2021 Petit Cheval
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Tasting notes
The 2021 Le Petit Cheval is a good second wine that has quality cassis and currant fruits, a kiss of chocolate and earth, medium body, firm yet ripe tannins, and a clean finish. Based on 60% Merlot, 33% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 7% Cabernet Franc, this crunchy, vibrant 2021 will benefit from just a few years of bottle age and keep for a good decade or so.
Critic scores
Average Score
William Kelley, Wine Advocate
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
More reviews and scores
The 2021 Le Petit Cheval is fabulous. A parcel of Cabernet Sauvignon typically used for the Grand Vin gives the 2021 its core of dark fruit. Heady and explosive in the glass, the 2021 offers up a spellbinding array of dark fruit rose petal, mocha, incense and licorice. All the elements meld together so effortlessly. The 2021 is a dazzling Petit Cheval. That's all there is to it.
This is a very structured Petit Cheval, because of the higher than normal cabernet sauvignon in the blend. It seems more like Pauillac, with blackcurrants and chewy yet polished and intense tannins. It needs time. 60% merlot, 33% cabernet sauvignon and 7% cabernet franc.
Representing 13% of the estate's production (a further 18% was sold off in bulk), the 2021 Le Petit Cheval exhibits aromas of cherries, sweet berries, loamy soil, tobacco leaf and spices. Medium to full-bodied, lively and nicely concentrated, with powdery tannins and a saline finish, it's a blend of 60% Merlot, 33% Cabernet Sauvignon and 7% Cabernet Franc.
About the producer
Ch. Cheval Blanc is one the finest producers in Bordeaux. The Saint-Emilion estate’s Cabernet Franc-dominant wines are consistently among the top wines of the vintage.