Winemaker Notes
The 2011 vintage represents a pivotal moment in the history of Cheval Blanc. It ushered in a new era for the estate, both in its understanding of the vineyard and in the crafting of its wines. As the first vintage to be produced in the new winery designed by Christian de Portzamparc, it was also the first to benefit from the estate's 67 concrete vats and a fully gravity-fed vinification system. The number and diversity of these vats provide an unprecedented level of precision in interpreting the vineyard's micro-terroirs and significantly elevating the blending of the grand vin.
Long overshadowed by the legendary 2009 and 2010 vintages, Cheval Blanc 2011 is unquestionably one of the estate's great vintages. Always championed by the technical team, it now reveals its true character: a vintage of pure classicism, deeply faithful to Cheval Blanc's identity. The growing season, dry yet never excessively so, allowed the Cabernet Franc to reach remarkable ripeness. With a historic 57% share of the blend, the wine expresses this variety with exceptional accuracy, placing it among the finest of the decade.
After a phase of quiet maturation, the wine is now opening beautifully, revealing a bouquet of rose, violet and fresh fruit, lifted by hints of menthol and eucalyptus. The palate is long and profound. True to the estate's style, it begins with restraint, almost quietly before gradually unfurling a firm and finely structured tannic frame.
For discerning wine lovers and serious collectors alike, Cheval Blanc 2011 embodies that rare quality sought in the greatest wines: a bottle of unmistakable identity, shaped by a story that transcends reputation alone, and now at a moment of full expression.
Blend: 57% Cabernet Franc 43% Merlot
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
An underrated vintage, the 2011 Château Cheval Blanc is evolving brilliantly. Wafting from the glass with aromas of smoky cassis, blackberries, loamy soil, tobacco leaf, bitter chocolate, mint and violets, it's full-bodied, velvety and multidimensional, with a layered core of fruit, rich and powdery structuring tannin and a long, resonant finish. While the 2009 and 2010 are more powerful and unctuous, readers who prize Cheval Blanc for its extraordinary complexity and unique perfume might well prefer the 2011, as it is a wine that could come from nowhere else.
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Jeb Dunnuck
A vintage that’s being drunk with abandon in France these days, the 2011 Cheval Blanc showed beautifully, and the firm tannins that define this vintage are nowhere to be found here. Sweet black fruits, spice, incense, and exotic flowers define the bouquet and it has classic Cheval Blanc complexity. Medium to full-bodied, beautifully balanced, with sweet tannins, and a great finish, it’s a beautiful Saint-Emilion to drink over the coming 2-3 decades.
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Decanter
Still very youthful a decade on, with fresh notes of raspberry rising above the black fruit core. Nuances of cedar and a touch of violet are beginning to emerge, and despite the drier vintage there’s great freshness to the finish in this otherwise opulent and silky wine. A great potential for cellaring.
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James Suckling
A really beautiful wine with super silky tannins with chocolate, spice, berries and spices. Full body, with super polished tannins and a long, long finish. The first wine from the new winery of Cheval. Very precise. Very polished. Cabernet Franc gives the quality.
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Vinous
The 2011 Cheval Blanc has an elegant, quite refined bouquet with brambly red fruit, scorched earth, terracotta and sage, very complex and harmonious. Could this be Figeac? [Post-script. No, but not far off!] The palate is medium-bodied with rounded tannins, quite plush and sensual, rich for this vintage with plenty of concentrated, quite sweet and spicy, hoisin-tinged fruit on the precise finish. This is a very fine Saint-Émilion. Tasted blind at the annual 10-Year-On tasting.
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Wine Spectator
Offers a loamy, dense feel, with the vintage's briary grip tumbled with dark plum, blackberry and black currant fruit. Anise and tobacco notes fill out the finish, which expands steadily with air, showing added range and echoes of bittersweet cocoa and tobacco. Seems to have a lot in reserve. Best from 2016 through 2030.
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Wine Enthusiast
Next door to Cheval Blanc’s vineyard, La Dominique is rapidly improving its quality. This 2011 is rich and concentrated with full, ripe fruit, still young but with great potential. The tannins are soft, cushioned and dense.
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
Marked by its historic fortified village—perhaps the prettiest in all of Bordeaux, the St-Émilion appellation, along with its neighboring village of Pomerol, are leaders in quality on the Right Bank of Bordeaux. These Merlot-dominant red wines (complemented by various amounts of Cabernet Franc and/or Cabernet Sauvignon) remain some of the most admired and collected wines of the world.
St-Émilion has the longest history in wine production in Bordeaux—longer than the Left Bank—dating back to an 8th century monk named Saint Émilion who became a hermit in one of the many limestone caves scattered throughout the area.
Today St-Émilion is made up of hundreds of independent farmers dedicated to the same thing: growing Merlot and Cabernet Franc (and tiny amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon). While always roughly the same blend, the wines of St-Émilion vary considerably depending on the soil upon which they are grown—and the soils do vary considerably throughout the region.
The chateaux with the highest classification (Premier Grand Cru Classés) are on gravel-rich soils or steep, clay-limestone hillsides. There are only four given the highest rank, called Premier Grand Cru Classés A (Chateau Cheval Blanc, Ausone, Angélus, Pavie) and 14 are Premier Grand Cru Classés B. Much of the rest of the vineyards in the appellation are on flatter land where the soils are a mix of gravel, sand and alluvial matter.
Great wines from St-Émilion will be deep in color, and might have characteristics of blackberry liqueur, black raspberry, licorice, chocolate, grilled meat, earth or truffles. They will be bold, layered and lush.