Château Cheval Blanc Saint Emilion 2015
- we100
- wa100
- js99
- ws98
- jd98
- d98
- v96+
Category | Red Wine |
Varietals | |
Brand | Château Cheval Blanc |
Origin | France, Bordeaux, Saint-Émilion |
Alcohol/vol | 14.5% |
Situated on the Pomerol border, the esteemed Cheval Blanc estate in Saint Emilion produces wines of opulent richness, with lush tannins and incredible fragrance. The vineyard is planted to 58% Cabernet Franc and 42% Merlot, with very old vines averaging 50+ years, and Cheval Blanc is considered to be, "Undoubtedly one of Bordeaux's most profound wines." Robert Parker
The 2015 vintage was hot and dry at the beginning of the year and then cool during the ripening season. Due to the exceptional quality of the harvest throughout, there was no Petit Cheval produced in this vintage. The 2015 vintage wines are beautifully balanced and harmonious.
Look for a deep, shiny, ruby red color with violet hints. The nose is extraordinarily intense. A medley of fruit, flowers, spices and balsamic notes combines with a marked freshness resulting in a bouquet of rare complexity. The initial aromas are dominated by red fruits, raspberry, blackcurrant crush and subtle floral notes of lily and violet. A powerful, rich attack develops into a dense mid-palate enveloped in precise, clean, elegant, distinguished and persistent tannins. This wine is rich and full-bodied with an extremely long finish. Power, elegance and distinction combine to create a perfectly harmonious wine.
Wine Enthusiast
- we100
Cellar Selection : Made with 45% Cabernet Franc, this great wine offers a beautiful, rich and perfumed character. This is an exceptional vintage for this estate which incorporated into the blend fruit from parcels of the vineyard that would normally go into the second wine. It is packed with black-fruit flavors and broad tannins, with a background of juicy acidity and a firm structure. Drink from 2027.
Wine Advocate
- wa100
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.
James Suckling
- js99
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.
Wine Spectator
- ws98
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.
Jeb Dunnuck
- jd98
I continue to absolutely love the 2015 Cheval Blanc. It’s one of those powerful, sexy, yet also weightless and elegant wines that’s going to drink well all its life. Checking in as a blend of 55% Merlot and 45% Cabernet Franc brought up in new barrels, it offers a kaleidoscope of aromas and flavors led by beautiful sweet fruits as well as incredible floral, spice, and graphite nuances. It’s full-bodied, with a rich, rounded, opulent texture, sweet tannins, and a blockbuster finish. As with a lot of 2015s, it has the sweetness of fruit and ripe tannin that allows it to drink well today, but it’s going to be very long-lived and have 3-4 decades of prime drinking.
Decanter
- d98
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. Barrel Sample.
Vinous
- v96+
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.
Cap
-
wa91Wine Advocate
-
ws91Wine Spectator
-
st91International Wine Cellar
-
we91Wine Enthusiast
-
js91James Suckling
-
bs91Bottle Shop
-
w&s91Wine & Spirits
-
bh91Burghound
-
wj91Wine Journal
-
wsk91Whiskey Advocate
-
agv91Vinous
-
d91Decanter
-
tp91The Tasting Panel
-
jd91Jeb Dunnuck
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-