Château Cheval Blanc
Château Cheval Blanc features on the Gingerguide audio walk through Bordeaux Châteaux. Give it roughly ~90 min: enough to look, hear a two to three minute story on the spot, and ask the AI guide whatever the story leaves open.
- Type distillery
- Suggested visit ~90 min
- Bordeaux Châteaux Bordeaux Châteaux guide
About Château Cheval Blanc
A Saint-Émilion Premier Grand Cru Classé A famous for an unusual Cabernet Franc-dominant blend, the 1947 vintage is considered one of the greatest wines ever made, and the estate building was redesigned by Christian de Portzamparc in 2011.
Château Cheval Blanc was, alongside Ausone, one of the two original holders of the highest classification in Saint-Émilion (Premier Grand Cru Classé A) but produces a wine that could hardly be more different in character: where Ausone is tight, mineral, and austere, Cheval Blanc is rich, velvety, and immediately seductive. The estate is located on the plateau of Saint-Émilion near the Pomerol border, which is reflected in the wine's character, it shares the plushness and immediate accessibility of Pomerol with the finesse of Saint-Émilion. The dominant grape variety is Cabernet Franc (approximately 57 percent), which is unusual in Bordeaux, in the Médoc, Cabernet Franc is typically a minor blending component, but at Cheval Blanc it produces a wine of extraordinary perfume, complexity, and elegance. The 1947 Cheval Blanc is considered by many connoisseurs to be the greatest wine ever made in Bordeaux.
Did you know? The 1947 Château Cheval Blanc is considered by many wine authorities to be the greatest wine ever made. The extraordinary vintage conditions produced a wine of unprecedented richness with residual sugar and over 14% alcohol, characteristics that would normally be seen as flaws, but which in this case created a wine that continues to improve after 75+ years in the bottle.
How long is a visit to Château Cheval Blanc?
Set aside roughly ~90 min for Château Cheval Blanc. That covers a good look and the narrated story, and because you set the pace you can always stay on.
Is Château Cheval Blanc worth your time?
Château Cheval Blanc is among the 12 narrated highlights the Gingerguide team chose for Bordeaux Châteaux, so it is worth a look. Hear the story for the context, then ask the AI guide for anything more.
Nearby stops in Bordeaux Châteaux
Hear the story of Château Cheval Blanc
Preview the Bordeaux Châteaux tour free in the Gingerguide app.