CHEVAL BLANC 2015

One of the wines of this stellar vintage is undeniably the 2015 Cheval Blanc from Pierre Lurton, and it’s going to be interesting to compare this beauty up against the 2005, 2009 and 2010 over the coming three to four decades. Made from a mix of 55% Merlot and 45% Cabernet Franc brought up in new barrels, it’s a wine compared to the 1998 by Lurton, which is a perfect wine today. The 2015s deep purple color is followed by a sensational perfume of violets, spring flowers, Asian spices, and graphite and the wine has an incredible core of raspberry and currant fruit. With full-bodied richness, thrilling purity of fruit, ultra-fine tannin, and a beautiful finish, hide bottle for 5-6 years, count yourself lucky, and enjoy over the following three decades or more. It’s also worth noting that this is the first vintage since 1988 where this estate has opted to not produce their second wine, the Petit Cheval. 2023 - 2063

A lovely sanguine hint leads off, followed by racy, elegant juniper, tobacco, red currant and damson plum notes that move in unison. Broadens and deepens, adding notes of currant preserves, warm ganache and smoldering tobacco, with a swath of loamy structure. Yet even as the bass line increases in volume through the finish, this maintains purity and poise. Should deliver some stunning aromatics at peak, which will take awhile to achieve. Best from 2025 through 2045. 8,250 cases made.

Totally seamless in the glass, with no beginning and no end, the 2015 Cheval Blanc is simply extraordinary. It's hard to describe the 2015, because all of its elements are so perfectly in place. Beautifully delineated aromatics make a strong opening statement. Vibrant and wonderfully nuanced on the palate, the wine exudes energy and vitality through to the persistent, silky finish. Many other 2015s speak with more assertiveness and volume, but Cheval Blanc is more understsated. In 2015, Cheval Blanc created quite a stir in announcing that a whopping 91% of their crop would be bottled as Grand Vin. There will be no Petit Cheval, while the rest of the wine was sold internally. 2025-2055

A Cheval with a depth and finesse that reminds me of the 1998. Full body, ultra-fine tannins and amazing length and beauty. Such finesse and harmony. Super silky and classic for Cheval Blanc.

As many readers may know, 2015 was the first year since 1988 that Cheval Blanc did not produce its second wine, Petit Cheval. This said, parts of two of the Cheval Blanc blocks were not used at all—Plot 17A and the north part of Plot 10—which had problems with water availability during the dry spell, and the fruit was sold for bulk. Therefore, this vintage of the Grand Vin equates to roughly 90% of the total production, making it one of the most complete expressions of Cheval Blanc ever produced. Composed of 53% Merlot and 47% Cabernet Franc, the deep garnet-purple colored 2015 Cheval Blanc slowly opens up to reveal plum preserves, black forest cake, blackberry pie and pronounced licorice notes with suggestions of cloves, cinnamon stick, star anise, dried Provence herbs and lavender plus wafts of iron ore and dusty soil. Medium to full-bodied, rich and densely packed with incredible layers of black, red and blue fruits, it completely fills the palate with energy and expression, framed by very ripe, wonderfully velvety tannins and a racy line of acid, finishing with incredible length and poise. At once achingly graceful and captivatingly cerebral, this is a legendary vintage for this great estate. Lisa Perrotti Brown Score 100/100 Drink Dates 2024-2058