Cheval Blanc - Saint-Emilion 2015

Vinous

96

byNeal Martinthe7/10/2019

The 2015 Cheval Blanc has an intense bouquet of red and black fruit but lacks the precision and detail of some of its peers at present. It gradually unfurls to reveal light graphite/pencil box aromas, along with a touch of sous-bois indicative of a healthy percentage of Cabernet Franc. The fresh, vibrant palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, crisp acidity and a slightly closed, reticent finish, suggesting that it is saving more for later. Classic in style, more so than its peers, but worth cellaring for certain. Tasted blind at the Southwold 2015 Bordeaux tasting.

Wine Advocate

100

byLisa Perrotti-Brownthe8/31/2018

Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, the 2015 Cheval Blanc is still incredibly primary at this very youthful stage. With coaxing, it unfurls to reveal beguiling notions of ripe black cherries, mulberries, licorice, baking spices and smoked meats with touches of incense and potpourri plus wafts of cast iron pan and crushed rocks. Full-bodied, very rich, very firm/taut and with very ripe, fine-grained tannins, it allows a glimpse at its incredible depth of flavors with a very long multi-layered finish. Wow. Drink 2027 - 2067.

Jean-Marc QUARIN

19

byJean-Marc Quarinthe4/1/2018

Ma meilleure note donnée à ce cru en primeur. Lorsqu'en octobre dernier, je suis allé goûter les différents lots avant la fermentation malolactique, j'avais été impressionné par deux choses : l'homogénéité de tous les lots et le fait que les vinificateurs dans leur travail ne séparaient pas les lots de merlot de ceux du cabernet franc dans cette dégustation. Seul l'éclat du goût comptait. Magnifique ! Pour la première fois, il n'y aura pas de second vin à Cheval Blanc. 90,5 % de la récolte produit du premier vin et 9,5 % du troisième. Couleur intense, belle et pourpre. Nez très aromatique, fin, fruité, pur, subtil et original, avec sa note de gelée de mûres et sa touche de noisette, de café, à peine truffé. Superbe entrée en bouche ultra raffinée, puis le vin s'installe au milieu et « plombe » délicatement. Il glisse et avance juteux, profond et complexe, vers une finale tout en moelleux, avec énormément de goût. C'est un bonbon. Superbe ! Postule pour devenir le vin du millésime. Assemblage : 55 % merlot, 45 % cabernet franc. Degré d'alcool : 14,35° ¬pH : 3,74. Rendement : 29 hl/ha.

Wine Advocate

100

byLisa Perrotti-Brownthe3/3/2018

As many readers may know, 2015 was the first year since 1988 that Cheval Blanc did not produce its second wine, Petit Cheval. This said, parts of two of the Cheval Blanc blocks were not used at all—Plot 17A and the north part of Plot 10—which had problems with water availability during the dry spell, and the fruit was sold for bulk. Therefore, this vintage of the Grand Vin equates to roughly 90% of the total production, making it one of the most complete expressions of Cheval Blanc ever produced. Composed of 53% Merlot and 47% Cabernet Franc, the deep garnet-purple colored 2015 Cheval Blanc slowly opens up to reveal plum preserves, black forest cake, blackberry pie and pronounced licorice notes with suggestions of cloves, cinnamon stick, star anise, dried Provence herbs and lavender plus wafts of iron ore and dusty soil. Medium to full-bodied, rich and densely packed with incredible layers of black, red and blue fruits, it completely fills the palate with energy and expression, framed by very ripe, wonderfully velvety tannins and a racy line of acid, finishing with incredible length and poise. At once achingly graceful and captivatingly cerebral, this is a legendary vintage for this great estate.

Vinous

99

byAntonio Gallonithe2/27/2018

Totally seamless in the glass, with no beginning and no end, the 2015 Cheval Blanc is simply extraordinary. It's hard to describe the 2015, because all of its elements are so perfectly in place. Beautifully delineated aromatics make a strong opening statement. Vibrant and wonderfully nuanced on the palate, the wine exudes energy and vitality through to the persistent, silky finish. Many other 2015s speak with more assertiveness and volume, but Cheval Blanc is more understsated. In 2015, Cheval Blanc created quite a stir in announcing that a whopping 91% of their crop would be bottled as Grand Vin. There will be no Petit Cheval, while the rest of the wine was sold internally.

Wine Spectator

98

byJames Molesworththe2/15/2018

A lovely sanguine hint leads off, followed by racy, elegant juniper, tobacco, red currant and damson plum notes that move in unison. Broadens and deepens, adding notes of currant preserves, warm ganache and smoldering tobacco, with a swath of loamy structure. Yet even as the bass line increases in volume through the finish, this maintains purity and poise. Should deliver some stunning aromatics at peak, which will take awhile to achieve. Best from 2025 through 2045. 8,250 cases made.  –JM

Jamessuckling.com

99

byJames Sucklingthe2/12/2018

Phenomenal aromas of cherries, flowers, blackberries and sandalwood. Pure fruit. Full-bodied, dense and polished with incredible tannin quality like the finest, densest silk ball. In perfect proportions. Compact. Seamless and endless. Gorgeous to taste now but give it six or seven years to understand it better.

Jeb DUNNUCK

98

byJeb Dunnuckthe11/30/2017

The Wine Cellar Insider

98-100

byJeff Levethe4/30/2016

The nose pops with spice, flowers, smoke, plums and cherries. Open your mind to beauty, desire and a bite-your-bottom-lip eroticism. This is what elegant hedonism is all about. This wine is sensuous beyond belief, fresh and vibrant. The fruits feel like French velour on your palate. The wine is incredibly rich, yet light on its feet, which is almost impossible to achieve. Trust me, I drank every last drop of this barrel sample. When the coast was clear, I poured a little more into my glass and drank that too! From a blend of 55% Merlot and 45% Cabernet Franc, the wine reached 14.35% alcohol with a pH of 3.6. According to Pierre Lurton, there was no Petit Cheval produced in 2015, because the quality of the harvest was so good, making a second wine, did not improve the Grand Vin, regardless of the blend. The harvest took place from September 3 to October 10.

Wine Advocate

97-99

byNeal Martinthe4/29/2016

The 2015 Cheval Blanc represents the entire vineyard this year, since there is no Le Petit Cheval (two plots that did not meet requirements were not included in any blend). A blend of 45% Cabernet Franc/Cabernet Sauvignon and 55% Merlot, matured in 100% new oak, it has a very complex bouquet, subtle and tightly wound, very precise with dark berry fruit, hints of graphite, minerals and a hint of black pepper, perhaps a little spicier than recent vintages. The palate is medium-bodied with extraordinarily fine tannin. Beautifully balanced, perfectly controlled, this Cheval Blanc gently builds in the mouth, but remains strict and precise. The Cabernet Franc here is very expressive (though apparently the Merlot was showier prior to malolactic). This is an intellectual Cheval Blanc, thoroughly enjoyable, but it will need 10-12 years to really show its pedigree. A profound wine in the making, it will rank with the great wines of the past.

Decanter.com

98

bySteven Spurrierthe4/28/2016

My Right Bank wine of the vintage and close to perfection. 55% Merlot and 45% Cabernet Franc, representing 90.5% of this year’s production (no Petit Cheval this year). Exudes elegance, class and precision. Dense, fresh, perfumed nose and the most velvety of textures. Remarkable quality of tannin allows a gentle attack then prodigious length and persistence. Nothing out of place.2025-2050

Vinous

95-97

byAntonio Gallonithe4/27/2016

A wine of total finesse, the 2015 Cheval Blanc speaks to understatement above all else. Sweet floral notes meld into a core of bright red stone fruits and mint. Silky, nuanced and wonderfully persistent on the palate, the 2015 possesses remarkable depth, but in an understated fashion. There is plenty of tannin buried beneath the fruit. The 2015 is not an obvious Cheval Blanc, but rather a sublime wine that will only start to blossom with a decade plus in bottle. It will drink well for decades beyond that.

Jancis Robinson

18,5

byJancis Robinsonthe4/26/2016

55% Merlot, 45% Cabernet Franc. 34 days of picking, 3 September - 6 October! Historic long vintage. No Petit Cheval, so 90% of the crop went into this wine. Very sweet almost balsam nose. Very distinctive! Really fine with lovely tannins. Lots of ripe fruit and masses of tannin as well as ripeness. The alcohol is only just moderate enough. Very dramatic without being at all exaggerated. Some red pepper powder notes.  14.35%.  Drink 2027-2050. 18,5+

timatkin.com

98

byTim Atkin MWthe4/20/2016

Jamessuckling.com

96-97

byJames Sucklingthe4/5/2016

A Cheval with a depth and finesse that reminds me of the 1998. Full body, ultra-fine tannins and amazing length and beauty. Such finesse and harmony. Super silky and classic for Cheval Blanc.