A work of art at the service of wine.
Designed by Christian de Portzamparc and inaugurated in June 2011, Cheval Blanc’s winery rises like a ground swell accentuated by two waves of white concrete. A wild herb garden populates this artificial slope with its graceful curves which gently disappear behind the elevation of the château.
Each year, in this place of contemplation, the birth of Cheval Blanc is prepared. The natural light which penetrates the inside of the workspace illuminates the tall silhouettes of the 67 vats, lined-up in six rows. Built and designed for a single occupant, these concrete vats come in 14 different sizes and hold between 12 and 113 hectolitres.
Every year, each one of these vats is dedicated to a single plot on the domain. It has two plaques on its side: one with its number and capacity and the other with the plot number, the grape variety and the date the plot’s vines were planted.
This ‘tailor-made’ method of vinification respects the château’s meticulous management of each individual plot and ensures that the complete pallet of wines produced at Cheval Blanc can be used during the blending process. In this way, the work in the winery mirrors the same philosophy of precision which is applied throughout the winemaking process.
Cheval Blanc’s winery is also the first its category to receive the HQE (High Environmental Quality) certification. Recognised for its exacting criteria, this certification endorses the choice of construction materials, energy efficiency, water management and recycling as well as acoustic comfort, security and the well-being of the personnel working in the building.
On 20 November 2013, Cheval Blanc received the famous International Architecture Award, established by the Chicago Athenaeum, Museum of Architecture and Design together with the European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies. This Award recognises the most prestigious significant new buildings honouring innovative and cutting-edge developments. Cheval Blanc is the first winery to have received this award.
