Hardly any other wine estate on the right bank of the Gironde has such an aura as Cheval Blanc. This is mainly due to the unique terroir and, of course, what is made from it, namely a great wine from the Saint-Émilion appellation, which has long had an unusually high proportion of Cabernet Franc. The estate was founded in the 16th century, expanded after the French Revolution and has been fortunate enough to be run by wealthy owners throughout the ages, who have always kept the estate up to date, so that it was included in the group of four 1er Grand Cru Classé A estates in Saint-Émilion as early as 1955. Bernard Arnault, who shared the estate with Albert Frère from 1998 to 2009, should also be mentioned.
After his death, the estate passed to the family, while Arnault transferred his share to his company LVMH. Together with Château d'Yquem, the estate is managed by Pierre Lurton and technical director Pierre-Olivier Clouet. Everything that happens at Cheval Blanc fulfils the highest standards and is only done after thorough research. Hardly any other winery has invested so much in soil analysis. Hardly any other winery has spent so much time researching the genetic material of the Merlot and Cabernet Franc vines in order to produce its own mass selections.
Hardly any other winery has built such a perfect new cellar as Cheval Blanc.
All of this leads time and again to veritable strands of perfection, made possible by one of the most complex and best terroirs that Bordeaux has to offer. To protect it and constantly improve the quality of the vineyards, hedges of native plant species have been planted to act as corridors for wildlife, as well as fruit trees planted between the vines, which, among other things, help to make the yeast cultures in the vineyards even more complex.
Even though all 44 plots have their own micro-soil type, the terroir can be roughly divided into three groups. Firstly, there is the clay soil, which has exceptionally good drainage. It makes up around 40 % of the 39 hectares. Most of the Cabernet Franc vines are rooted in this soil. The gravelly soil also accounts for around 40% and supports Merlot vines. There is also 20% sandy soil. All the plots are classified as Erste Gewächs, so there is plenty of room for manoeuvre. This can be seen very clearly in some years. While the vineyard's balance is around 42% Merlot to 58% Cabernet Franc, the pendulum can swing towards 90% Merlot or even 90% Cabernet Franc in the finished wine. Each decision serves to produce the perfect wine. After acquiring the neighbouring Château La Tour du Pin in 2006, a white wine called "Le Petit Cheval Blanc" was added to the already great red second wine "Le Petit Cheval".
photos: Château Cheval Blanc
