Le Petit Cheval 2019

Le Petit Cheval invites oenophiles to discover the magic of Saint-Émilion’s crown jewel – Château Cheval Blanc.  The second wine of this estate is a more accessible version of its older sibling, with rich concentrations of Merlot and Cabernet Franc.  The viticultural team believes that the work for creating some of the greatest wines begins in the vineyard, and no shortage of attention is paid to the vines that go into this Second Wine.  The wine from Château Cheval Blanc has been described as, “the finest cashmere,” and “elegance in motion” by Pierre Lurton who oversees this Saint-Émilion Premiere Grand Cru Classé A Estate.  Those who are familiar with the grand vin are aware that it demands time prior to being enjoyed.  For those who would like to experience the offerings from this renowned estate a bit sooner, look no further than Le Petit Cheval Blanc. 

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 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.

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 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 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. The wines are vinified in their state-of-the-art gravity flow vat room to preserve softness.  Le Petit Cheval was introduced in 1988 and is one of the smaller production Second Wines.  Without a doubt, it is a fantastic introduction to one of the greatest wines in the world.

"The 2019 Petit Cheval is a stunning second wine - if it can even be called that. In 2019, Petit Cheval is a blend of four parcels that were in the Grand Vin in 2018. Dark, supple and expressive, the 2019 offers up an exotic mélange of black cherry, spice, new leather and graphite, all of which build effortlessly in the glass. The Petit represents 5.5% of the château's production in 2019, but it is more of a second selection, as 12% of the wine that year was sold in bulk." - Antonio Galloni, Vinous, (02/28/2022), Ratings: 94

"The 2019 Château Cheval Blanc Le Petit Cheval is a solid (better than solid, actually) second wine offering beautiful elegance, purity, and finesse, which is what this estate does better than anyone. Complex notes of red and black currants, forest floor, cedarwood, and tobacco all define the bouquet, and it's medium-bodied, with silky, fine-grained tannins, no hard edges, and just a seamless, elegant, layered style that will drink spectacularly well for 10-15 years." - Jeb Dunnuck, (04/12/2022), Ratings: 93