2021 Le Petit Cheval Blanc, Bordeaux

A rich and exotic blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon, the 2021 Le Petit Cheval Blanc bursts with aromas of green mango, passion fruit, lime and white flowers, followed by a medium-bodied, ample and fleshy palate that's satiny, textural and perfumed.

Drink 2023 - 2030

The 2021 Le Petit Cheval Blanc) is 80% aged in foudres and 20% in demi-muids, 80% Sauvignon Blanc and 20% Sémillon. It has a well-defined bouquet, fresh and vibrant, displaying Anjou pear and touches of Granny Smith, petrichor scents surfacing with aeration. The palate is well-balanced with a lovely texture, the Sémillon playing a greater influence than the proportion of the blend would suggest and imparting a slightly waxy texture. Fleeting touches of chamomile and quince emerge toward the finish. Excellent. 

Drink 2024 - 2038

Very Sauvignon nose, green peas, straw, lemon zest and elderflower - smells very expressive with cool citrus elements. Crisp and alive, so delicious, crunchy with mouthwatering acidity but then a weight - almost oiliness/fat from the wood and lees add to the texture that immediately counters the acidity and gives the mouth-filling expression. Bitter grapefruit and lemon zest on the finish. Great energy and complexity. A touch green in some places, you know this isn’t from a warm vintage, a touch of metallic element on the finish, but extremely enjoyable.

Drink 2024 - 2035

The 2021 Le Petit Cheval Blanc) is fabulous. Silky and intensely aromatic, with tons of Sauvignon Blanc character, the 2021 is all raciness. Pear, slate, mint, crushed rocks, lime and white pepper abound, all framed by brisk acids and gorgeous saline undertones. The 2021 is 80% Sauvignon Blanc and 20% Semillon. It aged for 22 months, mostly in foudres and wood uprights. What a wine!

Drink 2023 - 2033

High aromatics, this is succulent and savoury, delicate, with a finely-balanced mix of acidity and flesh, saline and mouthwatering, apricot pit, white pear, edges of bitter anis and fennel, a brilliant white wine. Long ageing in an array of demi-muids, oak casks, nothing in traditional Bordeaux barrels. 3.2ph.

Drink 2024 - 2034

The 2021 Château Cheval Blanc Petit Cheval Blanc is gorgeous and comes from a parcel just to the west of the château. A blend of 83% Sauvignon and 17% Sémillon brought up in 50% new wood, it has a killer nose of crushed citrus, orange blossom, and chalky minerality to go with a medium-bodied, vibrant, racy, yet beautifully concentrated and textured style on the palate. I love its overall balance; it has remarkable purity, and I suspect it will provide over a decade of prime drinking.

Drink 2024 - 2035