Chateau Cheval Blanc, which is translated into white horse, has a long, colorful history in St. Emilion that is traced all the wine back to 1832. That was the year the Ducasse family purchased land from the much larger estate of Chateau Figeac.
The Rumpole of the Bailey Series 4 episode "Rumpole and the Blind Tasting" deals with a large shipment of Château Cheval Blanc found in the garage of a minor South London fence, a regular client of Rumpole's, with the fence claiming he had no idea how it got there.
The manager of Château Cheval Blanc, Jacques Hebrard, was outraged at the evaluation of his 1981 vintage barrel samples made by influential wine critic Robert M. Parker, Jr. and asked him to re-taste. Upon arriving, Parker was attacked by Hebrard's dog as the manager stood idly by and watched.
It's not cheap. But for a mature vintage of Cheval Blanc, this is the wine to buy, 97 Points Cheval Blanc Floral, spice, truffle, plum, earth and black cherry aromas lead to waves of soft, opulent, rich, ripe, polished plums.
An initially discreet nose the reveals complex aromas very quickly. A palette of red and black fruits, such as cherry, raspberry, blackberry and blackcurrant dominate. In addition, there are abundant floral notes of violet, rose, lily and peony. As the wine gradually opens it reveals almost caramelised notes with pepper and spices…
Cheval Blanc obtained the highest possible distinction in the first classification of Saint-Emilion wines in 1954: Premier Grand Cru Classé “A”. This exalted rank was confirmed in every following classification in each subsequent decade.
Chateau Cheval Blanc, which is translated into white horse has a long, colorful history in Saint Emilion that is traced back to 1832. That was the year the Ducasse family purchased land from the much larger estate of Chateau Figeac.
The Laussac-Fourcaud family built the chateau that is still in use today. The Laussac-Fourcaud continued adding to their holdings increasing the size of Cheval Blanc. By 1871, they accumulated a total of 41 hectares of vineyards in Saint Emilion. Chateau Cheval Blanc remains that same size to this day.
The beauty of Cheval Blanc is the complex, powerful perfume paired with textures that can feel as soft as polished silk and velvet. Due to its terroir and location that straddles the border of Pomerol and St. Emilion, Cheval Blanc truly combines the best of both worlds.
Once Chateau Cheval Blanc began winning medals for the obvious quality level found in their wine, they changed their label. That change included placing pictures of their medals on the label, which is still featured in the artwork that adorns the labels for the wine today.
The vineyard of Cheval Blanc is planted to a vine density of 8,000 vines per hectare, which is one of the higher levels of denser plantings found in the Right Bank. This is a slight increase in the vine density over the years, as previously, the vineyard was at less than 7,700 vines per hectare.
Starting with the 2015 vintage, Cheval Blanc started producing a dry, white Bordeaux wine called, “Le Petit Cheval Bordeaux Blanc”. To avoid confusion with their second wine, Le Petit Cheval, on the label for the white wine the printing is in silver and the bottle will have a silver capsule. For the initial vintages the wine was produced using 100% Sauvignon Blanc.
The wine is going to be hard to find as not much is produced. The initial release will be about 400 cases and by 2020, the production should increase to an average of 1,250 cases. Le Petit Cheval will be sold as a generic AOC white Bordeaux Blanc because AOC law does not allow white wine grapes in Saint Emilion.
Walking into Frederick's lobby you are always greeted immediately, often by Frederick (the owner) himself. I'm always drawn to the beautiful flower arrangements that quickly draw your eye. The restaurant is upscale and there are a variety of French/Asian fusion dishes. The bar area welcoming.
Take a trip to Frederick's Bistro in San Antonio and make your next meal a good one. Have a gluten-free restriction? No problem. Head to Frederick's Bistro for tasty, gluten-free eats. Round out your meal with a little tipple ? this restaurant has a terrific drink list, including beer, wine, and more.