Cheval Blanc 2001

The 2001 Château Cheval Blanc was pure silk—not the biggest wine, by any means—but elegant, with a velvety texture, medium body and beautiful fruit that has reached full maturity. Drink it over the next decade.

I was surprised by how soft, opulent, even voluptuous the 2001 Cheval Blanc performed out of bottle as this estate’s wines tend to shut down when young. Its deep ruby/purple color was accompanied by sweet aromas of cranberries, black currants, menthol, Asian spices, and underbrush. This seductive blend of 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc reveals a lush sweetness, medium body, and ripe, well-integrated tannin. A racy effort filled with personality, it should be at its finest between 2007-2018.

Fifty percent of the crop made it into the 2001 Cheval Blanc which includes an unusually high percentage of Merlot (60%, along with 40% Cabernet Franc). As administrator Pierre Lurton told me, it was a year where the vines had to be extensively pruned, so yields were kept low. The Cabernet Franc vineyards produced 32 hectoliters per hectare, and the Merlot vineyards, 39 hectolitres per hectare. The cool September weather resulted in late harvest for this estate. The 2001 has a lot in common with the 1999 and 1988. Its opaque ruby/purple color is accompanied by a sweet bouquet of menthol, ripe black currant, plum, and cherry fruit, and an intriguing mineral characteristic. The wine is medium bodied, with wonderful sweetness and putiry, good definition, a layered texture, and sweet tannin in the finish. It will not make anyone forget the prodigious 2000 or the increasingly impressive 1998, but it is fruit-driven, dense effort with abundant qualities of vibrant acidity. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2030. Last tasted, 1/03.

Fifty percent of the crop made it into the 2001 Cheval Blanc, which includes an unusually high percentage of Merlot (65%, along with 35% Cabernet Franc). The 2001 has a lot in common with the 1999 and 1988. Its opaque ruby/purple color is accompanied by a sweet bouquet of menthol, ripe black currant, plum, and cherry fruit, and an intriguing mineral characteristic. The wine is medium-bodied, with wonderful sweetness and purity, good definition, a light texture, and sweet tannin in the finish. It will not make anyone forget the prodigious 2000 or the increasingly impressive 1998, but it is a fruit-driven, dense effort with abundant quantities of vibrant acidity. As administrator Pierre Lurton told me, in this vintage the vines had to be extensively pruned (and crop-thinned) so yields were kept low. The Cabernet Franc vineyards produced 32 hectoliters per hectare, and the Merlot vineyards, 39 hectoliters per hectare. The cool September weather resulted in a late harvest for this estate. Anticipated maturity: 2007-2020.

At nearly ten years of age, the Cheval ’01 has impressive precision on the nose with the Cabernet Franc component beginning to make its presence felt. The succulent black fruit now contend with herbaceous, dried meat scents with just a touch of truffle. The palate is full-bodied with good intensity. Ripe, dusky tannins, still quite closed with a structure, graphite tinged finish, and it shows very fine poise if not the complexity of a top class Cheval Blanc. Give it another 3-4 years.