Wine Advisor
Le Petit Cheval 2009
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
Possibly the finest second wine Cheval Blanc has yet produced, the 2009 Le Petit Cheval is a blend of 35% Merlot and 65% Cabernet Franc. It exhibits more caramelized notes than the grand vin along with a luscious, open-knit, subtle herbaceous component. This fleshy, sexy 2009 is ideal for drinking over the next decade.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
A blend of 65% Cabernet Franc and 35% Merlot, the bouquet is a little more generous than in previous years, with pure blackberry, blueberry, a touch of damson and limestone. Good definition. The palate is structured on the entry, that Cabernet Franc really defining the wine, very fine tannins though and lovely balance. Very pure and linear at the moment, but it skips along towards the finish without a care in the world. Tasted March 2010.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
The 2009 Le Petit Cheval is the best second wine I have ever tasted from this estate. Composed of two-thirds Merlot and one-third Cabernet Franc, it is better than most vintages of the grand vin from the sixties and seventies. Notes of chocolate, black cherries, herbs, and spice emerge from this full-bodied, thick, juicy wine. Enjoy it over the next 10+ years. (Tasted once.)
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Served blind at the Southwold 2009 tasting. A masterful showing from the oft-overlooked second wine, which outclassed many a Grand Vin under blind conditions. The 2009 has a classy, sophisticated bouquet with blackberry, cherry and a cheeky touch of espresso. The palate is medium-bodied with a pleasurable tealeaf and bay leaf element that complements the ripe spicy black fruit. This has a lot of character with a very composed finish. Just a shame it is as expensive as it is. Tasted January 2013.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2009 Le Petit Cheval has a slight more monotone bouquet than 2009 Magrez-Fombrauge. Nicely defined aromas with high-toned blue fruit fusing with blackberry and raspberry notes. It just feels a little static. The palate is medium-bodied with firm tannin, quite Left Bank in style thanks to subtle graphite and cedar notes. Good grip here, fresher than many; the finish displays admirable definition. Once the aromatics open up this could be very fine. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners’ 2009 Bordeaux tasting.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
Possibly the finest second wine Cheval Blanc has yet produced, the 2009 Le Petit Cheval is a blend of 35% Merlot and 65% Cabernet Franc. It exhibits more caramelized notes than the grand vin along with a luscious, open-knit, subtle herbaceous component. This fleshy, sexy 2009 is ideal for drinking over the next decade.
About the Producer
This wine comes from the Saint-Emilion region on the right bank of Bordeaux, France. It is worth mentioning that, in view of the excellent quality and uniformity of the grapes, Château Cheval Blanc did not brew the second-brand wine in 2015. Except for a small part of wine for internal use that is not for sale, the remaining grapes are all used for wine production. Brew the real wine. The winery implements a rigorous and meticulous brewing process to minimize the use of chemicals to produce fresh, elegant, delicate and balanced wines. After the grapes are crushed, they are placed in small tanks with a capacity of 450 kg, after which the must flows into the fermenters by gravity flow (Gravity Flow). Depending on the weight of the must after crushing and the plot of origin, the winemaker will choose a different fermenter and only fill 3/4 of it. After 12 hours of alcoholic fermentation, the workers perform skinning three times a day. According to the daily tasting by the technical team and the cellar supervisor and the measurement data of the liquid hydrometer, the workers will gradually reduce the number of skins in the late fermentation period. After the alcoholic fermentation is complete, the wine is soaked in the skins for several days in temperature-controlled fermenters at 28-30°C to make the tannins more supple and the structure smoother. Afterwards, the wine liquid is transferred to a fermenter at 20°C for 3 weeks to several months of malolactic fermentation (Malolactic Fermentation) to soften the acidity and stabilize the structure. After all the fermentation processes are completed, the wine is transferred to new oak barrels and aged in an underground cellar with a constant temperature of 14°C for 16-18 months. The winemaker will change barrels at this stage, using inert gas to transfer the 210 liters of wine to adjacent oak barrels to minimize oxidation and maintain the balance of the wine. After aging in barrels for three months, the winemaker tastes the wine in each oak barrel, and then mixes the wine to prepare the current year's Cheval Blanc red wine.
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