Second label of Chateau Cheval Blanc
James-Suckling 95/100 May 20203
The quality of the tannin is impressive in this second wine, with lovely aromas and flavors of currants, berries and cherries with some chocolate and walnut. Medium body. Racy and fine. 59% cabernet franc and 41% merlot. Give it three to five years to come completely together, but already very beautiful.
93/100 Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, The Wine Independent, March 2023
A blend of 59% Cabernet Franc and 41% Merlot, the 2020 Le Petit Cheval has a pH of 3.6 and a deep garnet-purple color. It swans out of the glass with showy scents of crushed redcurrants, blackberry preserves, and kirsch, followed by suggestions of lavender, cedar chest, menthol, and fallen leaves. The medium to full-bodied palate has a firm backbone of chewy tannins, with seamless freshness to support the tight-knit red and black fruit layers, finishing on a lingering mineral note.
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.