Petit Cheval 2016 ex-ch 750ml

Wine Advocate#230, Apr 28, 2017
It has an attractive bouquet with raspberry preserve, pressed flowers and a touch of orange rind. The palate is medium-bodied with fine delineation and poise, a fine prickle of acidity, maybe a tad tight having just been wrenched from barrel but with fine salinity on the finish. Be advised to give this three or four years in bottle just to smooth out that slight rigidity on the finish.

Chateau Le Petit Cheval is the second wine of the legendary First Growth (Premier Grand Cru Class) Chaeau Cheval Blanc (Castle of the White Horse). Cheval Blanc lies in the farthest corner of Saint Emilion bordering Pomerol. Chaeau Cheval Blanc came into being when land and vines were acquired from its neighbour Chateau Figeac by the Fourcaud Laussac family in 1832. Today Cheval Blanc is owned by Bernard Arnault (chairman of LVMH) and Albert Frure (also owners of Chateau d'Yquem) with Pierre Lurton as estate manager.
The 100 acre vineyard of Chateau Cheval Blanc is unusual in that it borders the stony plateau of Pomerol and takes on some of those qualities, it spans the gravel ridge which travels across to Chateau Figeac and also covers terroir typical of Saint Emilion. The grapes grown are also unusual as they are not the atypical Saint Emilion Merlot dominated vines. They are 57% Cabernet Franc, 40% Merlot and small parcels of Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Meats, Beef and Venison