Robert Parker (98)
The 2022 Château Cheval Blanc has turned out beautifully in bottle, bursting from the glass with aromas of minty mulberries, licorice and rose petals mingled with hints of pipe tobacco and baking chocolate. Full-bodied, rich and velvety, it's layered and unctuous, with sweet, powdery tannins and a broad, enveloping profile, concluding with a long, fragrant finish. Flamboyant but controlled, this blend of 53% Merlot, 46% Cabernet Franc and 1% Cabernet Sauvignon spent only 12 months in barrique. There's no Petit Cheval this year, as what little wasn't deemed up to the level of the grand vin was sold off in bulk.
Winespectator (99)
Loganberry, boysenberry and blackberry compote notes give the core an almost outsized feel, but there's restraint and focus, as touches of warm loam, licorice root and smoldering tobacco keep this well-grounded. There's cut and drive too, even though this is dense and slow-moving, with alder smoke, Turkish coffee and bittersweet cocoa checking in. Then a lilting black tea and violet backdrop emerges at the very end, adding grace and sensuality. A marvelous expression of a distinctive vintage. Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon.
James Suckling (99)
Extremely perfumed, showing red roses and violets as well as hints of flower stems. A touch of sandalwood. This turns to blue fruits with such pure grape character, like smelling must. Savory, light brine and black olives. The palate is tight and refined before taking off at the end. The perfectly integrated tannins melt into the wine, giving it fascinating tension and intensity. 53% merlot, 46% cabernet franc and 1% cabernet sauvignon.
Vinous (99)
The 2022 Cheval Blanc is quite unusual in that it was made from 46 out of the 47 parcels that make up the estate, the highest proportion of blocks ever used in the Grand Vin. There is also no Petit Cheval. One block was sold in bulk, and everything else went into the Grand Vin. That's basically it. In tasting, the 2022 is a wine of sublime elegance, and yet there's a certain strictness in its vertical build that keeps things buttoned up. Time in the glass starts to release the Cabernet Franc aromatics, but this remains incredibly dense. It barely budged over the two days I followed it. All the 2022 needs is time. The only question is how much.
Jeb Dunnuck (100)
The 2022 Château Cheval Blanc is based on 53% Merlot, 46% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Cabernet Sauvignon, brought up all in new oak, and this is the second year where no Petite Cheval was produced. (2015 was the last.) Its deep purple color is followed by a riveting Cheval Blanc that has fabulous aromatics of blackcurrants, spice, flowers, spicy wood, and white truffle. These carry to a medium to full-bodied, remarkably pure, elegant, seamless 2022 that has a layered, rounded mouthfeel, absolutely riveting purity, velvety tannins, and a great finish. It brings to mind a more refined, elegant version of the 2010 and is every bit its equal. Hitting 14% alcohol with a healthy pH of 3.83, it warrants a solid decade of bottle age and will have 40-50+ years of overall prime drinking.
Falstaff (100)
Deep dark ruby in colour with an opaque core, purple reflections, and subtle brightening on the rim. On the nose, aromas of delicate smoky spices, dark cherry, a hint of ripe plum, a touch of nougat, and some candied orange zest in the background. The elegant palate is firm and juicy with ripe tannins, hints of cherry and clove, and a touch of nougat on the saline mineral finish which has verve and length. Already very harmonious, this wine has enormous ageing potential, designed to last decades.
