Château Cheval Blanc - Saint-Emilion Grand Cru 2007 b5952cb1c3ab96cb3c8c63cfb3dccaca

Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

92 / 100

byStephen Tanzerthe8/30/2010

Bright red-ruby. Perfumed aromas of violet, licorice and smoke. Like liquid silk in the mouth, with captivating inner-mouth perfume of berries, smoky oak and flowers. The broad, dusty tannins reach the front teeth. Doesn't possess the force or dimension of a great vintage but offers the advantage of early sweetness. Not particularly backward today, but there's more to come.

Wine Advocate

91 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe4/30/2010

A strong effort in this vintage, the evolved, perfumed, purple-tinged 2007 Cheval Blanc offers complex aromas of menthol, cedarwood, mulberries, and black currants. Medium-bodied with beautiful fruit, sweet tannin, and a heady finish, this lovely wine should drink well for 10-15 years. Drink 2010-2025

Wine Spectator

91 / 100

byJames Sucklingthe3/31/2010

Starts off with loads of fresh herbs that turn to black licorice and sweet blackberry on the nose. Full-bodied, with a big, soft, velvety tannin structure. Long and caressing, with wonderful texture. Really builds on the palate. So delicious already. Best after 2012. 4,250 cases made.

Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

89-92 / 100

byStephen Tanzerthe6/30/2008

(a 54/46 blend of cabernet franc and merlot) Good ruby-red. Pure nose offers blackberry, violet, licorice and bitter chocolate. Supple and sweet, with nicely integrated acidity that's in harmony with the wine's silky texture. Just a tad peppery; I looked for a bit more thrust. Best today on the finish, where the suave fruit shows a lovely restrained sweetness and spreads out to saturate the palate. This is around 13.5% alcohol, with a bit of saignee done for the merlot.

Falstaff

90-92 / 100

the6/30/2008

Tiefdunkles Rubingranat, jugendliche Reflexe, violetter Rand. In der Nase zunächst recht verhalten, feines Weichsel-Kirsch-Bukett, zart nach Nougat, exotische Gewürze klingen an. Am Gaumen kraftvoll, extraktsüß, intensive Gewürzanklänge auch in der Textur, recht präsentes Tanninkleid, das noch etwas fordernd wirkt, hat eine gute Länge, feine karamelige Süße, gutes Potenzial.

Le Point

17,5-18 / 20

byJacques Dupontthe5/15/2008

Nez réglisse, résine, un côté sauvage, bouche ronde, souple, bien fruitée, tanins élégants, délicats, croquants. Finesse et longueur, beaucoup d'allure.

Wine Advocate

88-91 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe5/5/2008

TAST

18-18,5 / 20

the4/29/2008

Belle texture raffinée, fruits rouges très francs et purs, corps frais, élancé et délicat, avec une structure tannique fine et précise, bref, un Cheval archétypique, sans aucune massivité, mais brillant et distingué.

Wine Advocate

93-95 / 100

byNeal Martinthe4/28/2008

The Cheval Blanc has a deep garnet/purple colour. The nose is reticent at first, it definitely needs time so wait 3 minutes and it unfurls some attractive earthy aromas with tobacco becoming ever-stronger with time. The palate is very intense, superb acidity and what I really like about this year’s Cheval is the tension in the wine (a while since I mentioned that at en primeur.) This Cheval Blanc has a sense of urgency that I adore. Very well defined on the finish – masculine, almost Cabernet Sauvignon in quality but I think this is one of the few 2007’s with long-term potential. Great wine. Tasted April 2008.

Jean-Marc QUARIN

17.50 / 20

the4/25/2008

Couleur rouge sombre, pourpre et de bonne intensité. Grand nez frais, pur floral et subtil, qui se développe très fruité à l'agitation. Dès l'entrée en bouche, le vin manifeste sa densité. Il s'installe délicatement et fermement sur la langue et se développe très, très fruité, aromatique, gras, fin et subtil, avec un milieu de bouche plein. Il continue de fondre en bouche en deuxième partie, et présente en finale une tannicité royale. C'est très, très bon et surtout totalement incrachable.

Jancis Robinson

18 / 20

byJancis Robinsonthe4/15/2008

55% Cabernet Franc, 45% Merlot. Selection of the grand vin was limited by the amount of good Merlot available. They made only one third of the usual volume. Quite a long harvest. They usually pick early but had to wait to get full ripeness. More complex than Petit Cheval and lovely freshness and minerality but the difference between Petit Cheval and Cheval Blanc seems much less than in some more dramatically successful years. Cool and calm. Malted milk. Maybe not really really dramatic. Quality of the fruit of 2004 but with softer tannins. So mellow! From 1998, Cheval have made significant amounts of a third wine which they bottle and sell within LVMH companies. I’d like to taste it.

CH'NG Poh Tiong

4 / 5

the4/14/2008

As always, Chateau Cheval Blanc is less aromatic, and less approachable, when young than Le Petit Cheval, the second wine. Still, there is the distinct fragrance of capsicums. The palate is of rich tannins over the more reserved fruit, at least for the time being. Fresh.

Decanter Magazine

17 / 20

the4/4/2008

The trademark elegance is there in the bouquet which shows a poise and freshness of fruit (55% Cabernet Franc in the blend). The palate also shows smoothness and suavity of texture with a crisp tannic edge but the finish is just a little less polished than the rest. Drink 2013-2020.

Wine Spectator

89-92 / 100

byJames Sucklingthe4/1/2008

Has gorgeous aromas already, with plum, sweet tobacco, violet and a little coffee. Medium-bodied, with ultrafine tannins and a long finish. This is 30 percent of the harvest. 60 percent Cabernet Franc and 40 percent Merlot. —J.S.