- CRITICAL REVIEWS
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Robert Parker Wine Advocate
Vinous
2021 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 clay, sandy and gravelly soils, where 80% sauvignon blanc and 20% sémillon fit perfectly.
TEMPERATURES AND RAINFALL
The 2021 vintage is average in terms of rainfall (789 mm), as is the temperature (13.8°C), which is nevertheless one degree lower than in the last three vintages. The heavy rainfall in May (102 mm) and June (166 mm) was significantly above normal, as the average for these months since 1955 is around 60 mm.
The vintage was characterised by a summer of alternating sun and rain. In mid-August, drier weather, with occasional showers, set in until the relatively late harvest.
CYCLE DE LA VIGNE
A very classic, average cycle: bud-break, which began around March 15 th, was relatively long, with an average around March 26 th. Flowering was prompt, at the beginning of June, veraison began at the end of July and finished at the beginning of August. It was not until a few days before the harvest that moderate water stress appeared.
The harvest, late for this vintage, ran from 10 to 16 September.
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 May 16th.
Blend: 83 % sauvignon blanc, 17 % sémillon
Yield: 39 hL/ha
Ageing: 20 months
Bottled on: May 16th 2023
Production: 27 993 bottles and 813 magnums
Alcohol content: 14°
TASTING NOTES
Yellow colour with green highlights.
A nose of great freshness and precision, with a fine diversity of white-fleshed and citrus fruits. The wine's energy is already perceptible.
On the palate, the attack is full, straight and full-bodied. It is well balanced between acidity, tension and volume. The bitterness gives a long, lingering finish on the palate, giving it a salivating minerality.