2011 Cheval Blanc, St-Emilion

SKU #1172064 95 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

The 2011 Cheval Blanc is one of the more plump, opulent and sexy Cheval Blancs made over recent vintages, and its forwardness, lusciousness and complexity seemingly suggest this wine is on a fast evolutionary track. The wine exhibits a dense ruby/purple/plum color, a medium to full-bodied opulence, a sumptuous mid-palate (atypical for the vintage), and a lush, heady finish. It is a super, complex, evolved Cheval Blanc that can be drunk now or cellared for 15+ years. Bravo! (RP) (4/2014)

95 points Wine Enthusiast

This is an opulent, dense wine, very perfumed while also structured. It is complex, full of rich fruit that pours through the wood and dark tannin. It just hints at a more exuberant future, flavored with the ripest fruits while still keeping freshness. *Cellar Selection* (RV) (6/2014)

94 points John Gilman

The 2011 Cheval Blanc is a very lovely wine this year, with depth, purity and lovely refinement. The classic and very beautiful nose offers up scents of black cherries, dark berries, coffee bean, cigar smoke, a touch of tobacco leaf, dark soil tones and nutty, luxe new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, pure and texturally alluring, with a fine core of fruit, lovely focus and balance and a long, firmly tannic finish. The tannins here are quite substantial and will take some extended cellaring to soften, but this is a very, very successful example of the vintage. (3/2012)

94 points James Suckling

A beautiful nose of ripe black fruits such blackberries, as well as cocoa, black truffle and mint. Full body with a solid core of very refined tannins that lasts for minutes. Very refined texture, especially for the vintage. 57% Cabernet Franc and 43% Merlot. Try after seven to eight years. (1/2014)

94 points Wine Spectator

Offers a loamy, dense feel, with the vintage's briary grip tumbled with dark plum, blackberry and black currant fruit. Anise and tobacco notes fill out the finish, which expands steadily with air, showing added range and echoes of bittersweet cocoa and tobacco. Seems to have a lot in reserve. (JM) (3/2014)

92 points Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

Bright red-ruby. Ripe, scented aromas of raspberry, strawberry, violet, licorice, cedar and wild herbs on the knockout nose. Wonderfully sappy and juicy but not thick, with intense, very pure red berry, white pepper, floral and cedar flavors showing terrific thrust and lift. Finishes dense and long, with repeating floral, white pepper and red berry nuances. Boasts a serious spine for cellaring, and the youthfully chewy tannins will need time. An essence of Cabernet Franc: when Cheval Blanc aces this variety, it's one of the most unique--and greatest--wines in the world. There just aren't too many wines anywhere (Lafleur excepted, perhaps) that can express the variety like Cheval does. Apparently the Cabernet Franc percentage was increased to 57%, up from the 52% I had been told was in the blend at the Primeurs. (ID) (8/2014)

Jancis Robinson

Dark crimson. Savoury and with quite marked acidity. Lots of tannin too. Lots of structure and potential. Almost rasping at this stage but with masses of capacity of ageing. Even a little bit of heat on the finish. Not as concentrated as 2010 but it’s getting there. 18/20 points (JR) (7/2015)