Château Cheval Blanc

atypical Saint-Émilion

the origin of wine

The 39-hectare vineyard comprises 45 plots. Each benefits from its own specific characteristics in terms of exposure, subsoil, or grape variety. This exceptional terroir is so unique that all of its plots have contributed at least once to the blending of the grand vin. This contrasts with the typical characteristics of the appellation.Saint-ÉmilionThe château's vines are not planted on the limestone plateau. Instead, they grow in three types of soil: clay, coarse gravel, and finer sandy gravel. The grape varieties planted are also unique in Saint-Émilion, with 47% Cabernet Franc, 47% Merlot, and 6% Cabernet Sauvignon. Since 1996, the estate has conducted extensive soil analysis and ampelographic research. This allows the estate to build and preserve its own unique plant heritage. The oldest vines here date back to 1920, and they have never been treated with any pesticides.

The Cheval Blanc team

Exceptional men

Owned by Bernard Arnaud and Albert Frère since 1998, it is atPierre Lurtonthat now falls the task of administering and guiding the destinies ofChâteau Cheval BlancSurrounded by a young and brilliant team, including Pierre-Olivier Clouet and Arnaud de Laforcade, he is making Cheval Blanc shine. With him, perfection is quietly achieved through hard work, high standards, attention to detail, and kindness. The meticulous care given to the vines, the winemaking techniques, and the winemakers' decisions: everything is carefully considered to achieve the single objective of quality. In June 2011, the new winery and its avant-garde architecture were inaugurated. Exuding calm and serenity, the winery offers a glimpse of what future generations of wines will be like.White Horse: elegant, pure, majestic, simple and "obvious" wines.

Château Cheval Blanc

Character & know-how

To achieve perfection, the grapes from a plot are harvested when they reach precisely the three desired ripeness criteria. These criteria include aromatic maturity, the balance between acidity and sugar (freshness, balance, and aging potential), and the quality of the tannins, achieved through skins and seeds that are "al dente." Alcohol content is only a secondary criterion at this stage. A great wine must have smooth, silky tannins that coat the palate without drying it out.

The great wine ofWhite Horseis obtained by blending wines from different plots using a very rigorous method. In 2015, each of the plots was included in the grand vin: for the first time in its history, there was no production ofLittle Horsein this vintage, because removing parcels from the blend only diminished the quality of the wine produced from all the parcels. In 2016, theChâteau Cheval Blanclaunches its first white wine – Le Petit Cheval en Bordeaux Blanc.