Château Cheval Blanc, 1er Grand Cru Classé, St Emilion, 2005

Tasting Note:

Pierre Lurton is a busy man, but his position as director of both Cheval Blanc and Yquem has not diluted his success this year, in fact it has concentrated it: each of these great properties has put in a potentially legendary performance in 2005. While young Cabernet Franc (this wine contains 55%, together with 45% Merlot) can often be backward and hard to taste, Lurton has eked out of this vintage the most sensational aromatics and flavour profile of any wine in the region. Cropping down to 39hl/ha and using 100% new barrels has already transformed the 2005 into a thing of extraordinary charm and finesse, with seamless flow and apparently endless complexity and depth: crushed strawberries and raspberries, liquorice, menthol, mocha, creamy caramel, fresh acidity, total harmony. The tannins are smoother even than cashmere (the début of Louis Vuitton tannins?) and the fruit just goes on and on. But for stiff competition from Lafite and Haut Brion, the wine of the vintage.