CHÂTEAU CHEVAL BLANC
2024 1er Grand Cru Classé Saint Emilion
48 Cabernet Franc, 46 Merlot, 6 Cabernet Sauvignon: 100% new oak (seven coopers, with a focus on medium toast, for 16-18 months): 12.8% alc: 70% of production contributed to the Grand Vin, which is close to the average.
For the third year in a row, it was a great privilege to taste with Arnaud de Laforcade, Commercial & Financial Director at Cheval Blanc. His detailed background notes inform so much about the flavour and stance of the pair of fascinating and forensically assembled wines made here. Arnaud explained that only 66% of the harvest was bottled, and from a possible yield of 40 hl/ha, only 28 hl/ha were vinified. Interestingly, the Cheval Blanc estate footprint has barely changed since 1832, and the joy of this wine is that it uses fruit from virtually all sectors of the estate to build complexity. Only the sandier plots are regularly relegated to the second wine (which came in in 1988). The difficulties of the vintage are well documented, and with a six-week-long flowering, irregular ripeness, even within bunches, was the biggest hurdle aside from obvious botrytis concerns. Sorting was critical here, and this explained the cliff edge difference between potential yields and actual yields, and the fruit in this wine and Le Petit Cheval is pristine. Cheval Blanc is another property that used a ‘densimetric bath’ to eliminate grapes that looked ripe to the eye but lacked genuine fruit weight and density of ripeness. The level of care and attention needed to ‘drive’ a Delta Densilys is incredible, and Cheval Blanc has mastered this useful piece of kit. The ‘baths’ used were plot-specific and considered the required changes that occurred overnight between harvested grapes and those that left the cold room the next day. This extraordinary attention to detail eliminated significant percentages of sub-standard grapes, resulting in an incredible wine, built on terrific tannins and cool, long, immovable fruit notes. There is tremendous strictness here, and this is undoubtedly a Cheval Blanc designed for committed purists and life-long devotees of this historic property. This wine feels discreetly addictive and intellectually challenging. With no unnecessary generosity or flattery, this is an unflinchingly honest and stunningly refined example of why this Château has remained so famous for nigh on two centuries. Cheval Club Card holders need only apply, as they have the monastic patience to allow this wine to reach its apogee slowly and deliberately. In time, 2024 Cheval Blanc will tell the story of its vintage with extraordinary clarity and determination – the twin traits responsible for its creation. Rating: 19.5 Matthew Jukes www.matthewjukes.com (May 2025)
In Bond
75cl bottles (wood case of 3)
* 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.
A blend of 48% Cabernet Franc, 48% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2024 Château Cheval Blanc is one of the stars of the vintage. Unwinding in the glass with notes of minty berries and plums mingled with violets, cigar wrapper and rose petals, it's medium-bodied, suave and complete, with a cool, layered core of fruit, beautifully integrated tannins and a long, aromatic finish. Pierre-Olivier Clouet and his team conducted an aggressive green harvest and also, exceptionally, used densimetric sorting to mitigate heterogenous maturity between and within bunches (a consequence of a protracted flowering), accepting losses to rot in pursuit of full maturity. Yields were 39 hectoliters per hectare at harvest, but some 34% of that was eliminated between sorting and press wine (which is never retained at Cheval Blanc). Of what fermented, however, 70% ended up in the grand vin. Rating: 94-96 William Kelley, The Wine Advocate (Apr 2025)
The 2024 Cheval Blanc was picked from September 18 until October 3 and aged entirely in new oak with a little dabbling in concrete tanks and amphorae. The purity on the nose is the first facet that you notice with perfumed black cherry, blackcurrant, wild strawberry and touches of potpourri and crushed stone. There is certainly some mineralité here. The palate is medium-bodied with slightly brittle tannins. Very well balanced, this is clearly a Cheval Blanc built in a more elegant, sapid, linear style with a residual pepperiness that lingers in the mouth. It will need just 2 or 3 years in bottle and should drink well for 20 to 25 years. The 2024 is charming and refined. Drinking range: 2029 - 2050 Rating: 93-95 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (May 2025)
Our visit this year was a reminder of the epic calibre of this estate. Despite the conditions of the year - Cheval Blanc has crafted a real gem of a wine in 2024. Pretty, fragrant and delicately detailed with purity and refinement to the fore. Aromatic rather than emphatic in impact - it is a sheer delight to taste, sitting perfectly-sculpted across the palate with high-toned cherry flesh notes, raspberries and a gentle fresh line of coolness. A super-fine powdery structure builds in the mouth as does the fruit intensity. A huge amount of work went into creating this almost ethereal beauty - another property where we learnt about the benefits of the 'Densimetric' baths - and another tale of hugely brutal triage to bring only the best fruit to the final wine. Its a great success in light of the season they batttled. 48% Cabernet Franc, 46% Merlot and 6% Cabernet Sauvignon:L&S (Apr 2025)
Lilac, peony flowers, same family of aromatics as the Petit Cheval, same feeling of finesse and precision, but here everything has been taken up a notch, more density, more slate and pumice stone texture. Expect subtle complexity, a wine that steals up on you, impresses in its precision and clarity. July and August just 20mm of rain each month, well below 30 year average, 140mm rain in September, highest since 2006, harvest September 18 to October 3, 3.62ph (3.9ph in 2022), 37 plots out of the 56 in the vineyard are in here. 100% new oak for ageing. Looking forward to seeing after ageing, it has all the elements and bones in place for a totally delicious Cheval. Drinking range: 2032 - 2050 Rating: 94 Jane Anson, www.janeanson.com (May 2025)
So succulent and long on the compacted palate, this shows just enough clean ripe berries as well as cedar and chocolate. This has polished, energizing tannins with a lovely and thoughtful drive, the light austerity giving the wine a push in the finish. Only 12.8% alcohol. A blend of 46% merlot, 48% cabernet franc and 6% cabernet sauvignon. Rating: 96-97 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (May 2025)
48 CF 46 M 6 CS 13.5% Dense and just as closed as its Petit Cheval sibling but with lots of promise of sweet spices, spearmint, pepper, cedar and cinnamon wrapped around sweet red and blue fruit aromas. This has the perfume of the vintage, but the character of Cheval Blanc, with silky ripe tannins. Powerfully textured and dense and very long in the finish. This will be a classic, and likely long-lived compared to most of the wines. Rating: 96 Rod Smith MW, www.timatkin.com (Apr 2025)
The 2024 Cheval Blanc is a blend taken from 37 of the 45 parcels on the property. Dried flowers, mocha, rose petal and blood orange open nicely in the bouquet, leading to an understated mid-palate and a subtly persistent finish. Understated and nuanced, the 2024 offers lovely forward fruit in a soft, accessible style with no hard edges or awkward contours. All the elements are nicely put together, and yet there is no denying the fact that the 2024 is very light. Élevage will be everything here. Drinking range: 2032 - 2054 Rating: 92-94 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Apr 2025)
Château Cheval Blanc
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 2024 Bordeaux bought en primeur is expected during 2026. 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. Many properties specify a standard case format, and may make additional charges for six-bottle cases, for example. We offer wood cases of six bottles as standard where these are available without extra charge, but we can source wines in any format that is offered by the Château. If you want six-bottle cases where a 12 bottle case is offered, please check for the extra case charge. 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
- +£9.50 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 2027. 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.