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Château Cheval Blanc Le Petit Cheval Rouge Saint-Émilion Grand Cru 2021

Reviews

94-95 -James Suckling -

94 -Vinous -

The 2021 Le Petit Cheval is every bit as impressive as it was from barrel. Soft, silky and exceptionally balanced the 2021 is all class. Dark cherry, plum, new leather, licorice, smoke and grilled herbs abound. The blend is 60% Merlot, 33% Cabernet Sauvignon and 7% Cabernet Franc, with the Cabernet Sauvignon quite evident. That makes the 2021 a pretty unique wine, especially in its tannin profile. The wine spent 18 months in once-used barrels.

92 -Falstaff -

92 -Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider -

This is a true baby Cheval Blanc, The reason is simple. Some of the Cabernet Sauvignon lots placed in Cheval Blanc in 2018, 2019 and 2020 were included in this wine. The wine kicks off with flowers, espresso, chocolate, red plums and spice. But it is on the palate, which is slightly similar to Cheval Blanc where the wine shows its character. Supple, and fresh, the wine finishes with loads of silky-textured, sweet fruits. The wine blends 60% Merlot, 33% Cabernet Sauvignon and 7% Cabernet Franc, making this the highest percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon ever used in the history of the estate. 13.1% ABV. Drink from 2022-2035. 91-93

91 -Decanter -

Gorgeous intensity of aromas on the nose, blackcurrant, black cherry, cinnamon, all spice - exoticism as well as soft florality. Smooth on the palate, silky, satin-like tannins just coat the mouth so delicately but providing the structure and support for the fruit which is strawberry, red cherry and plum focused with high acidity giving brightens and vibrancy. This needs a little more time to soften and expand but there’s a lovely intensity and precision to this, I love the texture of the fruit and the cooling aspects that abound on the finish. It has a succulence and sense of joy showing the skill of winemaker Pierre-Olivier Clouet.

91 -Robert Parker's Wine Advocate -

As readers may remember, this cuvée simply represents everything that doesn't synergize with Cheval Blanc's blend, so the 2021 Le Petit Cheval is composed of some 60% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc and 33% Cabernet Sauvignon, amounting to fully half the surface planted to Cabernet Sauvignon at Cheval Blanc. Offering up aromas of dark berries, mulberries and mint framed by creamy new oak, it's medium to full-bodied, fleshy and polished, concluding with a long, delicately vanillin-inflected finish. Its composition means that it will reward a bit of patience.

91 -Jane Anson -

A serious Petit Cheval, with roses, chalky tannins, blackcurrant, red cherry, capsicum, graphite and smoked earth. First time to have Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend of Petit Cheval, which along with the vintage itself perhaps lends this savoury quality. The harvest was long and slow, September 22 to October 14, later than in most recent years, with a yield of 28hl/h.

90 -The Wine Independent -

Only 12,000 bottles were made of Le Petit Cheval 2021. It is a blend of 60 % Merlot, 33% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 7% Cabernet Franc and it has a deep garnet-purple color. It offers up expressive notes of black pepper, dusty soil, and garrigue, leading to a core of red and black plums, redcurrant preserves, and tobacco leaf. The medium-bodied palate is refreshing and delicately styled, with bright red berry layers and a slight chewiness to the texture, finishing with a peppery lift.

Technical Details

Blend 60% Merlot, 33% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cabernet Franc
Winemaker Pierre Lurton & Pierre-Olivier Clouet
Country France
Region Bordeaux
Sub Region Right Bank
Appellation Saint-Émilion
Farming Method Organic & Biodynamic Practices
Oak once-used French oak barriques
Aging / Cooperage 18 months
Alcohol 13%

Château Cheval Blanc Le Petit Cheval Rouge Saint-Émilion Grand Cru 2021

Name: Château Cheval Blanc Le Petit Cheval Rouge Saint-Émilion Grand Cru 2021
Brand: First Bottle
SKU: 1014752
Price: 149.95 USD
Availability: InStock

Bordeaux Blends | Bordeaux

JS94-95, VN94, FS92, JL92, DC91, WA91, JA91, TWI90

Organic & Biodynamic Practices

$300.00

$149.95

750ML

50% OFF RETAIL!

The second wine of one of Bordeaux's most mythical estates, Le Petit Cheval is the rare little sibling that genuinely earns its own spotlight. The 2021 is elegant and food friendly, carrying that unmistakable Cheval Blanc DNA with freshness, precision, and a lovely Cabernet Franc driven lift at a fraction of the grand vin's price. The name on the label says it all: this is Cheval Blanc's gift to the rest of us.

About The Producer

Few wines on earth carry the weight of Cheval Blanc. Carved out of the eastern corner of Saint-Émilion in 1832 — originally part of the massive Figeac estate — the property was shaped into its current form by the Laussac-Fourcaud family, who planted an unusually high proportion of Cabernet Franc on the estate's rare gravel soils and guided the wine to global renown. The Laussac-Fourcauds held it for over 150 years before selling to Bernard Arnault and Baron Albert Frère in 1998, with LVMH eventually assuming a 50% stake in 2009. Pierre Lurton has led the estate for decades, overseeing a striking new winery (inaugurated in 2011) and the ongoing cultivation of 39 hectares split roughly 52% Cabernet Franc and 43% Merlot. In a notable move, Cheval Blanc withdrew from the Saint-Émilion classification in 2022, citing concerns about the system's direction — a decision that surprised no one who understands how far beyond any ranking this wine has always lived.

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