Château Cheval Blanc 2025

What an enchanting aroma—endless florality: violet, herbs, blackcurrant, peppery spice, with a cool, cold-hearth smokiness. Complex, with depth and plenty of freshness on the nose; on the palate it is precise and focused, building intensity while staying light-footed at just 12.7% alcohol. The tannins are plentiful, accompanying the crunchy fruit from A to Z—ever-present, silky; the finish is balanced and remarkably long. A classic Cheval Blanc in this paradoxical year.

One of the lowest yields of Cheval Blanc at just 8hl/ha. Chinese five spice, cedar, cinnamon, rose buds, soy, purple flowers, blackcurrants and cherries on the nose. Supple and fleshy, round and enveloping yet softly chalky so you get weight but not massive density in the glass. Tannins are wonderful and the power comes underneath not at the fore. Suave, fresh and floats along the palate - generous yet reined in, glossy, bright with lovely acidity. Almost a bit shy and quiet but so well controlled. I love it for its delicacy and hands-off approach. Definitely not a showstopper but given the conditions it’s incredible how they ended up here. Complex, charming, soft, pretty and delicious without trying too hard at all. 3.76pH.

Purple in hue, the wine explodes with an array of flowers, smoky truffles, black plums, black cherries, blue fruits, orange rind, tobacco leaf, licorice, and chocolate in the perfume. However, the palate is the main event. The mouthfeel perfectly balances its hedonistic tendencies with a touch of reticence, in a good way. There is length, volume, intensity, opulence, and lift. The seamless finish provides silk and velvet tannins, allowing the depth and purity of the fruit to stand out in the extensive, vibrant finish. The key to the vintage was the combination of a dry summer, which lowered yields, and the much-needed August rains, which brought about full maturity. 46 of 47 parcels were placed into the blend. It is important to note that no second wine was produced. Even more importantly, very little Cheval was produced. Yields were a scant 15 hectoliters per hectare, making this the lowest yields in the history of the estate. The wine is made from 51% Merlot, 45% Cabernet Franc, 4% Cabernet Sauvignon. 12.7% ABV, 3.6 pH. The harvest began September 18 for the Merlot, finishing their Cabernet Franc on October 3. Drink from 2030-2070. 98-100 Pts

Of all the wines I tasted in the 2025 En Primeur season, this is the one that I have thought about the most. The lowest ever yield at 15hl/ha yield, close to 1961 in terms of volume. There were tiny berries, barely scraping 1g even for the Merlots, even after dropping 10-50% of the grapes even on young vines to minimise water stress. Visually beautiful, deep plum colour, intense, slate, graphite, this has a construction that is clear, muscle, sinew, carved tannins, going long on campfire, chamomile, bitter chocolate, incense, anis, cassis, mint leaf, eucalyptus, crushed rocks, savoury broth. This forces you to project forward - if we are lucky enough to be pulling a bottle out of a cellar in 2060, this Cheval will still be powering along. The honest truth is that I can't tell you with 100% certainly how long it will take to get to its full drinking window. I have not seen a young Cheval with this kind of construction, and I am erring on the side of caution in this note, hoping that it will be more readable in bottle. Stunning and impressive, but I have not yet fallen in love. No Petit Cheval. Harvest September 1 to 18. 3.76ph. Pierre Olivier Clouet director.

Deep red color with vivid purple and black highlights. An intense, refined, fruity and subtle nose, with hints of chilled black fruits. With aeration, the wine becomes deeper and more complex. Impeccisely detailed on entry, with a fine, silky richness that glides across the palate and an unhurried, progressive, melting evolution; the structure builds gradually, delivering an abundance of flavors. The wine then soars into a complex, noble finish that seems to come from every direction—magical, and impossible to spit. I’m impressed by such aromatic power at such a low alcohol level: 12.7%, the lowest since 2009. In this respect, Cheval Blanc 2025 recalls a situation more commonly seen at Lafite. I also note that this estate, celebrated for its Cabernet Franc, contains less of it than Merlot, in a climate context where some want to change all grape varieties in Bordeaux—Merlot in particular. Blend: 51% Merlot, 45% Cabernet Franc, 4% Cabernet Sauvignon. pH: 3.76 – IPT: 78, well above the average (65); note that this figure is 82 for the very great 2010. Yield: 15 hl/ha. 85% grand vin. For the record, Cheval Blanc has never produced a great vintage with a small crop. In 2025, the weight of a Cabernet Franc berry ranged from 0.7 to 0.9 g due to a lack of juice. A Merlot berry weighed 1.1 g. The standard is to obtain one liter of juice from 1.35 kg of grapes. At Cheval Blanc, it is 1.5 kg for one liter. Yet in 2025 it took two kilos of grapes to produce one liter of juice. Given the drought and on the soils most constrained by it—8 ha of young vines—four out of five bunches per vine were discarded to avoid stress-related blockages and thus the emergence of rustic tannins. On August 20, the estimated alcohol level stood at 14.5%. The 60 mm of rain that fell afterward diluted the sugar while restarting the ripening dynamic. Listening to this story told by Pierre Olivier Clouet, it was a challenge at every moment, driven by an anxious question: how can you make great grapes and great wine with barely 40 millimeters of rain between May 15 and August 20? Tasted twice, once in the morning and once late in the afternoon. And both times, impossible to spit—so much does the aromatic power elevate the savory intensity. Truly extraordinary!