Le Petit Cheval (2nd Vin) 2016 75cl

The 2016 Le Petit Cheval is composed of 62% Merlot and 38% Cabernet Franc. Medium garnet-purple colored, it has a knock-out nose featuring beautiful red rose, black tea, unsmoked cigars, menthol and yeast extract scents with a core of black cherries, kirsch and warm plums plus a waft of dusty soil. Medium-bodied, tightly wound and wonderfully perfumed in the mouth, the palate features loads of vibrant, pristine pure fruit and a beautifully soft texture, finishing very long.<br/>“We have a clay subsoil, which is great for managing the dry spells,” Cheval Blanc’s technical director, Pierre-Olivier Clouet, informed me regarding the 2016 vintage. And this is certainly true of a significant portion of this relatively large estate (for the Right Bank), which is mainly composed of gravel or sand over clay, while a smaller area is made up of deeper gravel. “If we want to find the right balance between freshness of fruit and the dry spells, we need some water,” Clouet smiled matter-of-factly. One of the most significant developments here in recent years is the degree of precision viticulture that is now practiced at Cheval Blanc. For example, the 39-hectare vineyard has been subdivided and is now farmed as 45 different plots, based on grape variety, age of vines and soil type. To accommodate these separately managed plots, the new cellar contains 52 vats available in nine different sizes (20 hectoliters to 110 hectoliters), designed to correspond to the harvest from each plot, which are vinified separately. This affords a whole other level of control when it comes to selection and, ultimately, ensuring consistency of quality. “From 2016 we have a little Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend as we did historically, but it disappeared when the plots were replanted,” Clouet went on to tell me. “We replanted 1.4 hectares in 2014 and will start using it in the blends, looking to achieve about 5% eventually.”

Restrained in style, with a mix of damson plum, cassis and açaí berry aromas and flavors that open slowly, carried by light loam, tobacco and incense notes. A sanguine hint at the end adds pretty lift. Best from 2021 through 2031. — JM