2008 Cheval Blanc Bordeaux Blend

Bordeaux Blend - 750ML
Reg: $695.00
$545.00
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REVIEWS

JL 96 DC 95 JS 95 VN 95 WE 95 WA 93 WS 93
JL 96

TheWineCellarInsider.com, September 2018

Starting to develop secondary nuances, with air you find flowers, tobacco, red fruits and cigar box notes. This is a classic style of Cheval Blanc, with concentration, energy and freshness that will require another decade...
DC 95

Decanter, December 2017

Cheval Blanc gives a different expression of Cabernet Franc to Ausone, in terms of its kick and structure. The tannins feel enveloping, going deep rather than high, full of complex layers of tight black fruits, succulent...
JS 95

jamessuckling.com, December 2010

I am really impressed with this. It is powerful and rich with so much blueberry vanilla and spice on the nose and palate. It's full and very spicy and fruit on the palate but remains refined and subtle. Rich and polished...
VN 95

Vinous, December 2023

The 2008 Cheval Blanc is one of the go-to wines of the vintage. Now at 15 years old, it has retained the energy and focus it displayed from the outset: black fruit, crushed stone, wilted violet petals and touches of...
WE 95

Wine Enthusiast, April 2011

A great success showing impressive concentration. It is almost severe to begin with then sweet tannins sweep in. The higher than usual proportion of Merlot gives a wine that combines plumpness with black plums figs and...
WA 93

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, May 2011

The 2008 Cheval Blanc (55% Merlot and 45% Cabernet Franc) is a winner from this underrated classic vintage. Notes of forest floor Asian plum sauce black currants sweet cherries and spice are followed by a medium to...
WS 93

Wine Spectator, December 2010

This isn't shy about letting a tobacco leaf note weave in and out while the core of red currant damson plum and bitter cherry grows and fleshes out as this airs. The long finish lets mineral red licorice and mesquite...

WINE DETAILS

Color & Type Red
Varietal Bordeaux Blend
Country France
Region Bordeaux
Sub-region Saint Emilion
Vintage 2008
Size 750ML
Percent alcohol 13.5%
Closure Cork

Chateau Cheval Blanc is a Premier Grand Cru Classe “A” estate located near Pomerol, but within the commune of Saint-Emilion. Its 39 hectares are divided into forty-five plots. While most of the appellation's other famous estates have limestone soil, Cheval Blanc's soil is alluvial, with roughly equal proportions of gravel and clay.

The vineyard has an original combination of grape varieties: 49% Cabernet Franc, 47% Merlot, and 4% Cabernet Sauvignon. Each plot has its own specific profile and, to a certain extent, are treated like separate vineyards because of differences in the age of the vines, grape variety, soil type, surface area, type of rootstock, etc. The combination of these many facets accounts for Cheval Blanc’s great complexity.

Archives show that vines have been grown at Cheval Blanc at least as far back as the 15th century, but the most prestigious part of Cheval Blanc's history can be dated from 1832 when the core plot of the present-day estate was purchased by Jean-Jacques Ducasse, President of the Libourne Trade Tribunal. Over the next twenty years, the purchase of plots belonging to Chateau Figeac led to the vineyard as we know it today.

The impressive 6,000 square-meter cellar adjacent to the chateau, designed by Christian de Portzamparc and inaugurated in June 2011, houses a state-of-the-art winemaking facility and features two enormous waves of white concrete that rise magnificently out of the ground. There is a garden of wild grasses atop an artificial hill, whose gracious curves are overlooked by the chateau. The wine cellar holds fifty-two concrete vats in six rows.

Formerly known as vin de Figeac, this wine was first sold under the name Cheval Blanc in 1852. The first gold medal won by Cheval Blanc came at the 1878 Universal Exhibition in Paris and that distinction appears on the label.

Each vineyard plot is vinified separately. At the start of fermentation, the juice is gently pumped over three times daily. As fermentation proceeds, pump-over frequency decreases and is eventually stopped when the desired level of extraction has been reached.

The young wine is aged 16 to 18 months in new French oak barrels. Six to seven different coopers are used to ensure complexity and harmony. During this period, the wine is racked by hand five to seven times. Blending takes place after the first three months.

The 2008 Cheval Blanc is a Bordeaux Blend from the renowned Saint Emilion sub-region of Bordeaux, France. This wine, produced by Cheval Blanc, showcases the elegance and complexity that Bordeaux wines are famous for. With a beautiful deep red color, this wine immediately captures the eye and invites you to explore its enticing aromas and flavors.

On the nose, the 2008 Cheval Blanc offers a captivating bouquet of forest floor, Asian plum sauce, black currants, sweet cherries, and spice. These aromas are followed by a medium to full-bodied wine that exhibits deep fruit and admirable purity. The wine has a long textured finish, leaving a lasting impression on the palate.

Renowned wine critic Robert Parker's Wine Advocate awarded the 2008 Cheval Blanc a score of 93, describing it as a winner from the underrated classic vintage. According to Parker, this wine has no hard edges and can be enjoyed now or cellared for two decades. James Suckling, another respected critic, scored this wine even higher with a 95, praising its power, richness, and spicy fruit flavors. Suckling recommends aging the wine for at least five years to fully appreciate its potential.

The Wine Spectator also awarded the 2008 Cheval Blanc a score of 93, noting its impressive range and the weaving tobacco leaf notes. Wine Enthusiast, on the other hand, gave it a whopping 95 points, describing it as a great success with impressive concentration and plumpness.

Jeff Leve, a wine expert from TheWineCellarInsider.com, scored the 2008 Cheval Blanc an impressive 96 points. Leve noted that the wine is starting to develop secondary nuances, showcasing flowers, tobacco, red fruits, and cigar box notes. This classic style of Cheval Blanc has concentration, energy, and freshness that will require another decade before it reaches its peak.

Decanter also praised the 2008 Cheval Blanc, awarding it a score of 95. They described the wine as having enveloping tannins and complex layers of tight black fruits, succulent brambly fruits, and liquorice root.

Overall, the 2008 Cheval Blanc is a wine of exceptional quality and character. With its impressive scores and reviews, this Bordeaux Blend is a testament to the craftsmanship of Cheval Blanc and the terroir of the Saint Emilion region in Bordeaux. Whether enjoyed now or aged for a few more years, this wine is sure to delight and captivate any wine enthusiast.