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Saint-Emilion Grand Cru Classé A
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What wine lover hasn't heard of Château Cheval Blanc, one of Bordeaux's most unmissable and legendary wines? It was in 1832 that Domaine was purchased by Jean-Jacques Ducasse, president of the Libourne court, who contributed to its development.
He climbed the prestige ladder and, in 1878, won his first gold medal at the Paris Exposition Universelle. The excellence of Cheval Blanc wines would continue to be recognized the world over for decades to come.
In 1998, the estate was handed over to Bernard Arnault and Baron Albert Frère, both of whom breathed new life into Domaine, while respecting its history and heritage. Headed today by Pierre Lurton, the quest for perfect quality vintage after vintage remains the estate's credo. This is made possible in particular by the majestic winery inaugurated in 2011, which enables tailor-made vinifications to reveal the potential of each part of this illustrious terroir.
When the first edition of the Saint-Emilion classification was published in 1955, Château Cheval Blanc was immediately promoted to Premier Grand Cru Classé "A". It retained this distinction until the 2021 vintage. At the beginning of 2022, Domaine chose to withdraw from the classification, the next edition of which was due to be made official in September of the same year. Thus, from the 2022 vintage, the label of... See more ...
The 2016 vintage is a major vintage for all of Bordeaux and Cheval Blanc is no exception. The beautiful month of June will allow the flowering to be fast and homogeneous, and the summer that will follow will be dry and hot. The vine will therefore develop very well. Thanks to the very good weather conditions in September, which allowed the different grape varieties to perfect their maturity, it was certain at harvest time that this was a great vintage.
Blend of the vintage : 58% Merlot, 38% Cabernet Franc and 4% Cabernet Sauvignon
The color is captivating, a dark and intense purple with garnet reflections.
The nose is fruity, very complex with initial notes of raspberry, black cherry and blackcurrant, then switches to a floral side with scents of eucalyptus and lilac. There are also very nice mentholated scents.
The mouth is a mixture of refinement and power. The attack is supple but the mid-palate is very present, very full, dense with a remarkable refinement. And it is the length and depth of the wine that sign a very great year.
Food and wine pairing:
Cheval blanc 2016 is a wine that deserves proper pairings to be sublimated and appreciated at its true value. It will go very well with meat dishes such as salmis de palombe, roast leg of lamb, pan-fried veal kidneys with mustard, stuffed turkey and chicken with cream and morels. The cheeses to be favored are those with soft rind and bloomy crust: Brie, Brillat-Savarin, Cantal or Salers. It can also accompany a cheese such as old mimolette. In terms of desserts, it goes very well with macerated fruit or chocolate-based desserts.
Cellaring potential and tasting:
Château Cheval blanc 2016 has great aging potential due to the magnum size which allows the wine to gain in aging potential. Its peak will be between 2036 and 2040.
However, it is possible to appreciate all its complexity today, taking care to open the bottle the day before and place it in the room to acclimatize to the room temperature. If this is not possible, it is best to open the bottle at least 6 to 7 hours before tasting, decanting if possible.
To follow its evolution over time, do not hesitate to proceed to successive tastings to measure the evolution of the wine and its qualitative peak.
The bottles should be kept in the cellar in a dark place, lying down, with an optimal hygrometric degree of 70%.
