Full ruby-red. Aromas of currant, bitter chocolate, violet, lead pencil and tobacco leaf; less black and more red than the 2000 and 2001. Fat, sweet and full, with smoke and currant flavors. Long on personality but it's hard to imagine this wine ever showing as much complexity as either of the subsequent two vintages. Finishes with impressively silky, fine tannins and excellent persistence.

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Spicy, vegy nose with great, top-quality density and balance. Pretty smart without being too concentrated or sweet. Very fresh and vibrant. Good wine!

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The complex, explosively fragrant 1999 Cheval Blanc is a blend of 59% Merlot and 41% Cabernet Franc. It is already showing well, which is a good sign for a wine that traditionally is reserved early in life, but puts on weight and richness in the bottle. Stylistically, this wine is probably cut from the same mold as vintages such as 1985, 1966, and 1962. The color is a dense ruby with purple nuances. Once past the blockbuster bouquet of menthol, leather, black fruits, licorice, and mocha, the wine reveals medium body, extraordinary elegance, purity, and sweet, harmonious flavors with no hard edges. This is a seamless beauty of finesse, charm, and concentration. The 1999 is an exciting Cheval Blanc to drink relatively young.

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Wonderfully aromatic, with chocolate, berry and plum character. Medium-bodied, with firm yet fine tannins and a tight finish. A fine and elegant Cheval-Blanc.

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Had with Dinner at Cotton Row. Fantastic aromas of sweet cherry and slate. Rich, decadent, and delightfully integrated. A truly fantastic wine although not the best vintage I have had, it was memorable and hard to put down.