| Region of Production: | Saint-Émilion AOP |
| Winery Location: | Saint-Émilion |
| Year Established: | 19th century |
| Classification: | Premier Grand Cru Classé A |
Vineyard Holdings
39 ha
- 49% Cabernet Franc
- 47% Merlot
- 4% Cabernet Sauvignon
Top Wines Produced & Inaugural Vintages
- Château Cheval Blanc, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru: Grand vin. 55% Merlot, 45% Cabernet Franc (2015 vintage). Fermented in concrete vats. Aged for 18 months in 100% new barrels.
- Le Petit Cheval, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru: Second wine. Aged for 12 months in 50% new oak. Inaugural vintage 1988.
- Le Petit Cheval, Bordeaux Blanc: Sauvignon Blanc, blended with Sémillon beginning in 2018. Fermentation followed by 16 to 18 months aging in barrel and larger oak vessels. Inaugural vintage 2014.
Average Total Production
- 120,000 bottles
Summary
While vines have purportedly grown on the Château Cheval Blanc property since antiquity, the estate’s modern history begins in 1832. In that year, Jean-Jacques Ducasse purchased a portion of Château Figeac, then much larger than it is today. Ducasse and, later, his son-in-law Jean Laussac-Fourcaud, continued to expand the property over the next two decades, almost to its current boundaries. The wine was first labeled Cheval Blanc, meaning “white horse,” in 1853. Cheval Blanc achieved early acclaim, earning medals at the 1862 Universal Exhibition in London and the 1878 Universal Exhibition in Paris – both still depicted on the label. By the end of that century, Cheval Blanc commanded a price equivalent to the first growths of the Médoc.
After Laussac-Fourcaud’s death in 1888, the estate was passed to his wife, then his son Albert, and then Albert’s sons Jacques and Joseph. The estate continued to solidify its dominance in the Right Bank hierarchy throughout the 20th century, vinifying in 1947 what is regarded as one of the greatest wines of all time and achieving premier grand cru classé A status in 1955. Jacques Hébrard managed the estate for much of the latter half of the 1900s, followed briefly by his son Dominique. Pierre Lurton stepped into the role in 1991 and continues today. In 1998, Cheval Blanc was purchased by Bernard Arnault and Baron Albert Frère, and in 2009, LVMH bought out Arnault’s shares. A new cellar with a hyper-modern design by architect Christian de Portzamparc was completed in 2011. Pierre-Olivier Clouet serves as technical director.
Style & Vinification Techniques
Cheval Blanc is situated near the Pomerol border and, like Figeac, is rooted primarily in gravel rather than limestone, the soil of most other top Saint-Émilion estates. These gravel soils, along with a slightly warmer microclimate, lend themselves to a particular quality of Cabernet Franc that, notably, composes about two-thirds of the grand vin. Since the estate is planted to nearly equal parts Cabernet Franc and Merlot, this results in the second wine, Le Petit Cheval, being made with a higher proportion of Merlot. For Château Cheval Blanc, each parcel is vinified separately in concrete vats of varying sizes, where the wine also undergoes malolactic fermentation. Subsequently, the wine is moved to new barrels for 18 months of aging.
Producer Website: Château Cheval Blanc