Chateau Cheval Blanc 2021

James Suckling:

This is so finely textured with very precise, tight tannins. Medium to full body. Lots of layers here with black and blue fruit, stones, tar, dark cocoa and spices. Dried herbs. Long and persistent. Stays focused all the way. So precise. 52% cabernet franc, 43% merlot and 5% cabernet sauvignon.

Decanter:

Incredible aromatic complexity on the nose, just wow, the beautiful bitter dark chocolate, blackcurrant, blackberries, fragrant violets and roses, coffee, toffee, caramel, smoked earth, liquorice and tobacco, I could smell it for hours! It wows on the palate too giving succulence, freshness and juiciness balanced by integrated acidity and a backbone of spice coming from the Cabernet Franc - the highest percentage since 2011 and the first time outweighing Merlot at 52%. Perfume continues on the palate also, the soft fragrance giving the nuance while the satin tannins coat the mouth with bite and chew. Minerality comes across via wet stone and graphite edges with liquorice and clove spice. Constituent tastings of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc show how skillfully this was created. Still quite tense and linear at this point but showcases perfectly both the vineyard and vintage - each detail and decision in the glass with no let up of power or concentration.