Saint-Émilion 1° Grand Cru Classé A 2018 - Parker 98+

Winemaker and Vineyard: Here, indeed, three major soil types coexist, forming a true mosaic, sometimes with a fine and clayey texture, sometimes with a coarser and gravelly texture. A unique terroir, mainly composed of clays and coarse gravels on some plots, finer and sandy on others. Some Saint-Emilion properties have excellent gravelly soils; others, in Saint-Emilion or Pomerol, have very good clayey soils. It is a pure coincidence of history that at Cheval Blanc, these two soil types coexist in roughly equal proportions.

This natural richness is supplemented by an original grape variety, made up of 52% Cabernet franc, 43% Merlot, and 5% Cabernet sauvignon. Thus, each plot has specific characteristics by which it is identified, characteristics linked to its age, its surface area, the nature of its soil, its rootstock, and its grape variety. Consequently, the wines produced on each plot offer a particular typicity: very powerful with velvety and suave tannins on the clays, more aromatic and finer on the gravels. Their blending gives birth to wines that are both powerful and elegant, boasting a most complex aromatic expression characteristic of great wines.

Tasting: The 2018 Cheval Blanc is a blend of 54% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Franc and 6% Cabernet Sauvignon, with a 3.75 pH and 14.5% alcohol. Deep garnet-purple colored, it needs considerable swirling and air to releases fragrant notes of stewed plums, juicy black cherries and ripe blackberries with underlying suggestions of damp soil, black truffles, rose oil and cardamom with wafts of underbrush and iron ore. The medium to full-bodied palate is densely packed with rich black fruits and loads of earthy accents, framed by super firm, grainy tannins and seamless freshness to balance, finishing with amazing length and a beautiful array of floral and mineral sparks. Thirty-three plots contributed to this wine, out of the forty-three in production. Of the rest, five went into Petit Cheval and five into bulk. It will need a good 6-7 years at least to really start to strut its stuff and should cellar for a further 30 years or more. Published: Mar 31, 2021

Service: Serve at room temperature (16-18°C) to accompany braised lamb shank.