Extremely perfumed, showing red roses and violets as well as hints of flower stems. A touch of sandalwood. This turns to blue fruits with such pure grape character, like smelling must. Savory, light brine and black olives. The palate is tight and refined before taking off at the end. The perfectly integrated tannins melt into the wine, giving it fascinating tension and intensity. 53% merlot, 46% cabernet franc and 1% cabernet sauvignon. Drink after 2028.

Score: 99 James Suckling (JS), JamesSuckling.com, January 2025

The 2022 Cheval Blanc is quite unusual in that it was made from 46 out of the 47 parcels that make up the estate, the highest proportion of blocks ever used in the Grand Vin. There is also no Petit Cheval. One block was sold in bulk, and everything else went into the Grand Vin. That´s basically it. In tasting, the 2022 is a wine of sublime elegance, and yet there´s a certain strictness in its vertical build that keeps things buttoned up. Time in the glass starts to release the Cabernet Franc aromatics, but this remains incredibly dense. It barely budged over the two days I followed it. All the 2022 needs is time. The only question is how much.

Score: 99 Antonio Galloni (AG), Vinous Media (VM), January 2025

Three-quarters of the Merlot in the 2022 Cheval Blanc was Merlot picked in August—when no grape had ever been picked in that month before. It aged for just 13 months since the balance, texture and freshness were all exactly where they should be and there were concerns about the pH and potential spoilage if it spent a second winter in oak. The 2022 has an incredibly intense nose, yet it e!ortlessly maintains the delineation that most Right Bank estates can only dream about. Hints of blackcurrant, blueberry, violet, Earl Grey and an underlying mineralité come through with time. The palate is medium-bodied, perfectly balanced, pure and well defined with filigree tannins and hints of pencil shavings infusing the shimmering black fruit. A deft touch of black pepper on the aftertaste completes one of the standout wines in recent years. Tasted in September 2024 and then in January 2025 because I...err...forgot that I had already visited!

Score: 98 Neal Martin (NM), Vinous Media (VM), January 2025

The 2022 Château Cheval Blanc has turned out beautifully in bottle, bursting from the glass with aromas of minty mulberries, licorice and rose petals mingled with hints of pipe tobacco and baking chocolate. Full-bodied, rich and velvety, it´s layered and unctuous, with sweet, powdery tannins and a broad, enveloping profile, concluding with a long, fragrant finish. Flamboyant but controlled, this blend of 53% Merlot, 46% Cabernet Franc and 1% Cabernet Sauvignon spent only 12 months in barrique. There´s no Petit Cheval this year, as what little wasn´t deemed up to the level of the grand vin was sold off in bulk.

Score: 98 William Kelley (WK), The Wine Advocate (WA), April 2023