CHÂTEAU CHEVAL BLANC

2020 1er Grand Cru Classé Saint Emilion

EN PRIMEUR

Market Insight: One of the best right bank buys from 2019, Cheval Blanc remains unscored by NM & RP, but all indications are that it will sit right at the top of the bracket. The price is already up to £3,000/6 and rumours are that 2020 has been very successful for them - even at a slightly higher price, this will be worth putting in for.L&S (May 2021)

* This is a pre-shipment/primeur offer. All orders are accepted under the TERMS of this offer which differ from the terms of the rest of the site.

Lots of blueberries and flowers such as violets and crushed stone. This is very structured and muscular with minerally tannins that run the length of the wine. Very closed. Polished texture that gives it class and presence. This is one for the cellar. 65% merlot, 30% cabernet franc and 5% cabernet sauvignon. Try after 2030. Rating: 98 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (May 2023)

The 2020 Cheval Blanc is eternal, seamless and exceptionally beautiful. All the elements are so well put together. Rose petal, blood orange, raspberry jam and cinnamon all take shape in the glass. Above all else, the 2020 Cheval Blanc is a wine of mind-blowing balance. Hints of mocha, raspberry jam, pomegranate and spice emerge with time in the glass. Cheval is quite simply one of the truly great wines of the vintage. Drinking range: 2030 - 2070 Rating: 99 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Feb 2023)

Intense, indelible, with layer upon layer of blueberry, raspberry, pomegranate, fennel, liqourice, crayon, espresso, crushed rocks, just so much character and poise. The driest year at Cheval Blanc since 1959, with 71% of production from the 39ha estate in this wine, technical director Pierre Olivier Clouet. The first year that will not be bottled with Premier Grand Cru Classé A on the label since the ranking began, following its withdrawal from the ranking. That makes an interesting footnote for collectors I would imagine, but makes zero difference to the brilliance of what is in the bottle. Drinking range: 2028 - 2050 Rating: 100 Jane Anson, Decanter (Feb 2023)

The 2020 Cheval Blanc contains a little more Merlot than other vintages, probably anomalous to other estates on the Right Bank. This was bottled at the beginning of July. It has almost clinical delineation on the nose. The 2020 is extremely well-focused, with subtle pressed iris and violet scents embroidered into the predominantly black fruit - quite serious in style. The palate is medium-bodied with silky tannins, black fruit laced with blueberry, just a hint of brine and a composed, saline finish. It's a Cheval Blanc that will require a decade in bottle; not the most flamboyant in recent years, but it is intellectually satisfying without question. Drinking range: 2028 - 2050 Rating: 97 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Feb 2023)

Very alluring, with a well of dark currant, fig and mulberry fruit flavors that have melded nicely, laced with black licorice, black tea and sweet tobacco notes. Well-defined, with a subtle flash of warm earth at the very end. Remarkably polished for the vintage, too. Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Drinking range: 2029 - 2040 Rating: 96 The Wine Spectator, www.winespectator.com (Dec 2022)

Spice, anis, rosemary, blackcurrant leaf, redcurrants, mint and peonies - the full array of aromatics are on display here, and there is an enveloping aspect to the fruit once you get to the body of the wine. The tannins are compact and powerful but they are wrapped in plump raspberry and blackberry brambled fruits. The wine feels full of life, with acidity that pulls the palate forward from the first moment, before austerity kicks in on the finish and closes things in, suggesting an extremely long life ahead. Hard to argue with this. 71% of overall production. The driest year at Cheval Blanc for 50 years (since 1959). Could go up after tasting in bottle, a potential 100 points. Drinking range: 2028 - 2048 Rating: 98-100 Jane Anson, Decanter (May 2021)

The 2020 Cheval Blanc has a limpid deep people hue with noticeable tears in the glass. The bouquet demands several minutes to really open, delivering a payload of intense black cherry and blueberry fruit, pressed violet, a hint of licorice and crushed stone. The palate is medium-bodied with finely chiseled tannins, and quite dense and weighty in the mouth, though not sinewy. Everything is finely proportioned and multilayered, leading to a mineral-driven finish. This is a very serious, long-term Cheval Blanc with a glorious future ahead, though it would be wise to cellar this for a decade if you can resist temptation. Drinking range: 2030 - 2070 Rating: 96-98 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (May 2021)

65% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. 71% of production. Cask sample. Deep colour. Flattering and floral on the nose but slightly hard-edged on the palate. There’s a fleshy quality to the fruit and freshness as well but the luxurious nature of Cheval seems missing this year. Tight and firm at present, even a little pinched, the tannins overwhelm the fruit at present. Drinking range: 2028 - 2040 Rating: 17 James Lawther MW, www.JancisRobinson.com (Apr 2021)

Château Cheval Blanc sits at the pinnacle of the St Emilion meritocracy, unarguably alongside Château Ausone and arguably alongside Château Angélus and Château Pavie, the two estates elevated to Premier Grand Cru Classé (A) status in 2012. But, whilst the other three are clustered around the village of St Emilion, Cheval Blanc is far to the north-west and possibly only a St Emilion by accident of human geography. This is not classic St Emilion limestone and clay territory, Château Cheval Blanc (and neighbouring Figeac) sits on the gravel band that benefits its northerly neighbours across the road and across the border in Pomerol, namely Château Conseillante and Château l’Evangile. Next door Château Figeac was once a mighty estate of some 200ha, but by the early 19th Century the extravagances of the Comtesse de Carle-Trajet had taken their toll and large portions of the estate had to be sold off. Jean-Jacques Ducasse bought a plot of Figeac in 1832, and then a little bit more; his son-in-law, Jean Laussac-Fourcaud bought some more; and by 1871 Château Cheval Blanc had been carved out of the Figeac estate. Initially the wine was still sold as Château Figeac but from 1852 the name Château Cheval Blanc was used. The Laussac-Fourcaud family, morphing into the Fourcaud-Laussac family, owned Cheval Blanc until 1998. With the first classification of St Emilion’s vineyards in 1954, Cheval Blanc and Château Ausone were given special status as Premier Grand Cru Classé (A). New owners in 1998 brought Pierre Lurton in to manage Château Cheval Blanc, something he does alongside managing Château Yquem. A new space-age looking winery was completed in 2011. The 39ha of vineyards are planted to 58% Cabernet Franc and 42% Merlot, with an average age of 40 years. They were augmented by a 1.4ha block added from Château Tour du Pin in 2012. Another block of vines from Tour du Pin appear to be destined for white wine production.

Please make sure that you have read the terms of this offer which are different from those on the main website. If you are unclear as to what is involved in primeur purchases please do contact our private client team via email or on 020 7018 0187.

Ordering

Prices are all in bond by the case size stated.

Pre-Orders are a firm commitment to buy wines on release, as long as the release price is within the upper and lower price bands set by you on the pre-order form. Pre-orders will be fulfilled subject to availability but providing this firm commitment to buy effectively gives you priority and is a good idea for the most desirable wines.

Wines listed on the website can be ordered in the usual way via the website wishlist order form. You can also send orders directly to our private client team via email. Please note that, for the most sought-after wines, priority will be given to those who ordered the same wines last year and to those that have pre-ordered.

Confirmation

All orders will be confirmed by email and are binding unless written cancellation is received within seven days of email confirmation. Pre-orders are not binding if the release price is above your upper price band.

Invoices are all raised at the in bond price (excluding any duty and VAT) which will become payable at the prevailing rates when the wines arrive in the UK, should you wish to take duty paid delivery.

Payment is required on sight of invoice, by cash, cheque, debit card or bank transfer. We regret we cannot accept credit cards for en primeur orders. We reserve the right to apply a dunning charge of 2% per month on invoices unpaid after 30 days.

Delivery

  • Shipment to our bond (at LCB Creek Road) and insurance are included in the in bond price.
  • Delivery is free to Lea and Sandeman / Elephant storage accounts, both duty paid and in bond.
  • Other deliveries (In Bond and Duty Paid) are also free subject to a minimum order from the offer of £500. Orders below this total will be charged an administration and handling fee of £16.50+ VAT when invoices are issued. We will group deliveries and this is a charge for your entire purchases, not a per-case charge.
  • Delivery of 2022 Bordeaux bought en primeur is expected during 2025. Delivery dates may vary as wines are shipped from Bordeaux at different times.

Practical notes - how it works

We start a sale in each customer's name and add all their primeur orders to one sale which is invoiced at the end of the campaign (or when the customer wishes). Immediate payment of invoices is then required by cash, cheque, debit card or bank transfer. We and our customers find that having a single invoice for the vintage is the simpler option but please note that confirmed orders are still binding even if the final invoice has not yet been issued.

Please specify on your wishlist order form where you would like the wines shipped on arrival in the UK. If this is to a third-party bonded warehouse, please specify the relevant account details. If the wines are required duty-paid we will issue a second invoice for duty and VAT at the prevailing rate when the wines are available for delivery.

Half-bottles, Magnums and larger bottles.

One of the additional advantages of buying en primeur is being able to order the wine in the format you want. While most of our listings are for 75cl bottles, we can source wines in any format that is offered by the Château. Please note that format requests cannot be changed once wines have been invoiced. Additional charges for special formats do apply and are as follows:-

  • +£18.00 per case of 12 half-bottles
  • +£30.00 per case of 24 half-bottles
  • +£7.50 per case of 3 Magnums (2 bottles equivalent, 1.5 litres each)
  • +£11.00 per case of 6 Magnums
  • +£45.00 per individually boxed Double Magnum (4 bottles equivalent, 3 litres)
  • +£60.00 per individually boxed Imperial (8 bottles equivalent, 6 litres) for Salmanazars, Balthazars, Nebuchadnezzars and Melchiors please enquire for availability and price.

Storage Options:

Wines bought en primeur won't arrive in the UK until 2025. If you do not wish to take home delivery at that point, you may wish to consider where you would like the wines shipped. Lea & Sandeman offers duty paid and in bond storage through a dedicated storage company called Elephant Storage. For more details on the terms and fees associated with storage please go to our Storage Homepage or contact our private client team for more information.