Château CHEVAL BLANC 2015

Description

Lisa Perrotti-Brown 100 points (février 2018) www.robertparker.com
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.

Jean-Marc Quarin 100 points (février 2018) www.quarin.com
Couleur rouge sombre et intense. Nez très aromatique, fin, subtil et surtout complexe variant sans cesse de la framboise, à la réglisse en passant par le tabac. Une association douce et rare entre l’éclat, la fraîcheur du fruit et une ambiance aromatique plus exotique. Texture quasi huileuse dès l’attaque se développant à la fois extrêmement dense et extrêmement raffinée, parfumée, avant d’envahir la bouche. Et dans ce sillage se dessine un absolu de la qualité à en perdre les mots. Magique, magnifique ! Très grande finale complexe redoublée par un retour d’arômes sophistiqué où se mêlent la violette, la réglisse et le bois exotique. Une association parfaite entre les visages de l’hédonisme et de l’esthétique. Bravo ! Assemblage : 55 % merlot, 45 % cabernet franc.

Antonio Galloni 99 points (février 2018) www.vinous.com
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.