Good full ruby-red. Expressive, nuanced nose offers red cherry, strawberry, minerals and a hint of violet. Sweet and round on entry, then increasingly austere toward the back, with peppery and minty elements lifting the dark cherry and cassis flavors. I noticed some bottle variation with my samples on the day I visited this chateau, so I am describing the best of the four samples I tried. My gut feeling is that there is plenty of stuffing and pretty cabernet franc refinement here but that the wine needs to smooth out and harmonize with further elevage. Mai 2013

Medium to deep garnet colored, the 2012 Cheval Blanc reveals lovely cassis, warm black cherries and redcurrant jelly notions with underlying hints of cedar chest, garrigue, Indian spices and damp soil. Medium to full-bodied, it possesses wonderful energy and freshness on the palate with a beautifully poised ethereal nature and long mineral-tinged finish. This elegantly crafted beauty should enter its drinking window in a couple of years and cellar gracefully for another 20+ years. August 2018

A Cheval Blanc with an impressive center palate of blueberries, chocolate, almonds and spices. Full body, a solid core of fruit and a long, long finish. Goes on for minutes. Beautiful wine. Seamless tannins. Needs a few years of bottle age. Better in 2017. Februar 2015