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! (LPB)

A wine of sublime elegance and finesse, the 2017 Cheval Blanc is endowed with tremendous energy, precision and cut. Red/purplish fruit, mint, sage, blood orange, star anise and exotic spice notes abound in a mid-weight, finely cut Cheval that dazzles with its energy. Technical Director Pierre-Olivier Clouet gave the 2017 26-27 days on skins. Because of severe frost damage, in 2017, the Grand Vin includes a high percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon (14%), from gravelly soils, which gives the wine very unusual flavor and structure profile. The 2017 Cheval Blanc has all the ingredients to be one of the wines of the vintage. It is class personified. Wow! 97+ (AG)

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.