Château Cheval Blanc 2003 Château Cheval Blanc

Der Grand Vin des Château Cheval Blanc ist eine Cuvée aus Cabernet Franc und Merlot. Die Reben, aus denen dieser großartige Wein hergestellt wird, haben ein durchschnittliches Alter von rund 40 Jahren und wachsen auf sieben Meter dicken Kiesablagerungen, die aus der Günz-Eiszeit stammen. Das Jahr 2003 war sehr heiß, sodass das Château in diesem Jahr so früh erntete, wie noch nie zuvor. Die Zusammensetzung der Cuvée bestand in diesem Jahr aus 53% Cabernet Franc und zu 47% aus Merlot. Die Farbe des Weins ist intensives rot mit dunklen Reflexen. In der Nase komplex mit leichten Noten überreifer Frucht, dazu Feigen, Pflaumenkonfitüre, Zimt und Muskatnuss. Kaffee, Lakritz und Karamell sind ebenfalls vorhanden. Der Wein besitzt eine gute Struktur mit gut-eingebettetem Tannin und einen endlos langem Abgang.

Alcohol		13.5%
Vintage		2003
Volume		0.75l
Winery		Château Cheval Blanc
Rebsorte		Cuvée
Vineyard		Saint-Émilion
City		Saint-Émilion
Region		Bordeaux
Country		Frankreich
Stored		20.06.2022

590.00 € / Bottle

786.67 € / Liter

1 bottles available

The vineyard Saint-Émilion

Location and Landscape

Saint-Émilion refers to an appellation with a delimited wine-growing area that extends over nine communes around the town of Saint-Émilion. The area belongs to the Bordeaux climate and also features somewhat more continental conditions, warmer temperatures and occasional Mediterranean influences. The landscape is shaped by a limestone plateau, abrupt linear slopes and amphitheatre-shaped valleys; the edge of the terrain reaches a height of about 100 metres.

Soils and Subsoil

On the central plateau, tertiary Astéries limestone is found. In addition, there are shallow limestone and sandy-silty soils, clayey-limestone as well as deeper silty-clayey soils, Molasse from Fronsadais, quarterly sand and clay deposits, gravelly hillocks as well as alluvial gravels, sands and silts. Historical stone extraction created, beneath the town and the surrounding plateaus, an extensive network of underground galleries, some of which are used as wine cellars.

Grape Varieties and Wine Style

The appellation is intended for dry, still red wines. Merlot is the dominant grape variety and provides colour, red and black fruit aromas, roundness and supple tannins. Cabernet Franc complements this with aromatic finesse, freshness and a tannic structure, while Cabernet Sauvignon contributes spicy notes, tannin and ageing potential. Carménère and Cot are also permitted; Petit Verdot may make up at most ten percent of the planted vineyard area.

History and Requirements

Winegrowing in the surrounding area probably dates back to the time of Roman occupation. The medieval “jurade” shaped the historical system of wine administration; in 1884, a wine-growing syndicate was established in Saint-Émilion. The appellation d’origine contrôlée was recognised in 1936, and the winegrowing landscapes of Saint-Émilion have been entered on the UNESCO World Heritage List as a cultural landscape since 1999. For cultivation, among other things, a minimum planting density of 5,500 vines per hectare and a regulated yield of 53 hectolitres per hectare with an upper limit of 65 hectolitres apply. The wines must mature for at least until 31 March of the year following the harvest and may be released to consumers from 15 April of that year.

About the winery

Location and terroir

Château Cheval Blanc is located in the commune of Saint-Émilion at the edge of the Pomerol area in the Bordeaux region in France. The estate lies between Saint-Émilion and Pomerol and shares the quaternary alluvial formation of the Isle with many Pomerol vineyards. The soils form a mosaic of clay, gravel and sand. Some plots consist predominantly of clay with small stones, while others consist of fine gravel and sand.

Vines and vineyard management

The vineyard is planted to 55% Cabernet Franc, 40% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. Château Cheval Blanc takes into account the characteristics of each plot through different choices of pruning and bud selection, green harvesting, targeted work on the foliage and separate decisions for the harvest. During the growing season, soil temperature, water supply and mineral supply are measured; in addition, the phenolic development and the ripeness of the grapes are monitored plot by plot.

The estate has discontinued tillage by ploughing, sows cover crops between the rows and, as part of its agroecological programme, combines polyculture with biodiversity management. Documented climatic risks include spring frost, drought, heavy rainfall and hail.

History

The estate’s modern development began in 1832 with the purchase of its core by Jean-Jacques Ducasse. Subsequent acquisitions of plots from the holdings of Château Figeac formed the present-day property. Jean Laussac-Fourcaud planted part of the estate in the mid-1860s in roughly equal proportions with Merlot and Cabernet Franc; this replanting was completed in 1871. The wine was first marketed in 1852 under the name Cheval Blanc and received a bronze medal in 1862 at the World Exhibition in London. Bernard Arnault and Baron Albert Frère acquired Château Cheval Blanc in the autumn of 1998.

In 1954, the estate was classified in the first Saint-Émilion classification as Premier Grand Cru Classé A. In July 2021, it withdrew from the classification instead of taking part in the 2022 classification.

Vinification and wines

The grapes from the individual plots are vinified separately, with each plot being assigned to a specific fermentation vessel. For alcoholic fermentation, yeasts prepared from indigenous yeasts are used; pumping over is done manually, and samples from each vessel are tasted every day. Malolactic fermentation takes place at around 20 °C in the vessels. Press wine remains separated from the first and second wines. The wines then mature for around 16 to 18 months in French oak barrels in a cellar with approximately 14 °C.

Wines from clay plots are described as silky with soft tannins, while gravel plots produce more aromatic and elegant wines. According to the estate, the cuvées combine strength, elegance and a complex aromatic expression, and are intended to reflect the terroir as well as the climatic conditions of the particular vintage. Le Petit Cheval has been produced since 1988 from grapes from the same terroirs and the same grape varieties; it is selected from approximately one quarter of the harvest.