2016 Cheval Blanc, St-Emilion
Top Pick
100RP
99JS
98DC
98JA
97JD
97WE
97WS
96VN
$899.99
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San Francisco: 6 | Redwood City: 2 | Main Warehouse: 1 | Culver City: 1
100
Wine Advocate
Reviewed November 2018The 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. (LPB)
Professional Reviews
99
James Suckling
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.
98
Decanter
A bold nose, structured and dense. The palate is so delicious, just so filling but not heavy. It has the crushed stone, chalk texture that is satisfying and the undercurrent of bright red fruit and cooling mint both acting at the same time. It's the base flavour and texture here that is so persistent, really driving the wine forward with motion and precision but with a deepness, really coming from the core of the wine. Forceful and persistent but graceful and so charming - not heavy or trying too hard. Perfectly balanced with excellent energy and grip. Excellent definition overall. A stunning wine.
98
Jane Anson
This just keeps on going and going, the oak is perfectly integrated but holding everything in place. It has race, depth, complexity and feels true to the personality of the estate. It's deftly put together and feels grown-up, as Cheval Blanc so often does, with wonderful fresh mint notes and clear tannic structure. It's a bit like putting together a puzzle in your mouth, with a different piece fitting snugly into place every minute. It doesn't try too hard to impress, like so many others. This is the first year since the early 2000s to have some Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend.
Notes
98 points Neal Martin for Vinous: "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." (018/2020)
Details
| Origin | Saint Emilion, Bordeaux, France |
|---|---|
| Type/Varietal | Cabernet Sauvignon and Blends |
| Alcohol Content | 13.9% |
| SKU | 1464471 |