Saint-Emilion
50% Merlot and 50% Cabernet Franc
Le Petit Cheval is the second wine of Chateau Cheval Blanc, one of the most prestigious wineries in the St. Emilion appellation.
50% Merlot and 50% Cabernet Franc
Le Petit Cheval is the second wine of Chateau Cheval Blanc, one of the most prestigious wineries in the St. Emilion appellation.
Jeb Dunnuck: 92-94/100
Brought up all in once-used barrels, the 2023 Château Cheval Blanc Le Petit Cheval is based on equal parts Merlot and Cabernet Franc. It offers loads of Cabernet character in its deeper currants, tobacco, darker chocolate, and leafy herb-like aromatics, with a kiss of background violet and floral nuances. It's no lightweight and has plenty of structure, medium body, ultra-fine tannins, and a gorgeous finish. It's a singular, unique expression from this terroir that will benefit from 5-6 years, if not more, of bottle age.
Lisa Perrotti-Brown - The Wine Independent: 92-94/100:
Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2023 Le Petit Cheval storms out of the glass with powerful earthy/savory notes of tar, tapenade, and underbrush giving way to a core of ripe black plums, boysenberries, and iris bulb with a fragrant touch of dried Provence herbs. The medium-bodied palate is satin-soft and refreshing, with a well-sustained mid-palate of savory flavors, finishing with a cheeky red berry lift. The blend is 50% Merlot and 50% Cabernet Franc, aged in 1-year barrels with no new oak. Le Petit Cheval accounts for 10% of production.
Antonio Galloni - Vinous: 92-94/100:
The 2023 Le Petit Cheval represents 10% of the estate's production and is a blend of equal parts Merlot and Cabernet Franc. In a way, that results in a Petit Cheval that is very Cheval, meaning very expressive in the bouquet but less giving on the palate. Crushed red berry fruit, cinnamon, star anise, pomegranate and blood orange lend an exotic flair. Bright acids and persistent tannins appear on the finish to give the wine shape, closing with a burst of energy. Superb.
Jane Anson: 93 points
Precise carved quality to this Petit Cheval, gorgeous vibrancy to the tannins, savoury cassis and blueberry fruits, with sage, fennel and lemongrass edges, grilled and mouthwatering spices on the finish. Drawn from five plots in 2023.