Château Cheval Blanc 2000
Review of the Estate
Château Cheval Blanc (French for "White Horse Castle"), is a wine producer in Saint-Émilion in the Bordeaux wine region of France. As of 2012, its wine is one of only four to receive the highest rank of Premier Grand Cru Classè (A) status in the Classification of Saint-Émilion wine, along with Château Angèlus, Château Ausone, and Château Pavie.
The estate's second wine is named Le Petit Cheval.
In 1832, Château Figeac sold 15 hectares/37 acres to M. Laussac-Fourcaud, including part of the narrow gravel ridge that runs through Figeac and neighbouring vineyards and reaches Château Pètrus just over the border in Pomerol. This became Château Cheval Blanc which, in the International London and Paris Exhibitions in 1862 and 1867, won medals still prominent on its labels. The château remained in the family until 1998, when it was sold to Bernard Arnault, chairman of luxury goods group LVMH, and Belgian businessman Albert Frère, with Pierre Lurton installed as estate manager, a constellation similar to that of the group's other chief property Château d'Yquem.
Vineyard
Surface area: 100 acres
Grape Varieties: 57% Cabernet Franc, 40% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Sauvignon and 1% Malbec
Average age of vines: 39 years
Density of plantation: 6,000 - 7,00 vines per hectare
Average yields: 35 - 40 hectoliters per hectare
Average cases produced: 6,000 per year
Plateau of maturity: 15 - 50 years
Château Cheval Blanc 2000 Reviews / Tasting Notes
Robert Parker - The Wine Advocate
Point Score: 99
Coming out of a relatively dormant state, this 2000 is a spectacular Cheval Blanc. Of recent vintages, I think only the 2009 can give it a run for its money. A blend of 53% Merlot and 47% Cabernet Franc, the wine has a sweet nose of menthol, melted licorice, boysenberry, blueberry, and cassis. A broad wine with compelling purity, a layered texture, and sweet tannin, with hints of coffee and earth in the background, this is by far the best Cheval Blanc since 1990 and before 2009. It is a legend in the making and can actually be drunk now, as the tannins have nearly melted away. This is a beauty with incredibly complex aromatics. Drink it over the next 25-30 years.
Wine Spectator
Point Score: 95-100
Superripe, with berry, licorice and cherry. Full-bodied, with big, velvety tannins and a very long finish. Unbelievable. More exuberant and thick than 1998. Score range: 95-100
Stephen Tanzer - Vinous
Point Score: 97
Bright, full ruby. Superripe aromas of black raspberry, violet and bitter chocolate. Velvety and dense but with great verve. Firm, perfectly integrated acids and a vibrant floral character from the cabernet franc give the middle palate terrific lift. Finishes with utterly noble tannins and great length. Has all the components to make a great bottle. "This was explosive in January and February," Lurton offered. "It still good today but it will close up in a couple of months." Its pH of 3.8 is slightly higher than that of the '98 but lower than the '99. An early candidate for the top right-bank wine of 2000.