Château Cheval Blanc 2022
UNCLASSIFIED VINTAGE
Located in the commune of Saint-Emilion, but bordering on the territory of Pomerol, the estate covers 39 hectares divided into forty-five parcels which are all small vineyards with their own unique identity, made up of a particular soil, grape variety and age of planting, this specificity shapes the complexity of the Cheval Blanc wine.
The grape varieties are 52% Cabernet Franc, 43% Merlot, and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. Thus, each parcel has its own characteristics by which it is identified, characteristics linked to its age, its surface, the nature of its soil, its rootstock and its grape variety.
Château Cheval Blanc also produces a second wine that is very much in the spotlight and more quickly available for tasting over time. It is called Le Petit Cheval. Not forgetting the white wine "Le Petit Cheval Blanc", which is the talk of the town.
On the other hand, for the 2022 vintage, there will be no Petit Cheval.
Source: Château Cheval Blanc
Tasting by: Antonio Galloni / Vinous - January 2025
The 2022 Cheval Blanc is quite unusual in that it was made from 46 of the 47 plots that make up the estate, the largest proportion of blocks ever used in the Grand Vin. There is also no Petit Cheval. One block was sold in bulk, and all the rest went into the Grand Vin. Upon tasting, the 2022 is a wine of sublime elegance, yet there is a certain rigor in its vertical construction that keeps things buttoned up. Time in the glass begins to release the Cabernet Franc aromatics, but it remains incredibly dense. It barely moved in the two days I monitored it.
All 2022 needs is time. The only question is how much.
Tasting by: Neal Martin / Vinous - January 2025
Three-quarters of the 2022 Cheval Blanc Merlot were picked in August, when no grapes had ever been picked that month before. It was aged for only 13 months because the balance, texture, and freshness were exactly where they should be, and there were concerns about the pH and potential deterioration if it spent a second winter in oak.
The 2022 has an incredibly intense nose, yet it effortlessly maintains the delineation that most Right Bank estates only dream of. Notes of blackcurrant, blueberry, violet, Earl Grey, and minerality emerge over time. The palate is medium-bodied, perfectly balanced, pure, and well-defined, with filigree tannins and hints of pencil shavings infusing the shimmering black fruit. A deft touch of black pepper on the aftertaste completes one of the most remarginated wines of recent years.
Data sheet
- Designation
- Saint-Emilion
- Year
- 2022
- Color
- Red
- Acceptance
- 53 % Merlot, 46 % Cabernet Franc, 1 % Cabernet Sauvignon
- Alcohol level
- 14°25
- Apogee
- 2035 - 2065
Jean-Marc Quarin / Quarin.com - Noté 100/100 (february 2025)
Jane Anson / Inside Bordeaux - Noté 99/100 (january 2025)
Neal Martin / Vinous - Noté 98-100/100 (january 2025)
Antonio Galloni / Vinous - Noté 99/100 (january 2025)
Jeb Dunnuck / Jeb Dunnuck.com - Noté 100/100 (february 2025)
William Kelly / Wine Advocate - Noté 98/100 (march 2025)