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19 Rene Gabriel
97 Robert Parker
An underrated vintage, the 2011 Cheval Blanc is evolving brilliantly. Wafting from the glass with aromas of smoky cassis, blackberries, loamy soil, tobacco leaf, bitter chocolate, mint and violets, it's full-bodied, velvety and multidimensional, with a layered core of fruit, rich and powdery structuring tannin and a long, resonant finish. While the 2009 and 2010 are more powerful and unctuous, readers who prize Cheval Blanc for its extraordinary complexity and unique perfume might well prefer the 2011, as it is a wine that could come from nowhere else.
97 Robert Parker
An underrated vintage, the 2011 Cheval Blanc is evolving brilliantly. Wafting from the glass with aromas of smoky cassis, blackberries, loamy soil, tobacco leaf, bitter chocolate, mint and violets, it's full-bodied, velvety and multidimensional, with a layered core of fruit, rich and powdery structuring tannin and a long, resonant finish. While the 2009 and 2010 are more powerful and unctuous, readers who prize Cheval Blanc for its extraordinary complexity and unique perfume might well prefer the 2011, as it is a wine that could come from nowhere else.
96 Wine Spectator
Very perfumy, with lovely red and black fruit that's pure and refined. There's a creamy feel, with hints of bergamot, cassis and toasted spice. Long and very suave through the finish. Well put together. Tasted non-blind.—J.M.
94 Vinous
The 2011 Cheval Blanc has an elegant, quite refined bouquet with brambly red fruit, scorched earth, terracotta and sage, very complex and harmonious. Could this be Figeac? [Post-script. No, but not far off!] The palate is medium-bodied with rounded tannins, quite plush and sensual, rich for this vintage with plenty of concentrated, quite sweet and spicy, hoisin-tinged fruit on the precise finish. This is a very fine Saint-Émilion. Tasted blind at the annual 10-Year-On tasting.
94 Vinous
The 2011 Cheval Blanc has an elegant, quite refined bouquet with brambly red fruit, scorched earth, terracotta and sage, very complex and harmonious. Could this be Figeac? [Post-script. No, but not far off!] The palate is medium-bodied with rounded tannins, quite plush and sensual, rich for this vintage with plenty of concentrated, quite sweet and spicy, hoisin-tinged fruit on the precise finish. This is a very fine Saint-Émilion. Tasted blind at the annual 10-Year-On tasting.
92 James Suckling
Deep and rich with a lovely balance of ripe black berries, bitter chocolate and smoke. A ripe and generous style, the fine tannins already nicely softened. Long, supple and gentle finish that’s very appealing, but slightly simple. Drink or hold. Château Quintus vertical tasting. SP.
Producer
Château Cheval Blanc
Producing phenomenal wines vintage after vintage, some being the most renowned wines in the world - the legendary Château Cheval Blanc lays at their forefront. Bernault Arnault and Albert Frère purchased the property in the late 1990s, sparing no expense the partners plan to make Cheval Blanc the greatest château on Bordeaux’s Right Bank. Classified as a Grand Cru Classé A-grade property, Cheval Blanc owns unarguably the highest plantings of Cabernet Franc in Bordeaux. Bordering the Pomerol appellation, with over half of their 39-hectares of land planted to Cabernet Franc, the estate consists of forty-five separate plots scattered across the region. The unique patchwork of an estate, alongside the high proportion of Cabernet Franc, accounts for the wine’s great complexity. A classically styled Cheval Blanc can be described by its rich, concentrated and intensely complex dark berry fruit and all spice flavors. Ten years or more of ageing will display the structured silky texture of the Grand Vin, Cheval Blanc at its best. A truly unrivalled wine.