Many wine connoisseurs are ready to claim that Cheval Blanc 1947 is the best wine ever made in Bordeaux. While such strong assertions should generally be taken with a grain of salt, the fact remains that Chateau Cheval Blanc, the producer of Cheval Blanc, is a legendary estate and a lasting symbol of Saint-Émilion on the right bank of Bordeaux, one of only four wineries in Saint-Émilion with the dizzyingly high designation of Premier Grand Cru Classé A.
Legend has it that King Henry IV rode on his white horse to the border of the Saint-Émilion and Pomerol regions in the sixteenth century and decided to rest at an inn that later, named after its royal guest, became known as Auberge du Cheval Blanc (White Horse Inn). According to this tale, the name of the inn was later extended to the wine estate, which has retained its name from the 16th century throughout history. Unfortunately, almost none of this is true, except that King Henry IV loved the wines from this region: by the time of his visit, one village producing wine already bore the name Cheval Blanc. Under its current name, Chateau Cheval Blanc has existed for about two centuries and today encompasses 39.5 hectares of vineyards divided into 55 unique plots. The wines from these plots are vinified separately to achieve a distinct expression of each part of the estate, creating balanced and powerful wines in each vintage. From vintage to vintage, this wine estate confirms its elite status among the great houses of Bordeaux.
A deep impact on popular culture
Cabernet Franc is the dominant variety in Cheval Blanc wine, and in the current 2022 vintage, just released on the market, the wine consists of 53% Cabernet Franc, 46% Merlot, and 1% Cabernet Sauvignon. It’s worth quoting critic James Suckling, who gave the wine an almost perfect score:
– This is a wine that soars to new heights with its brightness and weightlessness. The balance of serene fruit that’s perfectly ripe. Full-bodied yet tight and polished where it seems delicate and compressed, with berry, chocolate and walnut character- said the great critic about a wine that is just at the beginning of its journey and has many years of aromatic development ahead.
Cheval Blanc is a wine that has left the deepest mark on popular culture, so much so that even people far removed from the world of wine know this label. In the film Sideways by Alexander Payne, part of the plot is dedicated to this wine from the 1961 vintage, while the famous “white horse,” without a specified vintage, is tasted by Sean Connery in the 1983 James Bond film Never Say Never Again. In a hilarious scene from the film Naked Gun 33 1/3, the main character incites a riot in prison because his “Chateau LeBlanc” (the name was altered to avoid a dispute with producers) from 1968 was served at room temperature instead of lightly chilled. In the now-legendary animated film Ratatouille, critic Anton Ego orders a bottle of Cheval Blanc 1947.
In the 21st century, white wine arrives
Chateau Cheval Blanc also produces an excellent “second wine,” which has become famous in its own right: Le Petit Cheval is made from 60% Merlot, 33% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 7% Cabernet Franc, and, like its “older brother,” ages for 16 months in new barrique barrels. The portfolio of the famous estate is complemented by Le Petit Cheval Blanc, a white wine created in the 21st century as part of the evolution of the renowned estate. This wine is predominantly made from Sauvignon Blanc, with a small addition of Sémillon.
Tasting the wines of Chateau Cheval Blanc, ideally on-site, is an unforgettable privilege and one of the great gifts of Bordeaux.
