Le Petit Cheval, Blanc, St Emilion, 2020
The nose fully expresses flowers and red fruit. The freshness surprises. The attack, frank and chiselled, is immediately followed by a tender, unctuous mid-palate where the enveloping tannins lead the wine to a juicy and crunchy finish. The aromatic persistence of the wine is fruity and complex. Merlot 41%, Cabernet Franc 59%.”
critic reviews
The 2020 Le Petit Cheval, a second sample inserted into the blind tasting, has a very ripe, slightly candied bouquet that feels a bit monotonous compared to the best wines in this flight. The palate is medium-bodied with lower acidity than I would like. It's missing some backbone and grip toward the finish. It's unclear how this will age, so drink it in the near future. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting.
Sémillon was added to the blend of the Cheval Blanc white from 2018, and it was immediately clear that it added an extra layer of interest. This is a vintge that I've tried several times over the past few years, and it keeps getting better, showing white peaches riven with waxy lemon rind, sage and saffran that bring it in line with the complexity and finesse of the rest of the (red) Cheval stable. Aged for 18 months in larg-sized new oak barrels.
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.
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.
product details
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