1946 | Ch√¢teau Cheval Blanc | Saint-Emilion

Detailed Description

The nose opens with notes of reduction as well as aromas of dry vegetables such as hay and straw. The second nose is on the foliage and the small tangy red fruit like redcurrant. On the palate, the wine is unfortunately diluted and acidic. Simple, it lacks depth and length, while offering aromas of cold smoke, hearth and caramel.

Producer Information

Ch√¢teau Cheval Blanc is a highly lauded wine estate in the Saint-√âmilion region of northeast Bordeaux. Classified with the top ranking of Premier Grand Cru Class√© A, it is regarded by many as one of the greatest wines of the appellation ‚Äì if not, the greatest. It is certainly the most famous Cabernet Franc-based wine in the world, albeit often alongside very similar levels of Merlot. Typically, the “grand vin” (the estate’s eponymous wine) is lush and full bodied with great weight of fruit. It tends to require ten years of bottle age and the best vintages can last half a century or more. The second wine of the estate is Le Petit Cheval. Vineyard: The vineyard is located in the northwest of the region, bordering Pomerol (La Conseillante is a neighbor) and consists of 39 hectares (96 acres) divided into 45 plots. There is an unusually large amount of Cabernet Franc planted ‚Äì about 52 percent ‚Äì with 43 percent Merlot and five percent Cabernet Sauvignon. The unusual planting proportions reflect the terroir; most vineyards in the region are either clay or gravel-based over impermeable sedimentary rock, but Cheval Blanc is unique in having a patchwork of soils with the two types in roughly equal proportions. The clay soils provide base wines with velvety tannins, while those from gravel soils are more aromatic and elegant.