Bordeaux
At the frontier between Saint-Émilion and Pomerol, Château Cheval Blanc escapes the conventions of both. While Merlot dominates the Right Bank, Cheval Blanc has always placed Cabernet Franc at the centre of its identity, shaping wines defined not by volume, but by line, texture and aromatic clarity.
The philosophy of Cheval Blanc is to "put a place into a glass": to accompany the birth of a wine that faithfully reflects its terroir and the climatic conditions of its vintage.
The 39-hectare vineyard is divided into 45 individual parcels, each distinguished by its own exposure, subsoil composition and grape varieties. This exceptional terroir is so singular that every parcel has contributed at least once to the blend of the Grand Vin. Unlike the limestone plateau that defines much of Saint-Émilion, the vineyards of Château Cheval Blanc rest on a rare mosaic of clay, deep graveland finer sandy gravel.
The grape composition is equally distinctive within Saint-Émilion, with approximately 47% Cabernet Franc, 47%Merlot and 6% Cabernet Sauvignon, a balance that plays a central role in the wine's characteristic freshness, precision and ageing potential. Alongside its Grand Vin, Château Cheval Blanc also produces Petit Cheval, the estate's second wine.
To faithfully express each parcel and vintage, grapes are harvested only once they reach the exact balance the estate is seeking. Ripeness at Cheval Blanc is not defined by a single metric, but by the precise state of each parcel on a given day. Each plot is harvested separately and vinified individually before blending.
Winemaking follows a restrained philosophy designed to preserve the identity of the terroir. Vinifications take place in temperature-controlled vats, with fermentations and élevage adapted to the character of each parcel and vintage. The wines are aged in French oak barrels with a proportion of new oak calibrated to maintain balance and elegance.
Château Cheval Blanc is classified as Premier Grand Cru Classé A of Saint-Émilion, one of only a handful of estates to hold this status. The estate has been owned jointly by LVMH and the Frère family since 1998, and has benefited from ongoing investment in both its technical facilities and vineyard management. The greatest vintages of Château Cheval Blanc are among the most collected and long-lived wines of Bordeaux, combining a rare combination of finesse, depth and remarkable ageing potential on the Right Bank.
