Château Cheval Blanc 2017

Impressively refined, evolving bouquet of flowers and spices; a silky entry on the palate, a creamy progression over a velvety structure, finishing with exemplary length on delicate berry notes; a wonderfully transparent wine that perfectly illustrates what elegance in wine means.

Singed tobacco leaf and savory aromas lead the way, giving this red a distinctive profile, while dark currant, fig and blackberry paste flavors form the core. Shows a loamy backdrop and a hint of cast iron throughout, with the fruit and savory elements keeping pace. Ends with prominent tannic grip. For the cellar. Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Best from 2024 through 2042. 10,208 cases made.

Fresh herbs on the nose, still with the trademark perfumed black fruits but more in the background. More gravel fruit in the blend this year as the Merlot grapes, on clay soils, were affected by the frost in 2017. It also has the highest proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon at 15% alongside 29% of Cabernet Franc giving this a distinct Left Bank style. Muscular and angular at the moment but with great clarity and softness to the tannins and fruit. You can feel the structure here with menthol and liquorice tinges at the edges of the fruit. It's direct and focused, less round and expansive than the 2018 but laser-sharp and persistent. A touch austere but still elegant and charming with a soft juiciness.

The deep, savory nose leads you into this rather sleek, yet quite fleshy St.-Emilion. Simultaneously ripe and lively and animating, this has a long, elegant and moderately dry finish. Drinkable now, but best from 2024. Château Quintus vertical tasting. SP.

The 2017 Cheval Blanc contains more Cabernet Sauvignon than usual due to the reconfiguration of the blend after frost. Pierre Lurton and his team made the bold decision to express the growing season rather than the classic Cheval Blanc blend. It has a crisp blackcurrant and bilberry-scented bouquet with touches of mint and cedar, very Left Bank in style due to the influence of the Cabernet. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, fine acidity, quite linear at the moment, with an almost austere, aloof finish. It is a fascinating Cheval Blanc insofar as it is atypical in style, although I must confess that I miss the crucial contribution of the Merlot. That said, I applaud the decision to reflect the growing season come what may.

There is a lot of depth here. The fruit comes in layers that alternate between earth, red berries and black fruits. There is intensity and elegance, with a unique fleshy sensation due to the large percentage of Cabernet in the blend. You will want to age this for at least 15 years before popping a bottle. The wine was made using 56% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc and 14% Cabernet Sauvignon. This is the most Cabernet Sauvignon ever used in the blend in the history of the estate! The wine reached 13.2% ABV with a pH of 3.65 and the harvest took place September 6 to October 11, which is the longest harvest recorded here. The Grand Vin represents 77% of the harvest.

While the blend is shifted more towards Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon in 2017, the Chateau Cheval Blanc is nevertheless a beautiful wine in every sense and shows the hallmark elegance and complexity of this estate perfectly. Deep ruby/purple, with notes of ripe dark fruits, violets, rose petals, and spice, it hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, ripe yet integrated tannins, terrific mid-palate concentration, and a great, great finish. Based on 66% Merlot, 29% Cabernet Franc, and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, give this incredibly floral, seamless 2017 5-7 years of bottle age and enjoy over the following two decades.

56% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc, 14% Cabernet Sauvignon, 77% Grand Vin, 13% abv. Production: 55,000 bottles. 45 hl/ha, 5% from “second budding.” Dense dark purple with a violet sheen. Complex, cool-toned bouquet with plums, freshly grated chocolate, fresh Darjeeling, and wonderfully floral notes (violet). On the second nose, sweet cherries, freshly ground black mountain pepper, and dark noble woods with plenty of profound spice. On the palate, a rich, very dense extract while remaining classically styled; I’ve never encountered such finesse in this wine during en primeur. The long finish beguiles with licorice, fresh Sichuan pepper, and wild cherry. This is pure liquid cashmere—what a delicacy! The best wine from St.-Émilion this year, with the highest share of Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend! 19.5/20

Kunz barrel sample 18: (56% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc, 14% Cabernet Sauvignon, 77% Grand Vin, production 55,000 bottles) Silky, fresh, complex bouquet of blueberries, strawberry jelly, pralines, mint, currants, delicate roasted notes. Balanced, tightly knit and fine-boned palate with dense, refined fruit, finely concentrated structure, plenty of good tannin, compressed, multifaceted aromatics, and a very long, dense, fine, fresh finish.

(56% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc, 14% Cabernet Sauvignon, 77% Grand Vin, production 55,000 bottles) Velvety, fresh, complex bouquet: blueberries, strawberry jelly, pralines, mint, currants, fine roasted notes. Balanced, tightly knit, delicate palate with dense, refined fruit, finely concentrated structure, plenty of fine tannin, compact, multifaceted aromatics, very long, dense, fine, fresh finish. 19/20 2025 - 2048

At Cheval Blanc they lost 40% of the crop to frost in 2017 and couldn't use any of the second generation crop in the end. The final blend for the 2017 Cheval Blanc was 56% Merlot, 29% Cabernet Franc, and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon. Medium to deep garnet in color, it flies out of the glass with a fantastic array of gregarious scents - Morello cherries, mulberries, and raspberry coulis - plus suggestions of lilacs, cinnamon toast, vanilla pod, and chocolate box. Medium-bodied, the palate shimmers with beautiful energy and freshness, framed by fine-grained tannins and bold freshness, finishing long and perfumed. So pretty!

The wine has gained in vinosity with ageing. Here is a noble vegetal character and a slender tannin finishing on aniseed notes.

Totally atypical, it is built on a higher proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon, which makes it slightly spicy, with a more structured body and refined yet present tannins.

A complete wine: fruity, easy to drink, generous, taut, lively, with round, crisp tannins, good chew, great vibrancy, and impressive length. A dynamic wine with plenty of energy.

Garnet red with violet highlights. Plenty of subtlety and finesse on the bouquet. Lovely floral expression, fresh fruit and licorice wood. On the palate, the distinctive, exceptional character of 2017 stands out with an atypical blend. It is, in fact, the first time that Cheval has, on the one hand, so little Cabernet Franc and, above all, so much Cabernet Sauvignon. The tannins are tight and already well integrated. They harmonize with the freshness of the structure, which brings a juicy, racy touch. This Cheval has breadth and power, but perhaps not the same depth as usual. On the other hand, the finesse and subtlety we associate with it are very much present. I’m curious to follow its evolution over time, and I think the score—already very good, moreover—could step up to a higher level. Cheval Blanc will showcase this brilliantly, I’m convinced.

The nose is fruity, elegant, racy, offering finely controlled richness, a lovely fine grain, subtle freshness and depth. It reveals notes of ripe blackcurrant, ripe blackberry and, more lightly, ripe blueberry, with very subtle hints of incense, black/rose pepper and berries, as well as delicate touches of spices, toast and cocoa. The palate is fruity and balanced, with good definition, juiciness, a tangy backbone, tension, and a very discreetly firm structure. On the palate, this wine shows notes of juicy/ripe blackcurrant, crushed black blackberry and, more lightly, juicy/pulpy purple plum, accompanied by hints of crisp red berries, fine floral notes (cornflower, violet, lily), and very discreet touches of spice, tonka bean, chocolate and toast. The tannins are elegant, racy and well-handled. Good length. Sapidity on the finish.

Dark, intense and beautiful color. Very aromatic, delicate nose with ripe, pure and subtle fruit. Precise from the attack, particularly refined on the palate, the wine becomes rich and complex mid-palate before finishing nobly on a deep finale. Very good length.

With an unusually high percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon, this vintage presents a structured character. It is a straight wine, in line with dark tannins and black-currant fruits lightened by the jammy Merlot berry flavors. Drink this wine from 2024.