Cheval Blanc 2012

St Emilion, Premier Grand Cru Classé A

Units	Size	Case size	GBP Price:	Quantities	Buy
6	75cl Bottle	Case 6	£1,870 per Case	Case	[Add to shopping basket]

Tasting Notes
The 2012 Cheval Blanc has a lovely bouquet with raspberry coulis, hints of marmalade and just a touch of espresso, nicely detailed though not intense. The palate is medium-bodied with a strict entry. This is quite backward and tight, lightly spiced with a touch of sour cherry and cracked black pepper on the finish. This is a delicious, well-crafted Cheval Blanc. A second bottle demonstrates just a little more backbone and persistence. Tasted twice at Bordeaux Index's Ten Year-On tasting and blind at the Southwold Ten-Year On tasting. Score: 94 Neal Martin, Inside Bordeaux Maturity: 2023-2045 27 September 2022
Seductive, rich flavours, far more creamy in its fruit expression than many of the top Left Banks in the 2012 vintage, and yet also higher in fresh acidities, giving a lovely push-and-pull contrast. Persistent, with sage and white pepper spice, this is a nuanced and sculputed wine, full of personality and grace. Not the depth of the truly great vintages at Cheval such as the 2010 or 2016, but this is one of the wines of the tasting, with layers of flavour that will take decades to fully unwind. 100% new oak. Score: 98 Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux Maturity: 2022-2042 30 March 2022
The 2012 Cheval Blanc boasts stunning power and a vertical, imposing sense of structure that is quite rare in this vintage. Dark and almost brooding in style, the Cheval is a rare 2012 that absolutely demands cellaring. Smoke, tobacco, incense and dark spices open up with time, but the 2012 is a reticent, tannic wine that is only showing the barest hints of its ultimate potential. This is a magnificent showing and one of the clear highlights of the year. Score: 97 Antonio Galloni, Inside Bordeaux Maturity: 2020-2042 01 January 2016
A beautiful wine that always seems to drink well, the 2012 Cheval Blanc has a sweet, fragrant nose of black and red currants, floral nuances and spice. Supple, round and juicy, this wine can be drunk now or cellared for another 15 or more years. Score: 94 Robert Parker, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Maturity: 2015-2030 01 April 2015
The final blend for the 2012 Cheval Blanc was 54% Merlot and 46% Cabernet Franc. Despite the use of 100% new oak, there is not a hint of vanillin, toast or espresso notes in the aromatic bouquet, which is filled with scents of black currants, sweet cherries, lavender, forest floor and a hint of underbrush. Concentrated with a surprisingly lofty alcohol level of 13.9% as well as a tannin level that equals their 2010 (a wine bestowed a three-digit score), this full-bodied, opulent 2012 has a pH of 3.8, which accounts for its suppleness, velvety texture and heady richness. It is a great success in this vintage. It will be approachable early given its silky structural aspects, and should last for two decades. Score: 94 - 96 Robert Parker, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Maturity: 2013-2033 26 April 2013
(54% merlot and 46% cabernet franc): 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. Score: 90 - 93 Ian D'Agata, Inside Bordeaux 01 May 2013
Understated, fresh, elegant nose. Beautifully pure fruit on the palate - blueberry and blackberry notes. Plump mid-palate then lovely, silky tannins. A notch better than a very good 2011. The winemaker compares it to 2000. (18.75 points) Score: 18 - 19 Steven Spurrier, Decanter.com Maturity: 2020-2040 26 April 2013
54% Merlot, 46% Cabernet Franc. Deep dark crimson. Marked Cabernet nose. Smells pure and fresh and crunchy. Finest of fine tannins but they go deep, as does the fruit. It is not leafy but there that classic Cabernet Franc fresh aroma that tends that way. There's some grip but fine friction. Elegant, long; energy underneath a relatively gentle-seeming exterior. 'Power and sweetness of Merlot and finesse of Cabernet Franc. The true Cheval Blanc style we like', says Kees van Leeuwen. Very clean, complex aromatic profile. Delicious and I think you could drink it, with much pleasure, even earlier than I have suggested. Score: 18 - 19 Julia Harding MW, JancisRobinson.com Maturity: 2020-2035 26 April 2013
Tightly wound, with a core of red currant, red licorice and bergamot. The long, earth-driven finish shows a tug of clay and warm stone, while a backdrop of bittersweet cocoa and dark tea waits in reserve. Reveals a sinewy side, balanced by muscle and flesh. Impressively rendered for the vintage. Tasted non-blind. Score: 94 - 97 James Molesworth, Wine Spectator 08 April 2013
This is really beautiful with blackberry, chocolate, and light nuts character. Full yet refined and beautiful. Seamless tannins. It goes on for minutes. This is so elegant and beautiful. The tannins are just right and not overdone for the vintage. Score: 93 - 94 James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com 04 April 2013

Tasting Notes

The 2012 Cheval Blanc has a lovely bouquet with raspberry coulis, hints of marmalade and just a touch of espresso, nicely detailed though not intense. The palate is medium-bodied with a strict entry. This is quite backward and tight, lightly spiced with a touch of sour cherry and cracked black pepper on the finish. This is a delicious, well-crafted Cheval Blanc. A second bottle demonstrates just a little more backbone and persistence. Tasted twice at Bordeaux Index's Ten Year-On tasting and blind at the Southwold Ten-Year On tasting.

Score: 94

Neal Martin, Inside Bordeaux Maturity: 2023-2045 27 September 2022

Seductive, rich flavours, far more creamy in its fruit expression than many of the top Left Banks in the 2012 vintage, and yet also higher in fresh acidities, giving a lovely push-and-pull contrast. Persistent, with sage and white pepper spice, this is a nuanced and sculputed wine, full of personality and grace. Not the depth of the truly great vintages at Cheval such as the 2010 or 2016, but this is one of the wines of the tasting, with layers of flavour that will take decades to fully unwind. 100% new oak.

Score: 98

Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux Maturity: 2022-2042 30 March 2022

The 2012 Cheval Blanc boasts stunning power and a vertical, imposing sense of structure that is quite rare in this vintage. Dark and almost brooding in style, the Cheval is a rare 2012 that absolutely demands cellaring. Smoke, tobacco, incense and dark spices open up with time, but the 2012 is a reticent, tannic wine that is only showing the barest hints of its ultimate potential. This is a magnificent showing and one of the clear highlights of the year.

Score: 97

Antonio Galloni, Inside Bordeaux Maturity: 2020-2042 01 January 2016

A beautiful wine that always seems to drink well, the 2012 Cheval Blanc has a sweet, fragrant nose of black and red currants, floral nuances and spice. Supple, round and juicy, this wine can be drunk now or cellared for another 15 or more years.

Score: 94

Robert Parker, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Maturity: 2015-2030 01 April 2015

The final blend for the 2012 Cheval Blanc was 54% Merlot and 46% Cabernet Franc. Despite the use of 100% new oak, there is not a hint of vanillin, toast or espresso notes in the aromatic bouquet, which is filled with scents of black currants, sweet cherries, lavender, forest floor and a hint of underbrush. Concentrated with a surprisingly lofty alcohol level of 13.9% as well as a tannin level that equals their 2010 (a wine bestowed a three-digit score), this full-bodied, opulent 2012 has a pH of 3.8, which accounts for its suppleness, velvety texture and heady richness. It is a great success in this vintage. It will be approachable early given its silky structural aspects, and should last for two decades.

Score: 94 - 96

Robert Parker, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Maturity: 2013-2033 26 April 2013

(54% merlot and 46% cabernet franc): 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.

Score: 90 - 93

Ian D'Agata, Inside Bordeaux 01 May 2013

Understated, fresh, elegant nose. Beautifully pure fruit on the palate - blueberry and blackberry notes. Plump mid-palate then lovely, silky tannins. A notch better than a very good 2011. The winemaker compares it to 2000. (18.75 points)

Score: 18 - 19

Steven Spurrier, Decanter.com Maturity: 2020-2040 26 April 2013

54% Merlot, 46% Cabernet Franc. Deep dark crimson. Marked Cabernet nose. Smells pure and fresh and crunchy. Finest of fine tannins but they go deep, as does the fruit. It is not leafy but there that classic Cabernet Franc fresh aroma that tends that way. There's some grip but fine friction. Elegant, long; energy underneath a relatively gentle-seeming exterior. 'Power and sweetness of Merlot and finesse of Cabernet Franc. The true Cheval Blanc style we like', says Kees van Leeuwen. Very clean, complex aromatic profile. Delicious and I think you could drink it, with much pleasure, even earlier than I have suggested.

Score: 18 - 19

Julia Harding MW, JancisRobinson.com Maturity: 2020-2035 26 April 2013

Tightly wound, with a core of red currant, red licorice and bergamot. The long, earth-driven finish shows a tug of clay and warm stone, while a backdrop of bittersweet cocoa and dark tea waits in reserve. Reveals a sinewy side, balanced by muscle and flesh. Impressively rendered for the vintage. Tasted non-blind.

Score: 94 - 97

James Molesworth, Wine Spectator 08 April 2013

This is really beautiful with blackberry, chocolate, and light nuts character. Full yet refined and beautiful. Seamless tannins. It goes on for minutes. This is so elegant and beautiful. The tannins are just right and not overdone for the vintage.

Score: 93 - 94

James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com 04 April 2013

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