2009 Chateau Cheval Blanc Saint-Emilion Magnum (1.5 L) Magnum

Right Bank Transcendence

Walking the terroir of 1er Grand Cru Classé “A” Château Cheval Blanc, one can’t help think of the word “hallowed.” The fine-textured clay-and-gravel is sacred. The winery is lined with graceful custom-made vats, one dedicated to each individual vineyard block. And the barrel cellar is not only exquisite, but small: Cheval Blanc produces a mere 6,000 cases of grand vin, just a third of the production of some Médoc First Growths. Considering the estate’s worldwide reputation, it comes as a surprise to know how little Cheval Blanc there actually is to go around. 

And when the wine achieves perfection, forget about it, which is why we feel so fortunate to have secured magnums of 2009 Cheval Blanc, which is without a doubt one of the greatest Cheval Blancs of all time—one of only seven vintages in the past seven decades to attain perfection, according to Robert Parker. If any wine has delivered on the lofty promise of a flawless vintage, this is the one. 

In fact, the 2009 Cheval Blanc inspired rare critical consensus: Decanter, Jeb Dunnuck, and Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate all deemed it to be perfect. The Advocate bestowed 100-point status just this year, which means that, after ten years in the château cellar, this wine is staying the course of perfection. Already intensely aromatic—showing blackberry pie, violets, fresh leather, clove, and bitter chocolate—this is a wine of power and elegance. In a magnum, it’s sure to have a long, graceful evolution ahead of it.