2012 Cheval Blanc Bordeaux Blend

Bordeaux Blend - 750ML
Reg: $675.00
$559.00
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ETA: Jan. 2025
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REVIEWS

JA 98 NM 97 DC 96 JD 96 JL 96 TWI 96 JG 95 WA 95 WE 95 WS 95 VN 94 JS 93
JA 98

janeanson.com, March 2022

Seductive, rich flavours, far more creamy in its fruit expression than many of the top Left Banks in the 2012 vintage, and yet also higher in fresh acidities, giving a lovely push-and-pull contrast. Persistent, with sage...
NM 97

Neal Martin's Wine Journal, May 2013

(NM95-97 points) The Grand Vin is a blend of 54% Merlot and 46% Cabernet Franc, 26th September until the 13th October that comes from 35 different parcels. The picking is done in the vineyard for the first sorting by the...
DC 96

Decanter, March 2022

A beautifully balanced claret with a fragrant silky texture, fine backbone and length on the palate, promising a long life. Not a ‘big’ wine but a delicious one with class. Made in the spanking new cellar (inaugurated...
JD 96

jebdunnuck.com,

(96+points) A step up over the 2011, the 2012 Cheval Blanc offers a similar medium to full-bodied, elegant style yet has slightly more freshness and purity. Smoked black fruits, cassis, tobacco leaf, and sappy flower...
JL 96

TheWineCellarInsider.com, May 2015

Black cherry liqueur, chocolate mint, espresso and black cherry in the mouth. Silky, with velvet tannins, stone and sweet, ripe, sensuous black and red fruits in the finish. Read more...
TWI 96

The Wine Independent, September 2023

The 2012 Cheval Blanc is deep garnet-brick in color. Notes of cigar box, Chinese five spice, and plum preserves all leap from the nose, leading to hints of dried cherries, dusty soil, graphite, and garrigue. The...
JG 95

View From The Cellar, March 2013

95+ The grand vin here this year is comprised of a blend of fifty-four percent merlot and forty-six percent cabernet franc and was produced from yields of thirty-one hectoliters per hectare. It is a great Cheval Blanc in...
WA 95

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, September 2018

95+ Medium to deep garnet colored, the 2012 Cheval Blanc reveals lovely cassis, warm black cherries and redcurrant jelly notions with underlying hints of cedar chest, garrigue, Indian spices and damp soil. Medium to...
WE 95

Wine Enthusiast, May 2015

With a wonderful 45% blending of fragrant Cabernet Franc, this is a sumptuous, perfumed wine. It’s rich with a velvet texture that hides the dark tannins while bringing out the rich plum flavors. The dense texture is...
WS 95

Wine Spectator, January 2015

This wine is gorgeous in all facets, offering a simultaneously loamy and creamy mouthfeel, seamless layers of red and black currant, cherry, raspberry and blackberry fruit, and a long, tobacco-fueled finish that...
VN 94

Vinous, September 2022

The 2012 Cheval Blanc has a lovely bouquet with raspberry coulis, hints of marmalade and just a touch of espresso, nicely detailed though not intense. The palate is medium-bodied with a strict entry. This is quite...
JS 93

jamessuckling.com, June 2022

A ripe and fleshy St.-Emilion with an excellent interplay of forest berry fruit, bitter chocolate and a whiff of cinnamon and allspice. Lovely, creamy richness on the mid-palate, but also a hint of warmth from alcohol...

WINE DETAILS

Color & Type Red
Varietal Bordeaux Blend
Country France
Region Bordeaux
Sub-region Saint Emilion
Vintage 2012
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 2012 Cheval Blanc from Bordeaux, France is a truly exceptional wine that showcases the best of the region. With its deep red color and elegant label, it is a wine that demands attention from the moment it is poured into the glass.

On the nose, this wine is incredibly complex, offering a range of aromas that weave together seamlessly. There are notes of red and black currant, cherry, raspberry, and blackberry fruit, all wrapped in a layer of loamy earthiness. As the wine opens up, hints of tobacco, black tea, and incense emerge, adding to its allure.

The palate of the 2012 Cheval Blanc is equally impressive. It is medium-bodied with a velvety, creamy mouthfeel that caresses the senses. The fruit and terroir shine through, creating a wine that is simultaneously broad, deep, and defined in style. The red fruit profile is complemented by rocky aromas, a touch of marmalade, and quince. The silky texture is balanced by a citric acid edge that adds freshness and tension to the finish.

This wine has received high praise from esteemed wine critics. Wine Spectator awarded it a score of 95, describing it as "gorgeous in all facets" and noting its seamless layers of fruit and long, tobacco-fueled finish. It is recommended to be enjoyed from 2018 through 2030. Neal Martin's Wine Journal gave it a score of 97, highlighting its dense, broody nose, medium-bodied palate, and harmonious, silky texture.

Overall, the 2012 Cheval Blanc is a wine of exceptional quality and character. It is a blend of 54% Merlot and 46% Cabernet Franc, sourced from 35 different parcels in the Saint Emilion sub-region of Bordeaux. This wine is a true testament to the craftsmanship of Cheval Blanc, and it is sure to impress even the most discerning wine connoisseurs.