Le Petit Cheval Saint-Emilion Grand Cru 6X75cl

• Available: instock
• Type: Red
Country of Origin: France
Brand: Chateau Cheval Blanc
Vintage: 2013
Alcohol Content: 13%
Region: Bordeaux
Tasting Notes 1: Antonio Galloni-87-89-The 2013 Petit Cheval is supple and easygoing. A wine with plenty of near and medium-term potential, the 2013 graces the palate with dark red cherry, plum, smoke and spices. Overall, the 2013 is a pretty, nicely textured wine, but there are elements of slight forwardness and evolution in the flavors that suggest the wine is best enjoyed upon release. The blend is 79% Merlot and 21% Cabernet Franc.
Tasting Notes 2: Ian D'Agata-86-89-(75% merlot and 25 cabernet franc): Vivid ruby-red. Complex, scented nose is very cabernet franc-dominated, offering delicately spicy blackcurrant, truffle, mint and leafy aromas. Juicy, silky and sweet, with highly nuanced flavors of aromatic herbs and flowers. Not especially dense but wonderfully expressive today, finishing with a firm but polished tannic spine. Pierre Lurton told me that this estate went after only their really ripe cabernet franc and therefore had no issues with dilution. One of the best second wines of the year, this is more successful than many grands vins in 2013. Very well done.
Tasting Notes 3: Neal Martin-86-The 2013 Le Petit Cheval Blanc is a vintage that will not be commercialized. Like the 2014, it has an attractive bouquet, hints of beeswax infusing the citrus fruit, though not as mineral-laden as the 2014. The palate is nicely balanced, pleasant with slightly lower acidity than the 2013 and as such, it does not quite deliver the energy and the length that the Cheval Blanc team were looking for. As a work in progress, it's not bad, though it's not a patch on the 2014.
Tasting Notes 4: Tasted blind. Colour looks rather developed. Quite woody on the nose. Dusty, dry but better harmony on the palate than I expected from the aroma. (JH)