Understanding
To enjoy a wine to its fullest, it is important also know its identity, story, universe and its past. The impact of the vintage is fundamental: there are three main categories of vintage at Cheval Blanc.
Some have had little impact either on the history of the chateau or on the Bordeaux region as a whole. Examples are 1973; 1974; 1977; 1984; 1987; 1994; 1997 and 2002. These were unmemorable years, although, we are often pleasantly surprised when we open a bottle.
The second category, are the classic vintages which reflect perfectly the distinctive style of Château Cheval Blanc. These wines are our ambassadors which firmly plant their unique style in the minds of the château’s team and our consumers.
‘Finally, there are the vintages which are exceptional; extraordinarily expressive from early on. Amongst these marvellous vintages are 1947; 1961; 1964; 1982; 1990; 2009 and 2015.’
Tasting
We are often asked: when is the best moment to taste a Château Cheval Blanc? When does it reach its peak?
Just as every individual evolves throughout their lifetime, the personality of our wines reveals different facets at each stage in its life. Three bottles of Château Cheval Blanc from the same vintage tasted at five, twenty and fifty years old will reveal three variations of the same wine; each one with different aromatic expressions of the original wine. Although we know everything about the wine’s conception and birth, once a bottle has been sealed it continues along its own individual path of evolution.
It is your choice when to drink the wine. All the care and attention paid to our wine from its birth and through its childhood remove the need for pomp and ceremony and mean that you can simply open the bottle when you please. Of course, if you drink a bottle of Château Cheval Blanc before it reaches ten years old, you will miss out on some of its potential. But there is nothing to prevent curiosity.
