1959

Château Cheval Blanc

(LS)
AOP - Appellation d’Origine Protégée (AOC)

Château Cheval Blanc

Description

1959 Château Cheval Blanc 1er Grand Cru Classé A,
 St-Emilion AOC, Château Cheval Blanc  

Jancis Robinson:
Dense, rich, vibrant ruby colour. It looks much younger than a 1959. There were bits of cork in my glass. A little bit stinky at first but then it opened out into a hugely rich yeast-extract nose. Very sweet, dense nose but not that subtle. Even a bit brutal really! But then it became sweet and rich with just a hint of mushrooms. Very impressive rather than subtle. 

Vinous:
The 1959 Cheval Blanc was a bottle that had been acquired directly from the château and boy, did that provenance show on this spectacular Saint Émilion. It seemed to glisten in the glass and showed little ageing on the rim. The nose is explosive with beguiling pure black cherries, wild strawberry, sage, crushed violets and just a touch of glycerine. The delineation, the detail here is exemplary. The palate is an intoxicating mixture of succulent lush red fruit that disguise the backbone underneath. This is such a vivid and vivacious Saint Émilion one that to me feels more Merlot-driven than Cabernet Franc. It gather momentum in the glass and finishes with layers of red fruit tinged with clove and bay leaf. Without question this is the finest bottle of 1959 Cheval Blanc that I have tasted – a simply magnificent wine.