Producer

Château Cheval Blanc

SUMMARY

Founded in 1930, Château Cheval Blanc is one of the most famous and highly regarded names in Bordeaux wine. The vineyards are planted with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Malbec that grow on gravelly soils close to the Gironde estuary in St-Emilion. The vines average around 30 years old but some are more than 60 years old. Eighty per cent of its production goes into Grand Vin de Cheval Blanc while 20% is used for second wines such as Le Petite Faurie or L’Ermitage du Baron Philippe Rothschild. The vineyard itself is located east of Libourne is Bordeaux and is placed at the intersection of the Isle and Dordogne rivers. It is around 100 acres large and planted with 40% Merlot, 57% Cabernet Franc, 20% Malbec and five per cent Malbec. The wine produced by Château Cheval Blanc is one of only four wines that received the rank of Premier Grand Cru Classé (A) as part of the Classification of Saint-Émilion wine.

The area around Saint-Emilion that hosts Château Cheval Blanc has been used for the cultivation of grapes for wine since the time of the Romans. The area was originally owned by the Roman Consul and winemaker Ausonius and he is credited with starting the winemaking history in the area. The geographic location of the estate has a great influence on its wines as it benefits from two important ventilations: one coming from the Atlantic Ocean which moderates summertime temperatures and another one called the “Puy Vent” which comes from the east creating lower humidity during springtime. These particular climate conditions combined with excellent grape varietals allowed Château Cheval Blanc to be classified in 1954 as Premier Grand Cru Classé A – Saint-Emilion wine region. Since the 12th century, monks have been cultivating vines around this land but it was only in 1832 that Jean Laussac-Fourcaud bought what is now Château Cheval Blanc and turned it into one of the finest wineries worldwide. Throughout history, there have been many owners of this prestigious winery but it is Jean-André Delmas who took over the property in 1993 and turned it into one of the finest wineries worldwide. Today, the duo of Bernard Arnault and Baron Albert Frère continues to uphold this legacy by bringing modernity through her dynamic personality alongside the oenologists’ team composed of Michel Rolland as consultant oenologist and Denis Dubourdieu as technical director for vineyards. This beautiful family estate has earned its place among other prestigious wines such as Château Palmer or Pavie Macquin thanks also to their long history which created an exceptional terroir allowing them to produce outstanding wines year after year. The vineyard is one of the largest in Bordeaux with a surface area close to 70 hectares, all planted on gravel soils which gives it its famous structure. The vineyard’s location is unique, with the gravel soils providing drainage to allow for good aeration of the vines. The wine produced by Château Cheval Blanc is best described as a wine of power, elegance and finesse with tasting notes of black fruit, liquorice and coffee.