CHEVAL BLANC 2009

Reminding me a little of the 2015, the 2009 Chateau Cheval Blanc is another powerful yet elegant wine that tops out on my scale. A huge nose of kirsch, cassis, flowery spices, forest floor, and tobacco all give way to a full-bodied, sweetly fruited 2009 that has no hard edges, perfect balance, integrated, perfectly ripe tannins, and a finish that won’t quit. It’s one of those magical wines that carries enormous richness and depth yet stays weightless and ethereal on the palate. Bravo!

Dense, brooding and richly coated, with a well of steeped black currant, fig paste and roasted plum to draw on while the layers of charcoal, Kenya AA coffee and loam resolve themselves. This displays both breadth and depth, offering a great undercurrent of acidity to match its heft. Should be among the most long-lived wines of the vintage. Best from 2017 through 2035. Tasted twice, with consistent notes. 7,330 cases made.

(a 60/40 blend of merlot and cabernet franc; pH 3.82; 13.7% alcohol; a 65% selection) Ruby-purple. Knockout nose offers deep aromas of cassis, minerals, cedar, cocoa and coffee. Then very rich and creamy in the mouth, with luscious, extremely concentrated flavors of blackcurrant, blueberry, raspberry liqueur and cedar. Finishes pure and extremely long, with velvety tannins and a delicate smoke and mineral notes. Though this is an amazingly refined wine, it also strikes me as a much bigger Cheval Blanc than usual, but it doesn't go over the top like many other wines do in '09. Not unlike the 1998 or the 2000, but with more power than the former wine and more grace than the latter. Director Pierre Lurton told me he worries that this wine may be underrated during the spring tastings, as is often the case with Cheval Blanc. This superlative wine should age splendidly for decades.

Super-spicy, this is an extremely elegant 2009 with enormous concentration and finesse. The complex finish lights up the sky and you wonder how this spectacular ripeness could have been more perfectly expressed. Drink or hold. (Horizontal Tasting, London, 2019)

100 pts - Deep garnet colored, the 2009 Cheval Blanc offers up profound notions of baked blueberries, blackberry compote and crème de cassis with suggestions of chocolate mint, new leather and cloves plus a waft of candied violets. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is an exercise in elegance with very classy, super fine-grained tannins, beautiful freshness and layer upon layer of mineral-laced blue and black fruits, finishing long and perfumed. 100 pts - It will be fascinating to follow the evolution of the 2009 Cheval Blanc versus the 2010 as well as the awesome 2005, 2000, 1998 and 1990. This famous estate’s vineyard is situated at the juncture of Pomerol and the sandy, gravelly soils of St.-Emilion, facing the two noble estates of l’Evangile and La Conseillante. A blend of 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc, the 2009 Cheval Blanc tips the scales at just under 14% natural alcohol. Its dense blue/purple color is accompanied by an extraordinary nose of incense, raspberries, cassis, sweet forest floor and a subtle hint of menthol. Opulent and full-bodied with low acidity but no sense of heaviness, this dense, unctuously textured, super-smooth, velvety, pure, profound Cheval Blanc is impossible to resist despite its youthfulness. Anticipated maturity: 2018-2050+.