The pinnacle of the right bank of Bordeaux with concentrated rich fruit flavor and excellent precision.
First special class A, which ranks at the top of Saint-Emilion's classification. In 2012, Château Pavie and Château Angelus will be added to the Special Class A category, but until then only two chateaus, Cheval Blanc and Ausone, were recognized. Cheval Blanc and Ausone are the pinnacle of right bank chateaux. These two chateaus will be withdrawn from the Saint-Émilion rating when it is updated in September 2022. Cheval Blanc Director Pierre Lurton and Technical Director Pierre-Olivier Clouet say the reason for their decision to withdraw is simply that the winery does not meet the criteria for classification.
Both Cheval Blanc and Ausone exist as two wings of Saint-Émilion, but their personalities are clearly different. The Saint-Émilion region is broadly divided into two regions with different soils. One is called the Côte (meaning plateau) region, which has clay limestone soil suitable for growing Merlot. Most of the first class chateaus, including Chateau Ausone, belong to this category. The other region is called the Graves (meaning gravel) region, which has gravelly soil where Cabernet Franc is often cultivated. Cheval Blanc has soils that are equal parts clay and gravel.
The true value of this chateau is the rich and powerful flavor that comes from using a lot of Cabernet Franc. Furthermore, because it is just a stone's throw away from Pomerol's Les Vengilles and Conceillants, it has a rich and sticky quality similar to Pomerol's. These characteristics create a unique taste that can only be produced by Cheval Blanc. This may be the reason why many wine lovers choose Cheval Blanc.
This wine can also be said to have a particularly long drinking period. Cheval Blanc already has a fragrant and captivating taste when it is bottled, but as it ages it becomes more harmonious and characterful. Even the five great chateaus and the jewel of Pomerol, Petrus, do not have this flexibility.
