St. Émilion Red Bordeaux Blend

Rich and warm dark chocolate and raisin nose foreshadows coming depth. Browning grasses, hazelnuts and baked pecans, cinnamon-blueberry tort, black cherry and black currant, wet rose petals, violet-cocoa, and jasmine branch. Tight and young entry still satisfies with spruce buds, pronounced tea leaf, sharp oak tones, cinnamon, red cherry, underripe red currant, pointy graphite; myrrh. Don’t drink ‘em if you got ‘em.



#châteauchevalblanc #bordeaux #saintemilion #1ergrandcruclasséA
#rightbankbordeaux
#rightbank #stemiliongrandcru
#stemilion #misenbouteilleauchateau #premiergrandcruclasse #premiergrandcru

The 2005 Cheval Blanc has been nothing less than magical on two separate occasions. A wine of breathtaking nuance and sophistication, the 2005 Cheval dazzles right out of the gate. With a few hours of aeration the aromatics blossom and the wine is explosive in every dimension. Espresso, rose petal, mint, blood orange and incense all open as the 2005 shows off its magnificence and pedigree. Bright saline underpinnings convey energy, tension and brilliance. Cheval Blanc is perhaps not as immediately seductive as some of the other top 2005s, but its all there. In spades. I would give it a few more years to unwind. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, April 2021)

The 2005 Cheval Blanc has a very intense bouquet, conveying so much energy that it almost knocks you sideways. That strong marine influence remains, the aromatics have opened up since I last tasted it. The palate is medium-bodied with firm backbone, yet more pliant than previous bottles, offering dense black fruit laced with mint and quite a potent saline note that drives the finish. This is surprisingly peppery on the aftertaste that is incredibly long. Awesome, but it needs more time. Tasted from an ex-château bottle at Berry, Brothers & Rudd. (Neal Martin, Vinous, December 2019)

The 2005 Château Cheval Blanc is a masterpiece and could ultimately go down as one of the greatest wines ever from the Estate. Composed of 51% Merlot and 49% Cabernet Franc, this opens to simply stunning aromas of ripe dark dark and blue fruits, along with fresh violets, crushed wet stones, pipe tobacco, graphite and hints of spices that all come together to form the seductive nuances. This full-bodied red is every bit as stunning on the palate, as it is beautifully structured, with incredible overall balance and finesse that makes it nearly impossible to resist. It goes on to thoroughly impress, showing a remarkable combination of power and elegance as it leads up to the long enveloping finish. The 2005 is certainly mesmerizing today, however it also possesses the potential to age marvelously and should offer a drinking window that spans across decades.

Special wine with special friend. 2+ hour decant. Transition from end of main course to end of meal. Incredible layer upon layer of red fruit, with the tannic backbone biting away-so many lives to gobut no regrets drinking now. Pretty.

Black fruits, leather, and tobacco. Still quite young. Bottle had been opened for a day so was more approachable.

Day 18 of quarantine

One of the most prized Right Bank Bordeaux from the legendary Cheval Blanc, these were in great shape and strutting their stuff, both plenty open but indicating to me decades of life ahead of them.

The 2000 was especially complex, showing more range in complexity with a little more length and density. The 2005 was concentrated and pure, brimming with black and red fruit, licorice and a trace of rock and mineral buried under the fat of a generous weather vintage.

#chevalblanc #saintemilion #cabernetfranc #merlot

Dark chocolate and dark fruit nose. Blackberries, black raspberries, black plum transiting into red fruits, herbs, spice. Still a baby.

Very young but a beauty in the making