Chateau Cheval Blanc - Le Petit Cheval 2023

JAMES SUCKLING: "There’s depth of fruit, good structure and freshness in this black-cherry and chocolate-scented wine. It’s full-bodied, yet it tightens up on the finish. Toned, muscular and crisp. 10% of the production of Cheval. 50% merlot and 50% cabernet franc."

WEINWISSER: "50 % Cabernet Franc, 50 % Merlot. Feingliedriges sehr delikates Bouquet, rote Johannisbeere, Sandelholz und heller Tabak, dahinter Preiselbeersaft und Koriander, Iris-Duft. Am eleganten Gaumen mit seidiger Textur, verspielter straffer Rasse, engmaschigem Tanningerüst und geradlinigem Körper. Im gebündelten Finale rote Beeren, Heidekraut und edle Mineralik."

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "Cherry blossoms, chocolate, plums, black cherries, and flowers create the aromatics. Medium-bodied, silky, elegant, and fresh, with a voluptuous texture that sets the table for the chocolate-covered black cherries, plums, and truffles. The wine is perfectly balanced between its freshness, and its opulent, nature. There was a time when second wines were simply second wines. Clearly, that is no longer the case. You can enjoy this on release and for the following 2 decades after that. The wine blends 50% Cabernet Franc, with 50% Merlot. Drink from 2027-2042."

DECANTER: "Very floral and highly perfumed on the nose. Supple and agile, this has weight and a super smooth texture - quite tart and high in acidity though with liquorice, aniseed, clove and some wet stone minerality that gives the fine tannins a real chalky grip around the mouth. It’s a little austere and youthful but it has structure and muscle and lots of ripe fruit as well as freshness. Not charming and welcoming but sleek, straight and focussed. Ageing 14-16 months in one year barrels. 3.8pH."

JEB DUNNUCK: "Brought up all in once-used barrels, the 2023 Château Cheval Blanc Le Petit Cheval is based on equal parts Merlot and Cabernet Franc. It offers loads of Cabernet character in its deeper currants, tobacco, darker chocolate, and leafy herb-like aromatics, with a kiss of background violet and floral nuances. It's no lightweight and has plenty of structure, medium body, ultra-fine tannins, and a gorgeous finish. It's a singular, unique expression from this terroir that will benefit from 5-6 years, if not more, of bottle age."

FALSTAFF: "Dunkles Rubingranat, opaker Kern violette Reflexe, zarte Randaufhellung. Zarte Kräuterwürze, reife Herzkirschen, ein Hauch von Brombeeren und Lakritze, kandierte Orangenzesten sind unterlegt. Mittlere Komplexität, kirschig, reife Tannine, mineralisch-salzig, ein Hauch von Nugat im Nachhall, ein kraftvoller Speisenbegleiter."

LISA PERROTTI-BROWN: "Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2023 Le Petit Cheval storms out of the glass with powerful earthy/savory notes of tar, tapenade, and underbrush giving way to a core of ripe black plums, boysenberries, and iris bulb with a fragrant touch of dried Provence herbs. The medium-bodied palate is satin-soft and refreshing, with a well-sustained mid-palate of savory flavors, finishing with a cheeky red berry lift. The blend is 50% Merlot and 50% Cabernet Franc, aged in 1-year barrels with no new oak. Le Petit Cheval accounts for 10% of production."

VINUM: "Wunderschöner Duft, Eukalyptus und Minzekräuter über rein er Cassisfrucht, Kirschen; saftig und frisch am Gaumen, die Tannine des Cabernet Franc erinnern etwas an einen Loire-Wein, am Limit der Reife und genau darum mit viel Charakter und Rasse."