Winemaker Notes
Blend: 60% Merlot, 33% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cabernet Franc
Professional Ratings
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Vinous
The 2021 Le Petit Cheval is every bit as impressive as it was from barrel. Soft, silky and exceptionally balanced, the 2021 is all class. Dark cherry, plum, new leather, licorice, smoke and grilled herbs abound. The blend is 60% Merlot, 33% Cabernet Sauvignon and 7% Cabernet Franc, with the Cabernet Sauvignon quite evident. That makes the 2021 a pretty unique wine, especially in its tannin profile. The spent 18 months in once-used barrels. –Antonio Galloni
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Decanter
Cool and toasted aromas on the nose, liquorice, tobacco, purple flowers and cherries. Smooth and well rounded, high in acidity which gives the initial lift before the salty minerality comes in giving a slight wet stone / chalky texture in the mouth. It’s really quite fruity and lifted but with a serious core, straight and well defined. Not heavy at all. A nice second wine. Detailed and feels very polished. Needs more time to expand as it’s still a little tight.
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Jeb Dunnuck
The second wine of this incredible château and based on 60% Merlot, 33% Sauvignon, and 7% Cabernet Franc, the 2021 Château Cheval Blanc Petit Cheval reveals a deep ruby/purple hue as well as killer notes of cassis and black raspberries supported by spring flowers, wood smoke, and tobacco notes. It's one heck of a second wine offering medium to full-bodied richness, gorgeous tannins, and a great finish. It tastes like many a Grand Vin, if not better. For the tech geeks out there, it hit 13.3% alcohol, with a pH of 3.62. Give it just a few years and enjoy over the following decade.
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Wine Spectator
Fresh, with a dusting of chalk over lemon pith and chamomile notes, backed by grapefruit peel and quinine accents on the lengthy finish. Nicely focused throughout. Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon. Drink now through 2027. 2,466 cases made.
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.