Cheval Blanc - Saint-Emilion Grand Cru 2010

Vinous

93 / 100

byNeal Martinthe4/30/2020

The 2010 Cheval Blanc has another extravagant bouquet with ample red cherries, raspberry preserve, mulberry, fig and singed leather. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, quite dense and assertive, backward with a sinewy finish that just feels a little forced compared to some of the other wines in this flight. With time in the glass, the new oak seems to dominate the finish. I have definitely had far superior bottles, but that's the way it goes. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners 10-Year On Bordeaux horizontal. Drink 2024-2050. 93? points

Wine Advocate

100 / 100

byLisa Perrotti-Brownthe3/5/2020

Deep garnet in color and made of 54% Cabernet Franc and 46% Merlot, the nose of the 2010 Cheval Blanc is a bit subdued to begin, measuredly opening out to reveal achingly provocative notions of molten chocolate, preserved Morello cherries, baked blackberries, boysenberries and blueberry compote with wafts of underbrush, cigar box, cumin seed and sandalwood. Full-bodied, the palate is a full-on atomic bomb waiting to go off, with very tightly coiled, slowly maturing black fruits eking out glimpses of a vast array of nuances. Still very youthful, it finishes with an incredibly persistent, jaw-dropping display of earth and mineral fireworks. I’d leave this one for another 5 years and drink it over the next 50.

Wine Advocate

100 / 100

byLisa Perrotti-Brownthe8/31/2018

2010 Cheval Blanc - Robert Parker Wine Advocate

Deep garnet colored, the 2010 Cheval Blanc is fairly shut down at this stage, offering up subtle glimpses of an incredibly complex array of aromas including smoked meats, yeast extract, cigar box and new leather with dried mulberries and crème de cassis at the core plus a waft of potpourri. Full-bodied, big, opulent and built like a brick house, it has super firm tannins and great freshness, packed solid with muscular fruit, finishing very long. Tightly wound and oh-so-youthful, yet perfectly formed and poised to be a blockbuster, readers should give this incredible vintage about decade in the cellar before broaching. Drink 2028 - 2078.

Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

95 / 100

the8/31/2013

Good bright, deep red.  Captivating scents of cassis, violet, minerals, bitter chocolate and wild herbs.  Extremely fine-grained but also very dense and chewy for young Cheval Blanc, showing great cabernet franc lift and perfume and a downright velvety texture.  This deep, multilayered wine was a bit dominated by its brooding tannins and big structure when first poured, but I found my score going steadily higher as the wine benefited from air.  My rating may look too conservative a decade from now--or three or four decades hence. 95 (+?) points

Wine Spectator

98 / 100

byJames Molesworththe3/31/2013

This is stone-cold shut down right now, but why worry? You’ll want to wait at least a decade before breaching a bottle as massively endowed as this, with loads of loamy bass notes thumping along underneath a riveting track of licorice snap, pastis-steeped black currant fruit, maduro tobacco and espresso. And then there’s an echo of petrichor at the very end that hints at the aromatic fireworks to come with cellaring. Should compete for wine of the vintage. Best from 2020 through 2040.—J.M.

Wine Advocate

100 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe3/1/2013

The 2010 is one of the most impressive two-year-old Cheval Blancs I have tasted in 34 years in this profession. The final blend of 54% Cabernet Franc and 46% Merlot has the tell-tale berry/floral nose with subtle hints of menthol, blueberry, raspberry and flowers in addition to some forest floor and a delicate touch of lead pencil shavings. The wine exhibits more structure and density than it did from barrel, and it was already remarkable then. The foresty/floral notes seem to linger and linger in this surprisingly full-bodied, powerful Cheval Blanc, yet it possesses a very healthy pH that should ensure enormous longevity. Dense purple in color, and a bigger, richer wine than usual, this is one Cheval Blanc that will probably need a decade of cellaring. I like the description from the estate’s administrator, Pierre Lurton, who said it tasted like “liquid cashmere,” a perfect expression, despite the wine’s structure and intensity.  This is another 50-year wine from this amazingly structured, rich vintage.

Wine Advocate

98 / 100

byNeal Martinthe2/14/2013

Tasted at the property, the Cheval Blanc 2010 has a wonderful bouquet with pixelated clarity: blackberry, briary, crushed stone and a touch of cigar box – it is stately and almost aloof in style. The palate is medium-bodied with superb balance and focus. The tannins are fully ripe, but it maintains the austere style of the vintage. Hints of bay leaf, black pepper and a touch of black truffle inform the dry, but powerful finish. This will need 10 years to really show its pedigree, but it will grow up to by a sublime Cheval Blanc. Tasted November 2012.

Jamessuckling.com

100 / 100

byJames Sucklingthe2/3/2013

The aroma in this wine is crazy with flowers, mushroom, forest floor, and fruit. It seems like I am walking through a row of the vines in Cheval Blanc when I have my nose in the glass. It's full-bodied, with fabulous layers of ultra-fine tannins and milk chocolate, raspberries, and a phenomenal finish. Truly one of the greatest Chevals ever. Better than 2009. Try in 2020.

Wine Advocate

96-98 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe5/31/2011

2010 Cheval Blanc: The 2010 Cheval Blanc contains 13.8% alcohol, which is very high for this estate, and has an unusually high percentage of Cabernet Franc in the final blend (56% versus 44% Merlot). Yields were tiny, adding to the richness and intensity already instilled by the drought of summer and resulting tiny berries. In the style of some of the great Cheval Blancs of the late 1940s, this wine is rich, opulent, full-bodied, and at the risk of sounding like a broken record, as saturated purple in color as any Cheval Blanc I have seen. Mulberries, black currants, fresh minerals, and floral notes jump from the glass of this full-bodied, dense wine. With its tannins, good acidity and surprisingly modest pH, this should be an exceptionally long-lived wine, more backward and delineated than the fatter, more opulent 2009. Drink it over the next 30+ years. Drink 2011-2041. (96-98+ points)

WeinWisser

19 / 20

the5/30/2011

55% Cabernet Franc, 45% Merlot. 30hl/ha. Noch verhaltenes Bouquet, Kandisnuancen, Flieder, dunkle Pflaumen, Cassis, Schwarzteenoten, setzt mehr auf Tiefe und Würze als auf Frucht. Fleischiger, stoffiger Gaumen, zeigt viel Fett und Schmelz in den reichhaltigen Tanninen, gigantische Aromatik, die im Gaumen zunimmt, gebündeltes Finale. Klassicher Cheval, der erst in 20 Jahren seine effektive Grösse zeigen wird. 2020-2050

Asian Palate

96-98 / 100

byJeannie Cho Lee MWthe5/24/2011

The 2010 Cheval Blanc gives off notes of violets, roses, cedar, tobacco, spices and blackberries, resulting in a very aromatic wine, with rich velvety tannins and a density that is prominent on the mid palate and finish. More restrained in style than the 2009, this is a classic, precise wine built to last for many decades. While the 2010 is wonderful I have a slight preference for the 2009, which has more sex appeal, perhaps on account of its much higher Merlot content - 60%, compared with only 44% in 2010.

Le Point

19,5 / 20

byJacques Dupontthe5/12/2011

Joli nez marqué par le cabernet sauvignon, très fruits rouges, rose, bouche douce, fraîche, élégante, un tapis de tanins délicats qui porte le fruit, trame très serrée, long. On a l'impression que le merlot apporte la trame touffue, et les francs le fruit. O=2018 G=30 ans

Jamessuckling.com

99-100 / 100

byJames Sucklingthe4/30/2011

The blueberry and blackberry character and bouquet of violets is off the charts. Full body, the Cabernet Franc dominates the blend now, with so much dark fruits, minerals and flowers with hints of spices. It is a very powerful and linear CB and shows amazing length and purity. Zen-like focus.

Decanter Magazine

20 / 20

byJames Lawther MWthe4/30/2011

Sublime wine. Fresh, floral, perfumed. More elegant and sensual than the '09. Pure, sumptuous fruit. Refined texture and tannins. Lovely acidity for balance. Seamless. Drink 2020-2050. (20 points)

Wine Spectator

95-98 / 100

byJames Molesworththe4/30/2011

Lush and very rounded, with lots of muscle and heft, but also great polish and pose to the gorgeous boysenberry, plum and fig notes. Supercreamy on the finish, with bittersweet cocoa, violet, mint, anise and tobacco in reserve. Tasted non-blind. —J.M.

TAST

19-20 / 20

by Bettane & Desseauvethe4/30/2011

Le grand vin représente 60% de la production de la propriété et s’appuie sur 56% de cabernet franc et 44% de merlot. Le millésime confirme le retour magistral du cru au plus haut de Bordeaux, après quelques irrégularités dans la première partie de la décennie. Construit en profondeur et en fraîcheur, il offre un éclat aromatique exceptionnel, l’intensité et le velours du tanin, la distinction et l’intensité. Bref, un sommet absolu.

The Wine Cellar Insider

96-98 / 100

byJeff Levethe4/25/2011

"Cheval Blanc Produced from a higher percentage of Cabernet Franc than usual, 56% Cabernet Franc, with the remaining 34% percent relegated to Merlot; that assemblage is similar to what is planted in the vineyards today. The wine reached 14.5% alcohol with a 3.75 pH, allowing for a rich, ripe wine that is also alcoholic and fresh. Placing your nose into this wine reminds you of walking into a flower shop. The aromatics are further complicated with scents of stone, oak, truffle, caramel and black cherry. Pairing delicacy with power, this is an elegant, deep, wine of finesse, purity and refinement. Part of the reason for the wines success is the long and exacting time spent harvesting the fruit. The estate took three weeks to conclude picking. Previously, they finished the harvest in two weeks. 96-98 Pts"

Jancis Robinson

18,5 / 20

byJancis Robinsonthe4/14/2011

56% Cabernet Franc, 44% Merlot. Meaty and savoury. Almost austere on the nose relative to how young Cheval usually tastes. Very youthful but aromatic, then lovely lusciousness on the palate. Recalls great old Chevals with that seductive freshness. Lovely dry finish. (Blend for 2009 was exactly the opposite.) Coulure affected Merlot in 2010. Lost lots of volume on Merlot. Great structure but also lovely floral seductive aroma. Opens out in the glass in the most convincing manner. Presumably they think it would have been even better if vinified in the new cellar that is due for completion this summer. Drink 2025-2045(18,5+ points)

Wine Enthusiast

96-98 / 100

byRoger Vossthe4/8/2011

A beautifully perfumed wine, with aromas of violets. It's full of ripe spice and great berry fruits, with tough and smoky tannins at the finish.-R.V.

Jean-Marc QUARIN

18,5 / 20

byJean-Marc Quarinthe4/6/2011

Vin très coloré, au nez profond, pur, sentant le cacao et le framboise. Superbe entrée en bouche minutieuse. Et de suite le vin resplendit par son toucher de bouche magique. Il fond au palais avec grâce et puissance. Aérien et profond. Grande finale riche en saveurs et très complexe. C'est superbe.