Chateau Cheval Blanc 2020

Details

Château Cheval Blanc sits in the appellation of Saint-Emillion, on the right bank of the Gironde estuary. The estate came into being in 1832, when Château Figeac sold off a parcel of land, which by the mid 1850s was being refered to as Cheval Blanc. In 1998 the estate was purchased by Bernard Arnault (LVMH) and Albert Frere. These days the estate is 39ha, with plantings of 49% cabernet franc, 47% merlot and 4% cabernet sauvignon.

While the Medoc (right bank) has had a Classification since 1855, St-Emilion did not implement its own, and very different, classification system until 1955. The 1855 classification was fairly straightforward, with those that made the list being graded in ascending order of importance, from 5th up to 1st growth (or cru). The St-Emilion classification, on the other hand, ascends in order of importance as follows:

St-Emilion
St-Emilion Grand Cru

St-Emilion Grand Cru is then divided into:

St-Emilion Grand Cru
St-Emilion Grand Cru Classé
St-Emilion Premier Grand Cru Classé B
St-Emilion Premier Grand Cru Classé A

Initially Château Ausone and Château Cheval Blanc were the only two Premier Grand Cru Classé A estates. Saint-Émilion’s classification was revised in 1969, 1986, 1996, 2006, 2012 and again, most recently in 2022. In 2021 Cheval Blanc withdrew from the Classification, noting "a profound change in the philosophy of the classification", suggesting that marketing had become a stronger influence on the classification than terroir and wine quality.

2020 is an outstanding vintage for Cheval Blanc.

Provenance is the most important thing when buying a wine like this. The wine was purchased direct from the importer and has been stored in a temperature controlled cabinet since it's arrival in Sydney.

"Intense, indelible, with layer upon layer of blueberry, raspberry, pomegranate, fennel, liqourice, crayon, espresso, crushed rocks, just so much character and poise. The driest year at Cheval Blanc since 1959, with 71% of production from the 39ha estate in this wine, technical director Pierre Olivier Clouet. The first year that will not be bottled with Premier Grand Cru Classé A on the label since the ranking began, following its withdrawal from the ranking. That makes an interesting footnote for collectors I would imagine, but makes zero difference to the brilliance of what is in the bottle."
100 points, Jane Anson, JaneAnson.com, February 2023.

"The Grand Vin 2020 Château Cheval Blanc checks in as a blend of 65% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon that was raised, as always, in 100% new French oak. As usual with Cheval Blanc, it's primarily about finesse and elegance, as well as complexity, and exhibits a deep purple hue as well as a kaleidoscopic bouquet of sweet red and black fruits, spring flowers, spicy incense, loamy earth, and smoke tobacco. Absolutely flawless on the palate, it's full-bodied, has perfectly integrated oak, ripe, silky tannins, and a gorgeous finish that keeps you coming back to the glass. This powerful, concentrated Cheval Blanc offers pleasure even today (needs lots of air) but warrants 7-8 years of bottle age and will see its 40th birthday in fine form."
100 points, Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com, March 2023.

Specifications