2020 Le Petit Cheval Blanc 2020 Le Petit Cheval Blanc 2020 Le Petit Cheval Blanc 2020 Le Petit Cheval Blanc 2020 Le Petit Cheval Blanc 2020 Le Petit Cheval Blanc
2020 Le Petit Cheval Blanc
2020 Le Petit Cheval Blanc
2020 Le Petit Cheval Blanc
2020 Le Petit Cheval Blanc
2020 Le Petit Cheval Blanc
2020 Le Petit Cheval Blanc

2020 Le Petit Cheval Blanc

Le Petit Cheval Blanc

Bordeaux Blend White

France / Bordeaux / Libournais / Saint-Emilion

$415
RP 91
Size:
Quantity:

Stock Status: PRE-ARRIVAL Estimated February 2024

2020 Chateau Cheval Blanc 'Le Petit Cheval Blanc' White, Bordeaux, France

For more than 10 years, Château Cheval Blanc has challenged itself to produce a great white wine on this small 6.6 hectares vineyard nested in the parcels of its elder.
A genuine variation, in white, of the identity of Cheval Blanc, this wine is a blend of some 12 different plots, on sandy and clay soils, where 80% sauvignon blanc and 20% sémillon fit perfectly.


TEMPERATURES AND RAINFALL
The 2020 vintage starts with rather dry and mild January and February. March was very rainy in the first decade and surprisingly mild between 18th and 24th. April, May and June were mild and very rainy until June 20th
After this date and until August 12th the weather was extremely dry, more than 60 days without rain, and very hot with summer temperatures in excess regularly approaching 35 to 37 degrees.
Ten days before picking, the temperatures dropped and the weather was cloudy. The final ripening of the grapes fortunately took place under fresher conditions, preserving the aromas of the wine.

GROWING SEASON
The first trimester saw above-normal temperatures, which led to the earliest budburst this young vineyard has ever seen, on March 19th for the Semillon and March 21st for the Sauvignon. Flowering and veraison were extremely rapid (1 week for flowering and 8 days for veraison) and very homogeneous. Water stress appeared in mid-July, remaining moderate until the harvest.
The harvest, which was very early, took place from August 19th to 24th, with good health grapes.
Slight leaf thinning in the rising sun homogenises the ripening process, and inhibits "green varietal" notes, sometimes attributed to Sauvignon Blanc, giving rise to floral, fruity and mineral wines.


VINIFICATION
At the end of pressing, the lightly settled grape musts ferment in demi-muids (600L), foudres (15hL) and wooden vats (15, 20, 25 and 30 hL).
After vinification, the rhythm of stirring, initially on a daily basis, decreases, according to the team's tastings.
The wines blended in February continue to age for 18 months. Then they are racked into vats, for massing, stabilisation, fining and clarification, and are finally bottled on 18 May 2022.

Blend: 82 % sauvignon blanc, 18 % sémillon
Yield: 36 hL/ha
Ageing: 18 months
Bottled on: May 18th 2022
Production: 26 905 bottles and 635 magnums
Alcohol content: 13°

TASTING NOTES
A particularly successful vintage for Le Petit Cheval blanc, with bergamot, citrus, slightly grapefruit, fruity touches of pear, white flesh fruit. Freshness and a mineral note that probably comes from the ageing in large vessels. The nose is bright, fresh, precise and clean.
The palate is vibrant, with a beautiful attack, freshness, tension, a relatively strong
acidity, salinity and nice bitters that lengthen the mouth, and which compose with a beautiful volume, wide, creamy.
A very nice balance for a wine that is already accessible, from its youngest age.

RP 91

Robert Parker Wine Advocate

The 2020 Le Petit Cheval offers up aromas of minty cherries, plums, raw cocoa, mint and spices, followed by a medium to full-bodied, fleshy and voluptuous palate underpinned by a broad-shouldered chassis of tannin. A blend of 59% Cabernet Franc and 41% Merlot, it's a rather structured young Petit Cheval that will reward a bit of patience. Reviewed by William Kelley, Issue date: April 2023. Drinking window: 2025 - 2045.

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We ship within the United States to:

AK, AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, HI, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, LA, MA, MD, ME, MN, MO, MT, NC, NE, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV, and WY.

FREE SHIPPING INSURANCE: We provide FREE carrier insurance for lost or damaged shipments (per carrier terms and conditions.)

FREE WINE STORAGE: We provide FREE 6 Months wine cellar storage from date of purchase. Please choose this option at checkout and we will coordinate shipping for a later date.

SHIPPING: During warm summer weather, we recommend to only ship within the United States with Same Day or Next Day Air service to protect the wines from environmental damage. If you would like to waive this protection by shipping Ground, we will request a waiver be signed.

PACKAGING: Our premium wines need optimal temperature consistency, therefore are packaged in EPS foam shippers with gel pack (when needed) and shipped only during ideal weather temperatures.

For OWC (Original Wooden Case) orders, wine bottles will be removed from case and shipped inside a foam shipper box for safety (unless otherwise requested). The wooden case will be shipped separately at Ground service. If faster service is necessary please contact us.

WEATHER HOLD: In adverse temperature conditions, we reserve the right to withhold shipment until ideal temperatures return unless we receive explicit instructions via email to release the wines, voiding any guarantee. We will contact you if a hold is necessary.

FULFILLMENT: Shipments are via UPS.

  • Orders received Monday - Thursday before 2:00 p.m. will typically ship the same day.
  • Orders received Thursday 2:00 p.m. ~ Sunday will ship on Monday.

DELIVERY:

  • Same Day service within Los Angeles Metro area may be available if order is placed before noon, but not guaranteed. Please contact us directly at (626)714-7006 to facilitate expedited service.
  • During extreme temperatures, all shipments are recommended for Next Day Air.

Adult Signature: By law, all shipments of alcohol must be received and authorized by an adult. Our delivery carriers will not release packages without an adult signature and additional charges may be incurred if the package requires withholding or redirection.

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We ship within the United States to: Alaska, Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Washington D.C., West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

  • CRITICAL REVIEWS
  • WINEMAKER NOTES
RP 91

Robert Parker Wine Advocate

The 2020 Le Petit Cheval offers up aromas of minty cherries, plums, raw cocoa, mint and spices, followed by a medium to full-bodied, fleshy and voluptuous palate underpinned by a broad-shouldered chassis of tannin. A blend of 59% Cabernet Franc and 41% Merlot, it's a rather structured young Petit Cheval that will reward a bit of patience. Reviewed by William Kelley, Issue date: April 2023. Drinking window: 2025 - 2045.

2020 Chateau Cheval Blanc 'Le Petit Cheval Blanc' White, Bordeaux, France

For more than 10 years, Château Cheval Blanc has challenged itself to produce a great white wine on this small 6.6 hectares vineyard nested in the parcels of its elder.
A genuine variation, in white, of the identity of Cheval Blanc, this wine is a blend of some 12 different plots, on sandy and clay soils, where 80% sauvignon blanc and 20% sémillon fit perfectly.


TEMPERATURES AND RAINFALL
The 2020 vintage starts with rather dry and mild January and February. March was very rainy in the first decade and surprisingly mild between 18th and 24th. April, May and June were mild and very rainy until June 20th
After this date and until August 12th the weather was extremely dry, more than 60 days without rain, and very hot with summer temperatures in excess regularly approaching 35 to 37 degrees.
Ten days before picking, the temperatures dropped and the weather was cloudy. The final ripening of the grapes fortunately took place under fresher conditions, preserving the aromas of the wine.

GROWING SEASON
The first trimester saw above-normal temperatures, which led to the earliest budburst this young vineyard has ever seen, on March 19th for the Semillon and March 21st for the Sauvignon. Flowering and veraison were extremely rapid (1 week for flowering and 8 days for veraison) and very homogeneous. Water stress appeared in mid-July, remaining moderate until the harvest.
The harvest, which was very early, took place from August 19th to 24th, with good health grapes.
Slight leaf thinning in the rising sun homogenises the ripening process, and inhibits "green varietal" notes, sometimes attributed to Sauvignon Blanc, giving rise to floral, fruity and mineral wines.


VINIFICATION
At the end of pressing, the lightly settled grape musts ferment in demi-muids (600L), foudres (15hL) and wooden vats (15, 20, 25 and 30 hL).
After vinification, the rhythm of stirring, initially on a daily basis, decreases, according to the team's tastings.
The wines blended in February continue to age for 18 months. Then they are racked into vats, for massing, stabilisation, fining and clarification, and are finally bottled on 18 May 2022.

Blend: 82 % sauvignon blanc, 18 % sémillon
Yield: 36 hL/ha
Ageing: 18 months
Bottled on: May 18th 2022
Production: 26 905 bottles and 635 magnums
Alcohol content: 13°

TASTING NOTES
A particularly successful vintage for Le Petit Cheval blanc, with bergamot, citrus, slightly grapefruit, fruity touches of pear, white flesh fruit. Freshness and a mineral note that probably comes from the ageing in large vessels. The nose is bright, fresh, precise and clean.
The palate is vibrant, with a beautiful attack, freshness, tension, a relatively strong
acidity, salinity and nice bitters that lengthen the mouth, and which compose with a beautiful volume, wide, creamy.
A very nice balance for a wine that is already accessible, from its youngest age.

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