Chateau Cheval Blanc 2018

Still restrained, particularly floral; with a velvety, extremely elegant and refined style, it proves once again that greatness does not come from pedigree. Belongs among the best wines of the year.

This has the vintage's profile, with a sleek and slightly austere frame holding a core of cassis, bitter cherry and raspberry coulis notes tightly together while flashes of bay, dried anise and savory add range and detail. Has a late tug of warm earth along with a very perfumy echo through the finish. A beauty. Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Best from 2024 through 2038. 10,208 cases made.

Lovely ripeness on the nose, full of dense Morello cherries and milk chocolate notes, this feels round and just very complete. It has a density on the palate immediately, voluminous with chalky, gentle gripping tannins, almost chewy on the second taste, that fill the mouth. Generous and expansive. Voluptuous fruit with a captivating and satisfying texture; it’s really the mouthfeel that’s in focus, big and wide – coating the mouth. Flavours are concentrated around blackcurrant and black cherry with some sweet strawberry and soft chalkiness as well as a touch of sweet liquorice too. Clear depth and power though still youthful and somewhat shy. An excellent Cheval.

Deep, dense and chocolatey, this is a lush and concentrated St.-Emilion. Enormous depth of fine tannins here, and the lively acidity lifts all this beautifully on the almost opulent palate. Very long, surprisingly supple finish. Drink or hold. Château Quintus vertical tasting. SP.

When I tasted the 2018 Cheval Blanc from barrel, I felt it deserved a very good score, though not one that implied potential perfection. The bottle was tasted on opening, but I only began to pen my tasting note after 3–4 hours’ decanting. I still find the bouquet more open than in many recent vintages, the ripe brambly red fruit intermingling with clove, sage and light graphite notes originating from the Cabernet components (46% of the final blend). It is a truly seductive bouquet, though not as complex or as nuanced as, say, the astonishing 2016 or the impressive 2015. The palate is medium-bodied with refined tannins. A harmonious and elegant Cheval Blanc that has retained the linearity I remarked upon in barrel. So this is not a flamboyant Cheval Blanc like the Cabernet-dominated 2017, but it is a far better wine thanks to the Merlot imparting flesh and roundness. The finish is extremely precise but never powerful, almost Burgundy-like in weight, with a lightly spiced aftertaste. As the hours pass in the decanter, it gains depth and a little more precision on the finish. This does not possess the otherworldly profundity to match legends such as 1934, 1964 or 2016; it is simply a wonderful Cheval Blanc to sit back and savor as a Saint-Émilion par excellence.

If awards were given out for sensuality, this gem would take the trophy. Incredibly sexy, with its velvet-drenched textures, silky tannins and opulent personality, this wine stands out in a crowd. The nose, with its aromatic display of flowers, plums, cherries, espresso, licorice, dark cocoa and oyster shell, is compelling. The seamless finish crosses the 60-second mark with its non-stop display of concentrated, perfectly ripe, dark-sweet red fruits, chocolate, licorice and spice. If you can afford it, it is a wine you should have in your cellar, and you’ll want to age this for at least 15 years before popping a bottle. The wine was made using 54% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Franc and 6% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14.5% ABV. This wine is a legend in the making.

Deep dark ruby garnet, opaque core, purple reflections, subtle edge brightening. Fine nougat, with sweet spices in the background, ripe black berry fruit, ripe plum, subtle orange zest. Powerful, shows enormous extract sweetness, firm, supporting, fully ripe tannins, great complexity and sweetness, shows great freshness and elegance, lingers for minutes.

Showing beautifully from barrel and now from bottle, the 2018 Château Cheval Blanc is a final blend of 54% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Cabernet Sauvignon. It's a pure, classic Cheval Blanc in that it relies more on complexity and elegance than power, offering a beautiful perfume of red and blackcurrants, spring flowers, spice, forest floor, incense, and tobacco. This carries to a medium to full-bodied Cheval Blanc offering wonderful purity of fruit, a seamless, layered texture, incredible tannins, and a lengthy, focused finish. It shows less of the sunny style of the vintage now than it did from barrel, and it's a wonderfully complete wine that delivers awesome freshness in its aromatics, plenty of ripe, sweet fruit, and the tannins and structure that seem to come from a long, cooler season. Reminding me slightly of the 2016, with a touch of the 2001, give this gorgeous wine 5-7 years of bottle age, count yourself lucky, and enjoy over the following 2-3 decades.

Deep purple with an opaque core and a hair‑thin ruby rim. An alluring perfume of freshly picked Alpine blueberries, thyme, and cooled jasmine tea. On the second approach, light malt, spring truffle, and cardamom. On the regal palate, a cashmere‑like texture, perfectly ripe tannins, well supported, with a perfectly shaped body reminiscent of Michelangelo’s David. A cascading finish with Brazilian tobacco and profound dark minerality. This is St.-Émilion at its finest, so I’m pulling out the 20‑point card—congratulations to Pierre‑Olivier Clouet!

Kunz barrel sample 19: (54% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Franc, 6% Cabernet Sauvignon) Finely concentrated, complex, fresh, and deep bouquet of blueberries, strawberries, pralines, black tea, and a hint of licorice. Tightly knit, multi-layered, elegant palate with dense, creamy fruit, lots of fine tannins, concentrated, refined, powerful aromatics, a concentrated, delicately muscular structure, and a very long, fresh finish with sweet lingering notes. Has room to improve further.

(54% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Franc, 6% Cabernet Sauvignon) Finely concentrated, complex, fresh, deep bouquet: blueberries, strawberries, pralines, black tea, a subtle touch of licorice. Tightly woven, multi-layered, elegant palate with dense, creamy fruit, plenty of very fine tannins, concentrated, fine, powerful aromatics, a concentrated, delicately muscular structure, and a very long, fresh finish with sweet echoes. Can improve further. 19/20 2026 - 2050

The 2018 Cheval Blanc is deep garnet-purple in color. It drifts effortlessly out of the glass with scents of black cherry compote, boysenberry preserves, and anise, plus touches of cedar, pencil shavings, and kirsch. Full-bodied, the palate is rich and muscular, with firm, grainy tannins and a long, earthy finish.

A petit-cheval of infinite charm, with floral crunch on the attack and a distinguished, deep structure behind. They aimed for the most precise ripeness levels in this vintage.

The sweetness of the vintage combined with the flair of the Cabernet Francs. Nothing stands out from the whole, which forms a perfectly ethereal unity grounded in the vintage’s vigor. An almost powdery floral perfume with the vibration of bitter almond notes, and in the tannin the complex expressiveness of unique clays and of Cabernet Francs. The poise of the lengthening finish underlines the longevity of this Cheval 2018.

In 2018, it’s more like a white unicorn inviting you into its magical forest, as captivating as a storybook, with notes of crunchy red berries, bramble and wild flowers. On the palate, a succulent suppleness, sublime and harmonious. A 2018 vintage where you find the hallmark texture of Cheval Blanc, with that little extra je-ne-sais-quoi that seems beyond silk, satin and velvet, with a thrilling length that makes you swoon.

The bouquet of Cheval Blanc unfolds in an exceptional way—assured, elegant, crystal-clear. Every element plays a precise role, and together they create rare complexity. Inviting nuances of peony and raspberry. The attack mirrors the nose: exceptional; so much intensity, precision, and expression. The wine is already huge from the very first sip. The tannins show a powerful yet refined character. They are coated, fleshy, almost suave, in perfect harmony with the acidic structure that so masterfully provides backbone. This Cheval is certainly worthy of joining the ranks of the greatest Cheval Blanc, as I already hinted during the en primeur tastings. What class, what grandeur, what elegance, and what power.

The nose is elegant, racy, and offers power (with finesse), delicacy, and lovely fleshy/juicy/well-defined fruit. It reveals notes of fleshy/juicy blackberry, pulpy blackcurrant, and, more slightly, violet plum, combined with touches of violet, toast, fleshy wild blueberry, nutmeg, toasted almond, a subtle hint of black cherry, racy minerality, and graphite. The palate is fresh, fruity, and balanced, offering juiciness, a fine tangy backbone, good freshness, subtlety, tension, lovely dimension, depth, complexity, finesse, harmony, a very fine grain, and elegance. On the palate, the wine shows notes of pulpy/juicy blackcurrant, juicy blackberry, and, more slightly, violet, chocolate, tonka bean/cocoa, caramelization, as well as very fine hints of pencil lead, fig, and toast. A wine like a square of silk.

Dark, intense, deep, and beautiful colour. A discreet opening on the nose, which needs 20 minutes of air to reveal great complexity and several facets that are hard to describe. The mouthfeel, so legendary in this cru, is more crystalline than ever here. This sensation sets it apart from Petit Cheval. Remarkably, beneath its courteous demeanour, the wine builds great power from the mid-palate through the finish, never showing any tannin, while only the perfume lingers on the palate. It is so hard to spit out—powerful, noble, deep, and refined.

96–98. Barrel Sample. This wine is densely textured in great tannins and wonderful perfumed fruits. It shows an elegant side, with bright shots of acidity and a black currant flavor. Topped with a pinch of Cabernet Sauvignon that adds to the structure, it is a ripe wine but with intense freshness. The tannins hold the key to the aging.