"...the 2025 gives every indication of being one of the great Cheval Blancs of the decade. 98-100 points." William Kelley, Wine Advocate, Apr '26
Released this morning for sale en primeur at £2,010 per six, 2025 Château Cheval Blanc is awared a potential 100 points from The Wine Advocate's William Kelley, with Antonio Galloni of Vinous scoring it 96-99 points.
The 2025 harvest was small at this estate, and with scores like these, demand has been high, so most of our allocation has gone to buyers of previous vintages. We have a limited amount available to new customers, which we offer below.
The release price compares favourably with the current market prices for recent top vintages (per six in bond):
2023 £2175
2022 £2250
2019 £2300
2016 £3050
2010 £4300
2009 £4100
Volumes in 2025 were down by half. Importantly, Cheval Blanc have decided to release their the whole of their 2025 harvest en primeur, rather than holding back around two-thirds, as has been the practice for some years. The stated intention is to pass on all of the potential gains in the secondary market to customers who take the opportunity to buy now.
Offered en primeur, on allocation. Landing spring 2028.
Magnums available with £25 ex-VAT bottling surcharge per six. Please enquire for other formats.
All previous offers of 2025 Bordeaux can be found here.
Producer Profile
Château Cheval Blanc
Château Cheval Blanc is an estate in Saint-Émilion, originally part of the Figeac estate. It became a separate vineyard in 1832. Initially, the wines were sold under the Figeac label, but the estate acquired its own identity in the 1850s, under the name Cheval Blanc. The name is believed to derive from a village of the same name which existed here in the 16th century. It was also in the 1850s that Cheval Blanc began to blend Merlot and Cabernet Franc, establishing the style that defines modern Saint-Émilion wines. Today the estate, along Château d'Yquem, is owned by LVMH and managed by Pierre Lurton.
The modern estate is comprised of 39 hectares, divided into 45 plots, each vinified separately. The vineyards are planted to 52% Cabernet Franc, 43% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. The estate is blessed with both clay and gravel soils. Many estates in Saint-Émilion have one but not the other (Cheval Blanc is on the border with Pomerol). There are three main soil types – fine-textured with clay, more coarsely textured with gravel, and large gravel with sand – making up a complex patchwork.
Annual production of the grand vin is only around 6000 cases, a very low amount compared to most left bank Cru Classé estates. The second wine is Le Petit Cheval, with around 2500 cases produced. The impressive vat room, designed by architect Christian de Portzamparc, allows for precise vinification by individual parcels.
Formerly a 1er Grand Cru Classé (A) Saint-Émilion, in July 2021, Cheval Blanc (along with Angelus), announced its intention to withdraw from the St-Emilion classification in 2022.
| RED | 2025 | Château Cheval Blanc | 75cl | £2,010 per case of 6 | Château Cheval Blanc 2025 / / 75cl £2,010 per case of 6 |
IB | |||||
Tasting NotesON ALLOCATION "Of all the wines I tasted in the 2025 En Primeur season, this is the one that I have thought about the most. The lowest ever yield at 15hl/ha yield, close to 1961 in terms of volume. There were tiny berries, barely scraping 1g even for the Merlots, even after dropping 10-50% of the grapes even on young vines to minimise water stress. Visually beautiful, deep plum colour, intense, slate, graphite, this has a construction that is clear, muscle, sinew, carved tannins, going long on campfire, chamomile, bitter chocolate, incense, anis, cassis, mint leaf, eucalyptus, crushed rocks, savoury broth. This forces you to project forward - if we are lucky enough to be pulling a bottle out of a cellar in 2060, this Cheval will still be powering along. The honest truth is that I can't tell you with 100% certainly how long it will take to get to its full drinking window. I have not seen a young Cheval with this kind of construction, and I am erring on the side of caution in this note, hoping that it will be more readable in bottle. Stunning and impressive, but I have not yet fallen in love. No Petit Cheval. Harvest September 1 to 18. 3.76ph. Pierre Olivier Clouet director. 2032-2050. 96 points" janeanson.com------"The 2025 Cheval Blanc includes all 47 plots on the estate except one that was sold off. This nose is more immediate than some of its neighbours, a mixture of blackcurrant, raspberry, strawberry and blueberry, very expressive, underneath which lie tobacco and graphite scents. It is open, nothing hidden here. The palate is medium-bodied with sapid red berry fruit, just a touch of black pepper, a more reserved and structured Cheval Blanc than usual, vertical in style, the Cabernet Franc driving the finish. Not what I would call a sensual Cheval Blanc, but it has a distinctive character. Not everyone is going to fall head over heels for this Cheval Blanc because it is uncompromising, and I like that. Just be patient. This will need time. Drinking Window 2033 - 2055. 95-97 points" Neal Martin, Vinous.com------"The 2025 Cheval Blanc is seamless and textured. A wine of mystery and seduction, the 2025 dazzles. Time in the glass brings out the wine's tension and energy. Sage, mint, lavender, cloves and cool, blue-toned fruit all build in the glass. In one tasting, Cheval Blanc was massively tannic; in a second tasting, those tannins were much more seamless, highlighting how differently wines can show from day to day. In the case of Cheval Blanc, en primeur samples are mini-bottlings, and both samples I tasted came from the same batch. Yields in 2025 were just 15 hectoliters per hectare, tiny by any measure. The winemaking team, led by Pierre-Olivier Clouet, used 46 of the 47 parcels on the estate for the Grand Vin. A small amount of wine was sold in bulk; the rest was bottled as Grand Vin. There is no Petit Cheval. Time on skins ran from 26 to 32 days, longer than the 22-28 that's more typical. For those who care about the data, alcohol is just 12.7%, which is hard to believe, with brisk acids that clock in at 3.76 pH. In many vintages Cheval Blanc can be exuberant, but the 2025 is rather closed, more of an intellectual wine that will require years in bottle to truly show everything it has to offer. 2035-2075. 96-99 points" Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com------"Perfumed, with aromas of flowers, brambleberries and wild berries. Medium-bodied with tight, fine tannins that run forever on the palate. Hints of cedar, mushrooms and bark. Crunchy at the end. Just a hint of fancy bitterness and chocolate. Transparent and complete. 97-98 points" jamessuckling.com------"A blend of 51% Merlot, 45% Cabernet Franc and 4% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2025 Château Cheval Blanc stands out once again as among the finest wines of the vintage in Bordeaux. Wafting from the glass with a deep bouquet of dark berries and cherries mingled with notions of blood orange and iris, it's full-bodied, layered and concentrated, with terrific mid-palate density, sweet tannins and a long, vibrant, violet-inflected finish. With its striking aromas, intensity of flavor and resolutely classical proportions (checking in at 12.7% alcohol and pH of 3.76), the 2025 gives every indication of being one of the great Cheval Blancs of the decade. 98-100 points" William Kelley, RobertParker.com |
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