2022 Chateau Cheval Blanc Saint Emilion Grand Cru

The 2022 Chateau Cheval Blanc is based on 53% Merlot, 46% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Cabernet Sauvignon, brought up all in new oak, and this is the second year where no Petite Cheval was produced. (2015 was the last.) Its deep purple color is followed by a riveting Cheval Blanc that has fabulous aromatics of blackcurrants, spice, flowers, spicy wood, and white truffle. These carry to a medium to full-bodied, remarkably pure, elegant, seamless 2022 that has a layered, rounded mouthfeel, absolutely riveting purity, velvety tannins, and a great finish. It brings to mind a more refined, elegant version of the 2010 and is every bit its equal. Hitting 14% alcohol with a healthy pH of 3.83, it warrants a solid decade of bottle age and will have 40-50+ years of overall prime drinking. ~100 Jeb Dunnuck

Deep dark ruby in colour with an opaque core, purple reflections, and subtle brightening on the rim. On the nose, aromas of delicate smoky spices, dark cherry, a hint of ripe plum, a touch of nougat, and some candied orange zest in the background. The elegant palate is firm and juicy with ripe tannins, hints of cherry and clove, and a touch of nougat on the saline mineral finish which has verve and length. Already very harmonious, this wine has enormous ageing potential, designed to last decades. ~100 Falstaff

46% Cabernet Franc, 53% Merlot, and 1% Cabernet Sauvignon, with no press wine added and no second wine. 13.9% alcohol. The yield was below 30 hectoliters per hectare. It offers plenty of aromatic violets, creamy redcurrants, and raspberries, and is impeccably structured on the palate, with a fabulous mid-palate and silky texture. Vibrant and with stunning richness. Eternal effort. ~100 Great Wines of Bordeaux

100% of the grapes went into the Grand Vin. A breathtaking aroma, noble, clear, and pure like a mountain stream, with fruit, violet blossoms, tea, herbs, ginger, and lactic notes; on the palate, it displays great elegance, almost two mouthfuls of wine, perfectly ripe tannins, magnificent structure, and length. Perhaps the greatest Cheval Blanc ever produced? ~100 Vinum Wine Magazine

Loganberry, boysenberry and blackberry compote notes give the core an almost outsized feel, but there's restraint and focus, as touches of warm loam, licorice root and smoldering tobacco keep this well-grounded. There's cut and drive too, even though this is dense and slow-moving, with alder smoke, Turkish coffee and bittersweet cocoa checking in. Then a lilting black tea and violet backdrop emerges at the very end, adding grace and sensuality. A marvelous expression of a distinctive vintage. Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Best from 2028 through 2050. 6,845 cases made, 1,000 cases imported. ~99 Wine Spectator

Extremely perfumed, showing red roses and violets as well as hints of flower stems. A touch of sandalwood. This turns to blue fruits with such pure grape character, like smelling must. Savory, light brine and black olives. The palate is tight and refined before taking off at the end. The perfectly integrated tannins melt into the wine, giving it fascinating tension and intensity. 53% merlot, 46% cabernet franc and 1% cabernet sauvignon. Drink after 2028. ~99 James Suckling

The 2022 Cheval Blanc is quite unusual in that it was made from 46 out of the 47 parcels that make up the estate, the highest proportion of blocks ever used in the Grand Vin. There is also no Petit Cheval. One block was sold in bulk, and everything else went into the Grand Vin. That's basically it. In tasting, the 2022 is a wine of sublime elegance, and yet there's a certain strictness in its vertical build that keeps things buttoned up. Time in the glass starts to release the Cabernet Franc aromatics, but this remains incredibly dense. It barely budged over the two days I followed it. All the 2022 needs is time. The only question is how much. ~99 Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

Extremely aromatic - floral and perfumed with rich dark black fruits, liquorice, crayon, blueberries, and purple flowers, lifted by hints of mint. Fresh and vibrant from the start, this has a defined core with tension and structure. Velvety soft tannins and precise, mouthwatering fruit with a creamy touch that adds to its sumptuous feel. Juicy and clean, with a vein of liquorice spice that adds seriousness. With air, it softens and becomes more chewy and round — gentle yet utterly moreish. Graphite minerality lingers on the finish. A charged yet charming Cheval Blanc that will benefit from air to fully express itself. 78% grand vin, no Petit Cheval with the remaining 22% (press wine) sold as bulk. 3.83pH. ~98 Decanter

The 2022 Chateau Cheval Blanc has turned out beautifully in bottle, bursting from the glass with aromas of minty mulberries, licorice and rose petals mingled with hints of pipe tobacco and baking chocolate. Full-bodied, rich and velvety, it's layered and unctuous, with sweet, powdery tannins and a broad, enveloping profile, concluding with a long, fragrant finish. Flamboyant but controlled, this blend of 53% Merlot, 46% Cabernet Franc and 1% Cabernet Sauvignon spent only 12 months in barrique. There's no Petit Cheval this year, as what little wasn't deemed up to the level of the grand vin was sold off in bulk. ~98 Robert Parker, Wine Advocate

Three-quarters of the Merlot in the 2022 Cheval Blanc was Merlot picked in August—when no grape had ever been picked in that month before. It aged for just 13 months since the balance, texture and freshness were all exactly where they should be and there were concerns about the pH and potential spoilage if it spent a second winter in oak. The 2022 has an incredibly intense nose, yet it effortlessly maintains the delineation that most Right Bank estates can only dream about. Hints of blackcurrant, blueberry, violet, Earl Grey and an underlying mineralité come through with time. The palate is medium-bodied, perfectly balanced, pure and well defined with filigree tannins and hints of pencil shavings infusing the shimmering black fruit. A deft touch of black pepper on the aftertaste completes one of the standout wines in recent years. Tasted in September 2024 and then in January 2025 because I...err...forgot that I had already visited! ~98 Neal Martin, Vinous Media