Château Cheval Blanc 2017

Special Price $703.95 Average US Price $779.00
In Stock   Usually ships in 2-5 days, weather permitting
Only 3 left
SKU
1082-2017
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• Domaine: Château Cheval Blanc
• Appellation: Saint-Emilion
• Classification: Premier Grand Cru Classé A
• Origin: Right Bank, Bordeaux, France
• Importer: Laguna Cellar

Château Cheval Blanc is a property that needs no introduction.  The wines of Cheval Blanc have been described as, “the finest cashmere,” and “elegance in motion,” by Pierre Lurton who oversees this Saint-Émilion Premiere Grand Cru Classé A Estate. Though the estate has never been ranked in the 1855 Classification, Château Cheval Blanc produces wines with quality that is on par with Left Bank First Growths.  Though the wines of Château Cheval Blanc are considered some of the best in all of Bordeaux, if you ask any member of the team at the property, they will humbly tell you it is all about terroir.  

Château Cheval Blanc has some of the best terroir on the Right Bank – and a lot of that is due to the mosaic of different soil types at the property.  Straddling the border between Pomerol and Saint-émilion, Cheval Blanc shares the same strip of blue clay as the Pomerol legend, Château Pétrus and has the same gravel as the outstanding Château Figeac. The vignerons use this patchwork of different soil types to their advantage, ingeniously planting the optimum clones in the perfect soil and carefully tending to all 237,228 vines as if they were their own children.  The result is legendary wine, year after year. 

The first known document where Château Cheval Blanc was referenced was a contract in 1546.  It was a part of a vast property that encompassed Château Figeac. Even then, the terroir was prized as some of the best in the Right Bank.  During the French Revolution, two vignerons tended to Cheval Blanc’s vineyards because the terroir was so extraordinary – a highly unusual occurrence. 

In 1832 the Ducasse family purchased the terroir from Château Figeac and at the time it was named, “Le Barrail de Cailloux,” or “The Barrel of Tiny Stones.”  Château Cheval Blanc changed hands a couple times through marriage – as was traditional at the time – and was eventually acquired by Jean Laussac Fourad.  Fourad wanted to create the best wine in Saint-Émilion and knew with the terroir of Château Cheval Blanc, anything was possible.  The wines were initially bottled and sold off under the name Château Figeac, but after competing against the Médoc First Growths and winning awards at exhibitions in London and Paris, the name was changed to Château Cheval Blanc – "The House of the White Horse."

In 1998 Château Cheval Blanc was acquired by Bernard Arnault and Baron Albert Frere who brought on Pierre Lurton of the famous Lurton family to manage the property, in addition to overseeing other top estates such as Château d'Yquem.  Under Pierre’s keen eye, the vines at Cheval Blanc are meticulously managed year after year, with the same vineyard worker assigned to the same vine.  This is done so the worker develops familiarity with that particular vine.  The fruit here is picked, “al dente,” or just underripe so grapes of differing phenolic ripeness can be blended to increase complexity to the wine.  The wines are vinified in their state-of-the-art gravity flow vat room.

Tasting Notes

"The 2017 Cheval Blanc is composed of 56% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc and 14% Cabernet Sauvignon—an unusually high percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon for this wine. Deep garnet-purple colored, it opens slowly to reveal a gorgeous lilacs, roses, licorice and black truffles nose over a compelling core of cassis, warm plums, wild blueberries and cigar box plus a waft of wood smoke. Medium to full-bodied, firm and earthy in character on the palate, it packs in tightly wound fruits and mineral accents, culminating in a long, perfumed finish. 50,000 bottles are to be produced." - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (4/27/2018, Issue 236), Ratings: 93-95

"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." Jeb Dunnuck, Bordeaux From The Bottle (2/26/2020) Ratings: 96

 "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." - Jeb Dunnuck, Jebdunnuck.com, Rating: 96, Maturity: 2025-2045

 

More Information
Stock Status In Stock
Appellation Saint-Emilion
Vintage 2017
Brand Château Cheval Blanc
Shipping Weight 3.000000

Notes on sale of Futures, Pre-Arrivals, and potential US Tariffs: 

1. As of June 15, 2021, the US and the EU agreed to suspend tariffs resulting from the Boeing-Airbus aircraft trade disputes. Accordingly, such tariffs are now suspended for the next five years.

2. Futures are expected to be available for delivery two years after the sales (e.g., the 2022 vintage, sold in 2023, will be delivered in 2025 mostly, or 2026 if the producer ages the wine longer).

3. Pre-Arrivals are items currently stored in our Bordeaux cellar or transit from France to the US. It usually takes 1-6 months for Pre-Arrivals to become available for delivery, depending on the stage of the import process.

4. Regarding futures and pre-arrivals, we cannot guarantee specific delivery dates, which factors beyond our control may impact. However, we will notify you once your wine arrives in our cellar.

5. While a buyer of Bordeaux wine futures locks in an allocation of the specified items, the final delivery of the purchased items from France to the US may be impacted by intervening and unforeseeable events. Despite our due diligence, additional costs or delays may be caused by such intervening and unforeseen events and "an irresistible, superhuman cause, or by the act of public enemies of the state of California or the United States."  In such events, if a buyer does not accept unforeseeable costs or delays, the sole and exclusive remedy is a cancellation of the futures order concerned and a refund of the original purchase price. We are NOT liable for any lost profits on a canceled order.

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