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My Rating (circle) :
Date Printed: 1/6/2009
(search item no. 90717)
collectible wine
Wine Spectator rating: 94 points
The Wine Advocate rating: 90 points
PRICE ON 1/6/2009: $269.00

ratings pedigree (past vintages):
2005 Wine Spectator rating: 97 points
2005 The Wine Advocate rating: 96 points
2005 International Wine Cellar rating: 96 points
2003 Wine Spectator rating: 96 points
2002 Wine Spectator rating: 92 points
2002 The Wine Advocate rating: 90 points
2001 The Wine Advocate rating: 93 points
2001 Wine Spectator rating: 92 points
2000 The Wine Advocate rating: 100 points
1999 The Wine Advocate rating: 93 points
1999 International Wine Cellar rating: 92 points
1998 Wine Spectator rating: 98 points
1998 International Wine Cellar rating: 95 points
1996 Wine Spectator rating: 90 points
1996 The Wine Advocate rating: 90 points
1995 Wine Spectator rating: 94 points
1990 The Wine Advocate rating: 98 points
1983 Wine Spectator rating: 97 points
1982 Wine Spectator rating: 96 points
1979 Wine Spectator rating: 88 points
1953 Wine Spectator rating: 92 points

Winemaker's Notes:

 "A blend of 55% Cabernet Franc and 45% Merlot. Subtle herb, menthol, cranberry, black currant, and licorice aromas emerge from this dark ruby/plum-colored wine. It is medium-bodied and elegant with plenty of sweet fruit, but not a lot of weight or intensity. The complexity and nobility of Cheval Blanc's gravelly terroir is apparent in this delicate, subtle St.-Emilion. Give it a few years to develop additional aromatics, and drink it over the following 12-15."
Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate
90 Points

"Intense aromas of tar, blackberry and wet earth, with just a hint of tobacco and flowers. Full-bodied, chewy and long. Extracted, yet turns caressing and velvety in texture. Broad-shouldered and muscular for this estate. This is better than the 2000. Best after 2012."
Wine Spectator
94 Points
My Notes:

Additional wines from Château Cheval Blanc:

About Château Cheval Blanc:

 The present-day Cheval Blanc vineyards had vines at least as far back as the 18th century, as shown by Belleyme's map of the region dated 1764. Nearly a century later, the estate was acquired by the Fourcaud-Laussac family who owned it until 1998, when it was sold to Mr Bernard Arnault and Baron Albert Frère.

The vineyard is in a single block, and borders on the Pomerol appellation. An outstanding terror and unusual proportions of Cabernet Franc and Merlot give this great wine an absolutely unique flavor. Château Cheval Blanc has had a greater number of outstanding vintages than any other classified great growth over the past century.

Another unusual characteristic of Cheval Blanc is that once it reaches its peak, it maintains it for a very long time. This admirable wine is powerful, soft, rich, round and silky. It has tremendous fruit and elegance as well as exceptional quality from year to year.