Cheval Blanc 1946

Cheval Blanc 1946

Duty Paid
£3,000.00
Skip to product information
  • Robert Parker rating 100
  • Vinous rating 90
Cheval Blanc 1946
Sold out

HED42748

75 cl

£3,000.00
Taxes included.

Pay ex-VAT when shipping outside the UK

You must be of legal age to buy alcohol in your country of residence

Out of Stock

Find Cheval Blanc 1946

You'll be notified when we've tracked it down

Enter your contact information below and we'll be in touch when we have found your bottle.

  • Order by 2PM for same-day dispatch.
Château Cheval Blanc is a Premier Grand Cru Classé A red Bordeaux from Saint-Émilion. The 1946 vintage is an extraordinary rarity, produced in the immediate aftermath of the Second World War. The wine is a blend of Cabernet Franc and Merlot, grown on the estate`s unique mosaic of gravel and clay soils. Despite the challenges of the era, the vineyard produced fruit of remarkable resilience and character. This historic bottling is known for its aromatic complexity, featuring notes of cedar, dried plums and the distinct iron-like minerality of the site.
90 Vinous
The 1946 vintage is, or rather was, the only postwar Bordeaux vintage that I had not tasted. It is actually my father’s year of birth, so I have always been intrigued by it. Falling amongst a succession of heralded vintages, sandwiched between the lionized 1945 and the feted 1947, the 1946 vintage fell between the cracks, a potentially good vintage spoiled by early September showers and a resulting uneven harvest. It is almost completely forgotten nowadays, although the handful of people who have experienced now rarely seen bottles always reported back positively - and now I can see why. The 1946 Cheval-Blanc was then owned by a société civile formed by Albert Laussac Fourcaud before he passed away in 1927. It is youthful in colour, with thin bricking on the rim. The bouquet is quintessential Cheval Blanc, perhaps more Merlot-driven than Cabernet Franc, offering vivid red cherry, strawberry and light cranberry fruit and touches of cedar and crushed stone developing with aeration. While no match for the finest vintages of this Saint-Émilion, it is certainly well balanced, displaying fine tannin, superb acidity and respectable energy given its age. Maybe it tapers in a little towards the chlorophyll-tinged finish, but otherwise this is a thoroughly enjoyable wine that might give the under-performing 1945 Cheval-Blanc a run for its money.Neal Martin1st October 2018

You may also like

Chateau Cheval Blanc

Chateau Cheval Blanc

The Star of Saint-Émilion

With a history dating back as least as far as the 16th century, Château Cheval Blanc is considered by many to be one of the finest estates in Bordeaux. Located on the Right Bank in the celebrated Saint-Émilion appellation. One of only four wines to be ranked Premier Grand Cru Classé A in the classification of Saint-Émilion wine, the estate has three main soil types: clay, gravel and sand. Red grape plantings are made up of 60% Cabernet Franc and 40% Merlot and are used to produce wines with marvellous aromatics, with floral and smoky nuances, aged 100% in new oak.

In addition to the highly-coveted first wine, the estate produces a second red wine, Le Petit Cheval which made its first appearance in the 1988 vintage. A white wine, known as Le Petit Cheval Blanc, is also made, produced from predominantly Sauvignon Blanc together with a smaller percentage of Sémillon.

Didn’t find what you were looking for?

Talk to our team