Castle Cheval Blanc - Saint-Emilion Grand Cru 2014

Jamessuckling.com

96 / 100

byJames Sucklingthe2/16/2017

Aromas of strawberries, flowers and rose petals. Medium to full body and such beautiful polish and finesse. The texture is remarkably silky. It’s a wine all in elegance and harmony. Such length. Try in 2022 but already a joy to taste.

Vinous

96 / 100

byAntonio Gallonithe2/6/2017

A wine of exceptional finesse, the 2014 Cheval Blanc lifts from the glass with captivating aromatics and sculpted red-fleshed fruit, all with the extra kick of acidity and overall freshness that are such a signature of this vintage. The 2014 is bright, finessed and persistent. It will almost certainly put on weight in bottle. I have a feeling something special is developing here. 96+

Wine Spectator

97 / 100

byJames Molesworththe1/24/2017

This has dreamy aromas already, with notes of Lapsang souchong tea, smoldering cigar and cold charcoal wafting up from the core of dense yet supple currant, fig and blackberry preserves. A loamy edge thumps through the finish, giving this an addictive, head-bobbing bass line. Best from 2026 through 2040. 8,335 cases made.—J.M

Le Point

18,5-19 / 20

byJacques Dupontthe5/21/2015

Fruits rouges, rose, bouche douce, soyeuse, fraîche, longue, tendue, tanins d'une grande qualité, long, frais, fin, grande délicatesse. 

Vinous

93-96 / 100

byAntonio Gallonithe5/11/2015

The 2014 Cheval Blanc is delicate, saline and beautifully layered throughout. Mocha, dark cherries, plums, menthol and new leather are all pushed forward in a mid-weight, gracious Cheval Blanc that impresses with its superb overall balance and pure harmony. Cabernet Franc, 45% of this year's blend, is super-expressive in the glass. Sweet rose petal, violet, mint and herbs are laced into the sensual finish. Here too, the style is resonant, generous and inviting, with beams of acidity and salinity that convey brightness.

The Wine Cellar Insider

94-96 / 100

byJeff Levethe5/5/2015

Fresh black raspberries, flowers, red licorice and cherry blossoms create the exotic perfume. On the palate, the wine is refined, soft and silky, fresh, elegant and pure. It lacks the density found in recent vintages like 2009 but instead relies on refined tannins and textures, transporting the aromas of beautiful, pure fruit all the way to the finish. From a blend of 55% Merlot and 45% Cabernet Franc, the wine reached 13.25% alcohol with a pH of 3.65, representing 75% of the Grand Vin. 94-96 Pts

Wine Advocate

95-97 / 100

byNeal Martinthe4/30/2015

The Château Cheval Blanc 2014 is a blend of 45% Cabernet Franc and 55% Merlot, picked from 19 September until 8 October. The alcohol level is 13.25% matured in 100% new oak, which Pierre Lurton told me was prolonged due to the heterogenous soils and wanting to wait for the Cabernet Franc on clay soils to reach full maturity. It is quintessential Cheval Blanc on the nose: predominantly red fruit here rather than black, touches of incense and dried roses, a dab of liquorice underneath. The Cabernet Franc is the engine behind the aromatics. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannin. This is not a silky smooth Cheval Blanc – here there is an graininess to the tannin that exert a gentle grip in the mouth. It is a complex and cerebral wine with cracked black pepper on the almost ferrous finish. Like the second wine, it is linear and fresh, in some ways reminiscent of the string of superb wines produced in the 1980s. This is a formidable Cheval Blanc whose evolution will be fascinating to witness.

Asian Palate

93-95 / 100

byJeannie Cho Lee MWthe4/20/2015

Lifted flavors of violets, sweet spices and crunchy berries. The palate is elegant with good intensity - not a blockbuster but one that is balanced and fine with lovely precision. Cashmere-like tannins caress the palate in this vintage.

Decanter.com

18,5 / 20

byJames Lawther MWthe4/17/2015

55% Merlot, 45% Cabernet Franc. 75% of the production. A truly elegant wine with beautifully perfumed aroma and flavour. Fine texture and tannins. Long, persistent finish. Lacks the density to be great, but still very fine. Drink: 2022-2040 (95)

Jancis Robinson

17,5 / 20

the4/13/2015

75% production. 45% Cabernet Franc, 55% Merlot. All the terroirs of the property but especially the gravel . 
Bright ruby, gentle and rather muted. Very cool . No drama! Gentle and rather balletic. Some burgundian force towards the end of the palate. Lots to chew on and rather different from the old style. A flight from drama! 

Jamessuckling.com

95-96 / 100

byJames Sucklingthe4/10/2015

There is a little more cabernet franc than normal. Full body with fine and silky tannins, and a deep and beautiful fruit and acid balance. Wet earth, dried flowers and dried fruits. A beautiful length. Dense and compacted. Very fine tannins.

timatkin.com

98 / 100

byTim Atkin MWthe4/7/2015

René Gabriel

18 / 20

byRené Gabrielthe4/1/2015

45 % Cabernet Franc, 55 % Merlot. Mittleres Purpur-Granat. Dunkle Aromen kommen zögerlich aus dem (noch) defensiven Bouquet, Malznoten, Black Currant, Pflaumentöne und eine Nuance von Teer und Trüffel. Im zweiten Ansatz wird das Nasenbild leicht floral, bleibt dabei aber auf der würzigen Seite, will heissen; er hat keine Primärfrucht, oder diese sind halt noch im Untergrund. Im Gaumen dicht, fleischig, zeigt viel Konzentration und behält dabei seine seriöse Charakteristik. Ein klassischer, beruhigender und sehr lagerfähiger Cheval Blanc dem letztendlich ein Tick Finesse zur ganz grossen Genialität fehlt. Also kann man hier von einer introvertierten Grösse sprechen. Aber überraschen lassen kann man sich da in etwa 15 Jahren allemal. Dafür ist beim Cheval der Cabernet Franc immer eine sichere Anlage-Bank. 18/20 2025 – 2050

Wine Enthusiast

97 / 100

byRoger Vossthe4/1/2015

96–98. Barrel Sample. This wine has great tension, with an almost mineral character. The ripe black fruits are complemented by ample acidity, with a stylish structure and enormous aging potential.

Wine Spectator

96-99 / 100

byJames Molesworththe3/30/2015

Reserved aromatically for now, but this has a lot at its clutch, with remarkably silky
plum, currant and raspberry fruit inlaid seamlessly with alder, rooibos tea and
bergamot notes. There's a fine minerality that stretches out the finish, with
remarkable cut, delineation and finesse. This is gorgeous.