Château Cheval Blanc - Saint-Emilion Grand Cru 1998

Jamessuckling.com

100 / 100

byJames Sucklingthe9/8/2013

This structured and powerful red is finally coming out its sleep. It shows intense aromas of dried fruits, mushrooms, forest floor and berries. It's full-bodied, very dense and velvety, and has an outstanding, ripe and richly fruity finish. A wine that harkens back to the legendary 1947 Cheval-Blanc. Drink or hold.

Wine Advocate

97 / 100

byNeal Martinthe9/30/2010

As swarthy and magisterial as the bottle last October. No point saying any more! Tasted September 2008.

Wine Spectator

98 / 100

the12/31/2009

Aromas of blueberry, sweet tobacco, leather and pipe tobacco turning to raisins and Christmas cake. What a wine. Full-bodied, with chewy tannins and a very well-integrated palate. Dark color. A big and powerful wine still. Blockbuster. Massive. Just a baby.¿'88/'98 Bordeaux blind retrospective (2008). Best after 2013.

Jancis Robinson

19 / 20

byJancis Robinsonthe4/7/2009

Mid crimson with a tad more development at the rim than Ausone or Pétrus. Already complex nose – sweet and rather dusty, more like the old traditional Cheval than recent vintages. Currant bun nose, Rich and yet firm and stylish on the palate, Silky and polished. Dry yet sappy finish. This grew in the glass to be very impressive. Both ripe and yet gorgeous to drink with real freshness. Quite a triumph.

Wine Advocate

98 / 100

byNeal Martinthe3/31/2008

Slightly light in colour than Ausone 1998 with a little more maturity on the rim. The nose is more extrovert than Ausone, opulent and fleshy, not dissimilar to a more cultured version of the La Mondotte. It develops further nuances of sloes and black plum with ten minutes in the glass. The palate is very impressive: wonderful structure, a forceful assertive Cheval Blanc with a tad more weight and depth than Ausone. Very harmonious on the finish, the merlot dominating, although you can tell that the Cabernet Franc is lurking in the sidelines waiting to take over from 2010. A great Cheval Blanc fulfilling all its initial promise. Tasted March 2008.

Wine Advocate

97 / 100

byNeal Martinthe10/31/2007

This is destined to be a legendary Cheval Blanc. A deep garnet colour. The nose is intense, though more broody than the bottle shown four months later with hints of blackberry, plum and sloe. The bouquet needs time to unfurl, so advise serious decanting if opening any bottles now. The palate is full-bodied, beautifully delineated with here, a hint of oyster sauce on the mid-palate. Crunchy blackberry, oodles of sweet Merlot but unlike the ’01, complemented by some wonderful Cabernet Franc. Even after a couple of hours in glass, this wine is revealing nuances. Stunning. Tasted October 2007.

Wine Advocate

96 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe6/25/2007

"I seriously underestimated this wine, as I have often tended to do with Cheval Blanc. A potentially immortal example that has gained significant weight since it has been bottled, this blend of 55% Cabernet franc and 45% Merlot has a saturated purple color and a glorious nose of menthol, plums, mulberries, new saddle leather, cocoa, and vanilla. Remarkably fuller bodied than I ever remembered it young, with an amazing seamless texture and tremendous concentration and extract, this full bodied yet gorgeously pure and elegant wine is impeccably balanced and certainly one of the all-time great Cheval Blancs. If it continues to improve as much as it has over the last three years since bottling, this wine will rival the 2000 ($1,800+), 1990 ($1,300+) and 1982 ($1,500+)...Last tasted, 1/03." Robert Parker''''s Bordeaux Book - Fourth Edition 96+

Wine Advocate

96 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe9/30/2005

Comme souvent avec ce cru, j'avais sérieusement sous-estimé le 1998 de Cheval Blanc lors des premières dégustations. En effet, ce vin, qui semble fait pour resister à l'épreuve du temps, s'est considérablement étoffé depuis sa mise en bouteille. Composé à 55% de cabernet franc et à 45% de merlot, le 1998 se distingue par un rubis-pourpre foncé et par de fabuleux arômes de menthol, de prune, de mûre, de cuir, de cacao et de vanille. Plus merveilleusement corsé que dans mes souvenirs, il se développe avec une rondeur époustouflante, révélant une concentration et une richesse en extrait extraordinaires. L'ensemble, impeccable d'équilibre, d'élégance et de pureté, est incontestablement l'un des Cheval Blanc les plus grandioses qui soient. S'il continue de s'améliorer comme il l'a fait ces trois dernières années, il pourra rivaliser avec les 1982, 1990 et 2000 de la propriété. A boire entre 2009 et 2030. 96+

Wine Advocate

97-99 / 100

byNeal Martinthe7/31/2005

Smooth and sensuous out of barrel. Then at the Cheval vertical in July 2005. A less depth on the rim than the 2000. The nose is certainly more subdued with tobacco, strawberry and a little cinnamon. The palate is full-bodied, dense, masculine, and very backward. Less extrovert and sweet than the 2000. Broody, black fruits, tar and dark chocolate. A traditional Cheval Blanc that has closed down. Initially I was swept away by the opulence of the 2000, but on reflection this will be a longer-lasting wine. But it is going to need fifteen years to reach its plateau. Tasted July 2005.

Wine Advocate

96 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe1/1/2003

Comme souvent avec ce cru, j'avais sérieusement sous-estimé le 1998 de Cheval Blanc lors des premières dégustations. En effet, ce vin, qui semble fait pour résister à l'épreuve du temps, s'est considérablement étoffé depuis sa mise en bouteille. Composé à 55% de cabernet franc et à 45 % de merlot, le 1998 se distingue par un rubis-pourpre foncé et par de fabuleux arômes de menthol, de prune, de mûre, de cuir, de cacao et de vanille. Plus merveilleusement corsé que dans mes souvenirs, il se développe avec une rondeur époustouflante, révélant une concentration et une richesse en extrait extraordinaires. L'ensemble, impeccable d'équilibre, d'élégance et de pureté, est incontestablement l'un des Cheval Blanc les plus grandioses qui soient. S'il continue de s'améliorer comme il l'a fait ces trois dernières années, il pourra rivaliser avec les 1982, 1990, et 2000 de la propriété. A boire entre 2009 et 2030. 96+

Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

95 / 100

byStephen Tanzerthe8/31/2002

Full, bright medium ruby. Nose shows an almost liqueur-like ripeness, along with notes of bitter chocolate and menthol; a great expression of ripe but youthfully unevolved cabernet franc. Extremely dense and pure but still quite tight and showing a minty austerity. Wonderful acids give the wine superb clarity of flavor. This will require another decade to unfold. Finishes impressively persistent and juicy. Drink 2010 through 2030. 95+

Wine Spectator

98 / 100

byJames Sucklingthe12/4/2001

One of the more successful Bordeaux appellations in 1998, St.-Emilion boasts dozens of excellent wines. Cheval-Blanc represents the pinnacle. A wine of great breeding and distinction, the 1998 is director and winemaker Pierre Lurton's best ever and one of the greatest Cheval-Blancs ever produced, challenging, and perhaps in time eclipsing, the classic wines from 1982, 1985 and 1986. 8,330 cases made.

Wine Advocate

93 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe4/30/2001

This blend of 55% Cabernet Franc and 45% Merlot exhibits a dark ruby/purple color as well as classic aromas of menthol, plums, mulberries, and assorted black fruits. The oak, texture, acidity, and tannin are all beautifully integrated. While full-bodied, elegant, concentrated, and impeccably balanced, it requires several years of cellaring. Anticipated maturity: 2004-2020.

Kudos to administrator Pierre Lurton for the efforts he has put forth over recent years.

Wine Spectator

98 / 100

byJames Sucklingthe1/31/2001

Subtle, complex and refined, with aromas of cherry, licorice, mineral, berry and other sweet, ripe fruit. Full-bodied and compacted, with masses of fine, silky tannins. Long, long finish. Best after 2010. 8,330 cases made.

Wine Advocate

91-92 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe4/30/2000

This offering is just beginning to put on more weight and reveal the multiple dimensions that Cheval Blanc can achieve. An extremely difficult wine to judge young because of the high percentage of Cabernet Franc in the blend, the dark ruby/purple-colored 1998 possesses medium body, and a gorgeously sweet nose of black fruits, flowers, minerals, and toast. Rich and expansive, with a silky texture, a sexy, exotic personality, and an elegant, stylish, creamy-textured finish, it is weightier, thicker, and richer than when tasted in spring, 1999. If it continues to develop, the above score will appear stingy. I like the direction of this wine's evolution. Anticipated maturity: 2004-2020.

Wine Advocate

90-93 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe4/30/1999

Cheval Blanc harvested its Merlot in mid to late September, and the Cabernet Franc after the rains of September 27 and 28. Yields were a modest 32 hectoliters per hectare, and approximately 72% of the production went into the grand vin. The 1998's final blend was 52% Merlot and 48% Cabernet Franc. A beautifully made Cheval, it may be the finest effort since 1990, although it does not possess that vintage's over-ripeness and opulence. Nevertheless, it is an impressive, sweet, distinctive wine with a deep dark ruby/purple color, and aromas of blackberry liqueur, vanillin, coconut, and a touch of coffee. The 1998 is elegant and sweet, with surprisingly good fatness, medium body, and well-integrated, velvety tannin. This wine can be difficult to taste young (because of the high percentage of Cabernet Franc), and often puts on considerable weight, meriting an even higher score after several years. That being said, the 1998 performed extremely well for such a young Cheval Blanc. Anticipated maturity: 2002-2016.

Wine Spectator

95-100 / 100

byJames Sucklingthe3/31/1999

Exhibits amazing ripeness and power, yet great finesse at the same time. Full-bodied, with massive silky tannins and a long, long, fruity finish. Really superb--the greatest young Cheval-Blanc I have ever tasted.