Description
CellarTracker: 92/100
When to drink: 2004 to 2025
Gabriel:
| Drinking maturity | drink up |
|---|---|
| Valuation | 17/20 |
| A brilliant year for Cheval Blanc and still almost undiscovered today. Thanks to a moderate Parker rating, its auction value remains stable. I have tasted it more than a dozen times and never rated it below 18/20 points. First time at the Arrivage (18/20): Slightly open with deep spice. Strongly astringent on the palate and correspondingly restrained, concentrated, blackberries and blueberries on the finish, fascinating. Its defensive fame is perhaps due to the fact that it was tough and closed for a very long time. Pierre Lurton took a double magnum with him to the 1998 Cheval Vertical in Bad Ragaz, which we opened at the Fischerstube restaurant in Weesen (19/20): Much more enjoyable in large format than in normal bottles, which are much more closed; deep fruit, terroir notes, Cabernet Franc spice. Firm on the palate, still astringent, fleshy and very well balanced. Hidden here is an unrecognised, once coveted Cheval value. 99: Normal bottle: The colour is not particularly deep. The bouquet is gently spicy, but rather defensive; there is even a slightly reductive note at the beginning. Those who have it on the palate will be disappointed at first. And yet! This Cheval will really come to life in five years' time. With a Gabriel guarantee (19/20)! 03: Tasted twice within two weeks - once in Linz, sandwiched between two Médoc wines, where it struggled, the other time at the Château during a lunch with Pierre, where we also had to wait a relatively long time for the flavours to intensify. If you don't have the patience to wait for this wine, you will probably be disappointed at the moment - but it will soon be ready. 04: Is it coming or not? You can tell that the wine is powerful and it shows quite bourgeois contours, even for a Cheval. On the other hand, it seems to have closed up again. Either it is now slowly drying out, or it really will be as brilliant as I have long hoped. Let's wait and see (for now)! (18/20). 06: Something is happening now! It shows a nice sweetness, ripe red plums, black tea. doesn't seem particularly concentrated on the palate, but the rising Cabernet Franc flavours make up for it. Decant for an hour. 07: You simply shouldn't want to open a Cheval from a cool year and drink it straight away. I have experienced this several times recently with the 1994. The 88 Cheval has roughly the same constellation. So you have to decant it for two hours to really experience it as a very terroir-orientated Bordeaux. 08: The spiciness is increasing, but is actually still very much hidden. Air is needed. However, the wine remains rather dry - so eat something slightly fatty with it. 08: In the nose still fine toast notes, pastries, medium sweetness and the fruit appears gently jammy, earthy undertone, malt, indicates a rather deep acidity. Smooth on the palate, soft acidity, the tannins radiate a certain sweetness, chocolate notes, aromatic finish, nevertheless shows a certain class. Now 17/20? Or do the best bottles still make it to 18/20? 08: A magnum on the Frutt that showed itself beautifully, well-behaved with medium aromatic pressure, slightly leathery notes and a little too little sweetness for a Cheval. (18/20). 10: Normal bottles and magnums scored equally highly. Medium wine red with a fairly rich centre. The bouquet begins with vegetables and is reminiscent of a just-opened can of Pelati tomatoes, then subtly buttery from the wine fat, increases with air and acquires more facets, but the unripe Cabernet Franc impression remains for a long time. Fleshy on the palate with a tannic flow, finishing underripe and correspondingly cool. Traditional Bordeaux that shows some greatness, but little class. Decanting helps a little. (17/20). 12: Still quite youthful in colour. The nose begins cool, almost a little reserved, lots of cedar, Brazil tobacco, freshly cut game meat, dried plums, black peppercorns, a dark sweetness shows in the surprisingly deep depth, traces of black precious woods and fermented tea leaves. Finely fleshy, dense texture, elegant, great, intense flavour, mineral shimmer, almost a Napa Cabernet affinity in the background. Never drunk so well. You should actually buy this wine now. Will easily keep for another 20 years. (18/20). 14: Just after opening, it was quite vegetabley, then earthy, with hints of red chicory and only late on did the classic Cheval Terroir or Cabernet Franc bouquet appear. But it remains a dry, masculine wine with rough edges. Decant for a long time. (18/20). 15: Medium-dark garnet colour with a delicate brick-red rim. Vegetable bouquet, cold aura, beef bouillon paste, spicy, but unfortunately not very communicative. Young on the palate, shows a fine bitter note in the extract. Quite a good wine, but one that has made practically no evolution in recent years. So it is still young, but not really promising. Clouet: "It will develop, our director Pierre Lurton, who made the wine back then, believes that too, it's just a kind of reserved classic." This bottle: 17/20. 18: Lightening garnet colour, with certain ripe tones. The nose smells of shoe polish, then red plum jam and light-coloured leather. Somehow it picks up with air and becomes more pleasant. Easy on the palate, full-bodied and still easy to drink. Still in good condition but unfortunately without great ambition. His handicap one: He had to compete in a Médoc-Cabernet series. His handicap two: The Vinattieri next door was better! It did gain a little in the air and became a shade sweeter. But that didn't make it any sweeter. If it had been placed right next to the Angélus, which was poured later in the evening, it would have had no chance. (17/20). | |
Moderately dense ruby lightening at rim but not browning. Gloriously sweet nose with masses of cedary wood and pencil-shavings. The fruit is extremely rich on the nose with little violet scents and red berries. Lovely ripeness. The palate is quite rich and spicy, but the fruit is very sweet, even a touch jammy. There's a mass of leafy tobacco flavour that shows towards the finish and some lean, sinewy tannins take hold. Good concentration and a lovely though not profound wine.
