2016 Chateau Cheval Blanc (750ml)

Merlot from Saint-Emilion, Bordeaux, France

B-21 Top Recommendation
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A thrilling selection of perfectly rated St. Emilion Bordeaux, these elegant 100 pt. vintages of the legendary Cheval Blanc seamlessly layer opulent, concentrated fruit with silky smooth tannins promising a rich and storied evolution for decades to come, earning their place among the world’s most celebrated and collectible red wines with a pedigree James Suckling describes as “mindboggling” at a best on the market price.

Boasting an exceptionally complex terroir with a patchwork of different soils, Cheval Blanc’s vineyards blend Pomerol’s typical clay with the gravel common to St. Emilion, each of its 45 plots vinified separately and then aged for 3 months in barrel before the final blend is assembled and aged for 16 to 18 months in 100% new French oak. A blend of 65% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, Antonio Galloni describes the seductive 100 pt. 2020 Cheval Blanc as “a wine of mind-blowing balance” calling it “one of the truly great wines of the vintage,” that “will no doubt deliver unbridled enjoyment when it's ready” according to Decanter’s Georgina Hindle. Called “one of the unequivocally great wines of the vintage” by the Wine Advocate’s William Kelley, the sensational 100 pt. 2019 Cheval Blanc boasts 58% Merlot, 34% Cabernet Franc, and 8% Cabernet Sauvignon with a “remarkably lush and fine-grained texture” according to the Wine Spectator’s James Molesworth while Inside Bordeaux’s Jane Anson describes the magnificent 2018 100 pt. Cheval Blanc as “exceptionally good and extremely elegant,” a blend of 54% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Franc and 6% Cabernet Sauvignon. Described as a “masterpiece” by Antonio Galloni of Vinous, the opulent 100 pt. 2016 Cheval Blanc is a blend of 58% Merlot, 38% Cabernet Franc, and 4% Cabernet Sauvignon, revealing a “beautifully ripe texture, finishing long and earthy” according to the Wine Independent’s Lisa Perrotti-Brown and the rich and refined 100 pt. 2009 Cheval Blanc boasts a “rare mix of elegance and power” according to Jeb Dunnuck with “flawless balance,” the blend of 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc entering its window of drinkability after over a decade of pristine cellaring.

Summing up Cheval Blanc’s reputation as one of the longest-lived Bordeaux, Antonio Galloni of Vinous declared “There is simply nothing like a great Cheval Blanc in all of Bordeaux” – these 100 pt. gems promising to prove that point in a big way with some seriously enjoyable drinking over the next decades for those fortunate to stash some away.

100WA

99JS

98V

The 2016 Cheval Blanc is blended of 59.5% Merlot, 37.2% Cabernet Franc and 3.3% Cabernet Sauvignon. Deep garnet-purple in color, the nose is incredibly youthful yet not so shy as some other 2016s at this stage, giving wonderfully intense scents of red currants, black cherries, wild blueberries and violets with nuances of star anise, cinnamon stick, rose hip tea, cigar box and wood smoke plus a touch of beef drippings. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has jaw-dropping elegance and depth, offering up layer upon layer of fragrant red and black fruits plus an extraordinary array of mineral sparks, supported by a rock-solid grainy texture, finishing with epic persistence and an edifying perfume. This is a very different style from the rich, opulently hedonic 2015, yet this wonderfully fragrant, beautifully poised and intellectually compelling 2016 is equally extraordinary.

100 points, Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Wine Advocate (Nov 2018)

Wet earth and sliced, fresh mushrooms. Menthol. Dark berries, such as blackberries and blueberries. Full-bodied, dense and whole, but you don’t feel the tannins, even though it is so powerful and structured. Detailed and defined. Cashmere. Wonderful finish. Glorious young Cheval. Try after 2025, but so wonderful already.

99 points, James Suckling (Dec 2019)

The 2016 Cheval Blanc has an exquisite bouquet of pixelated black and red fruit, crushed stone, violets and seamlessly integrated new oak; this is utterly seductive. The medium-bodied palate reveals a hint of marmalade on the entry. Powerful and dense, this is an impressive, almost heady nascent wine with plenty of grip and sinew toward the finish. Maybe it lacks that crystalline detail at the moment, but it is clearly a long-term proposition. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting.

98 points, Neal Martin, Vinous (Aug 2020)

Alcohol By Volume: 14.0%

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$849.88

Compare At: $899.99

3 bottles in stock. Ships in 1 to 2 business days.

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