In the glass
Aroma: red cherry, plum, cedar, violet, fresh herbs
Palate: black cherry, cassis, tobacco, soft spice
The second wine of Cheval Blanc: same terroir and typicity as the grand vin but in a more accessible, forward style. Charming black-fruit and cedar profile, silky tannins, and an earlier drinking window.
What it pairs with
-
Roast chicken with jus
Medium-weight cherry fruit complements mild poultry without overwhelming it. -
Veal chop with mushroom cream
Earthy mushroom and soft veal echo the wine's cedar and herb register. -
Duck confit
Rich duck fat integrates beautifully with the wine's soft tannin and plum fruit.
History
Le Petit Cheval was created in 1988 as the second wine of Chateau Cheval Blanc, drawing on the same gravel-and-clay terroir as the grand vin. Typically sourced from younger vines and lighter-extraction parcels, it offers the estate's signature Cabernet Franc elegance at a more accessible entry point. Not produced in selected vintages where all production merges into the grand vin.
- 1988 — First vintage of Le Petit Cheval produced
- 2015 — No second wine produced; full crop elevated to grand vin
Facts
- Producer
- Chateau Cheval Blanc
- Grapes
- Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec
- Classification
- Saint-Emilion Grand Cru
- Oak
- 18 months in 50% new French oak barrels
- ABV
- 13.5%
- Production
- 48,000 bottles
- Price
- EUR 90-140 at retail
- Drinking window
- 5-15 from vintage
- First vintage
- 1988
Scores
- Wine Advocate 92 (2020 vintage, reviewed 2023)