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Le Petit Cheval 2016

RegionBordeaux
Subregion France > Bordeaux > Right Bank > St Emilion
ColourRed
TypeStill
Grape VarietyCabernet Franc/Merlot

A return for Cheval Blanc's second wine in 2016, after all the harvest of 2015 was considered good enough for the Grand Vin. Significant improvements and replantings in the vineyard have mant increases in quality that mean it is style, rather than absolute quality, that wil decide whether plots go into Cheval Blanc or the Petit Cheval.

View all vintages of this wine | View all wines by Cheval Blanc

Label

Tasting Notes

Le Petit Cheval 2016 has a blend of 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc and is medium to deep garnet in color, with a touch of purple. It is a little closed at this stage, offering subtle notes of redcurrant jelly, juicy black plums, and wild blueberries, plus suggestions of tar and smoked meats. Medium-bodied, the palate is elegantly played with vibrant black, red and blue fruit layers and subtle savory accents, supported by fine-grained tannins and bold freshness, finishing long and energetic. It’s so bright and graceful!

94
Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, The Wine Independent, December 2022

This is a red with pinpoint but also beautiful tannin, fruit and acid focus. Medium to full body and a tight center palate. Creamy texture. Really excellent. Best second wine of Cheval Blanc in years.

93/94
James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com, April 2017

Petit Cheval is back in 2016 after a year's absence, but at just 7% of overall production, compared to 77% grand vin and 16% sold off. The water regulation was more challenging this year for the youngest vines, and although none of these stopped production they did slow down. This is a sappy, fragrant and well sculpted Petit Cheval that doesn't have quite the depth of vintages like 2010 but is a serious wine of very good quality. Alcohol levels are not as pronounced as some other wines because the team here are always aim to pick relatively early, when the grapes are still fresh. This has the lowest pH for many years on the other hand, shown in the sculpted lift on the finish. The blend is 49% Cabernet Franc, 47% Merlot and 4% Cabernet Sauvignon aged in 50% new oak. 72 IPT, 3.67pH.
Drinking Window 2025-2040

92
Jane Anson, Decanter.com, April 2017

Light nose. Good savour and a little inkiness. Very far from a grand vin but a pretty blend. Racy. Pierre-Olivier Clouet sees Italian structure in this. Just a little skinny on the end.
Drink 2021-2030

16.5
Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com, April 2017

The second wine of the estate is the 2016 Le Petit Cheval, a blend of 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc in 2016. As you’d expect with this estate, it’s incredibly elegant and has a perfumed, complex style in its blackberry and black cherry fruits, forest floor, and cedary spice. This medium-bodied, seamless, downright pretty wine is ideal for drinking over the coming 15-20 years or more. Drink 2019-2039.

94
Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com, February 2019

Ripe fruit on the nose the palate has richness and sweetness at the start lighter and firmer in the middle more red fruits the tannins are fine and integrated. Lighter at the back but it fishes with sweetness. 2021-31

87/89
Derek Smedley MW, DerekSmedleyMW.co.uk, April 2017
Read more tasting notes...

The 2016 Le Petit Cheval is composed of 62% Merlot and 38% Cabernet Franc. Medium garnet-purple colored, it has a knock-out nose featuring beautiful red rose, black tea, unsmoked cigars, menthol and yeast extract scents with a core of black cherries, kirsch and warm plums plus a waft of dusty soil. Medium-bodied, tightly wound and wonderfully perfumed in the mouth, the palate features loads of vibrant, pristine pure fruit and a beautifully soft texture, finishing very long. Drink 2021-2045.

94
Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Wine Advocate (Interim En), November 2018

The 2016 Le Petit Cheval is a blend of 62% Merlot and 38% Cabernet Franc from three parcels, representing 7% of the total production. Matured in 60% new oak, it has an attractive bouquet with raspberry preserve, pressed flowers and a touch of orange rind. The palate is medium-bodied with fine delineation and poise, a fine prickle of acidity, maybe a tad tight having just been wrenched from barrel but with fine salinity on the finish. Be advised to give this three or four years in bottle just to smooth out that slight rigidity on the finish. Drink Date 2021 - 2035

90/92
Neal Martin, Wine Advocate (230), April 2017
Please note that these tasting notes/scores are not intended to be exhaustive and in some cases they may not be the most recently published figures. However, we always do our best to add latest scores and reviews when these come to our attention. We advise customers who wish to purchase wines based simply on critical reviews to carry out further research into the latest reports.