red berries and cinnamon, silky, supple tannins and remarkable palate length.
The 2014 Cheval Blanc does not convey the same sophistication and panache as the Angélus. This is more rugged and earthier, quite powerful with pencil lead and sous-bois aromas developing with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, plenty of blackberry laced with cedar, mint, fruitcake and white pepper notes. It finishes with some style and it feels very long on the finish. I just think that unlike Angélus this is going to need several years to really knit together. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting. 2022 - 2055
The 2014 Cheval Blanc is a blend of 45% Cabernet Franc and 55% Merlot, picked from 19 September until 8 October. It has a very succinct, almost understated bouquet, here a mixture of red and black fruit, cold limestone and crushed rose petals (the latter observed when the wine was in barrel). It is not a set of aromatics that go out and grab your attention, rather the sophistication creeps up on you. The palate is medium-bodied with crisp tannin. Unlike the Deuxième Vin, there is real structure and backbone here, a gentle but insistent grip in the mouth. It errs towards black instead of red fruit, intermingling with sage and cumin, then segueing into a precise finish with a long, lingering ferrous finish (à la Pomerol!), finally a hint of oyster shell on the aftertaste. It is one of the most subtle Cheval Blancs that I have tasted in a long time, although it will doubtlessly be deceptively long lived. This is a serious Cheval Blanc for serious oenophiles. Drink 2020-205
The Château Cheval Blanc 2014 is a blend of 45% Cabernet Franc and 55% Merlot, picked from 19 September until 8 October. The alcohol level is 13.25% matured in 100% new oak, which Pierre Lurton told me was prolonged due to the heterogenous soils and wanting to wait for the Cabernet Franc on clay soils to reach full maturity. It is quintessential Cheval Blanc on the nose: predominantly red fruit here rather than black, touches of incense and dried roses, a dab of liquorice underneath. The Cabernet Franc is the engine behind the aromatics. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannin. This is not a silky smooth Cheval Blanc – here there is an graininess to the tannin that exert a gentle grip in the mouth. It is a complex and cerebral wine with cracked black pepper on the almost ferrous finish. Like the second wine, it is linear and fresh, in some ways reminiscent of the string of superb wines produced in the 1980s. This is a formidable Cheval Blanc whose evolution will be fascinating to witness. Drink: 2019 - 2045
There is a little more cabernet franc than normal. Full body with fine and silky tannins, and a deep and beautiful fruit and acid balance. Wet earth, dried flowers and dried fruits. A beautiful length. Dense and compacted. Very fine tannins.
Medium garnet colored, the 2014 Cheval Blanc is still looking very youthful and wearing a bit of puppy fat, sporting gregarious red and black cherries notes with hints of oolong tea, wilted roses and dusty soil. Medium-bodied with firm, chewy tannins and plenty of freshness supporting the lively fruit, it finishes on a lingering perfumed note. Drink Date 2022 - 2042
75% production. 45% Cabernet Franc, 55% Merlot. All the terroirs of the property but especially the gravel .
Bright ruby, gentle and rather muted. Very cool . No drama! Gentle and rather balletic. Some burgundian force towards the end of the palate. Lots to chew on and rather different from the old style. A flight from drama! 13.25%
Drink 2024-2036
