Chateau Cheval Blanc 2001 0,75L

ROBERT PARKER ” Fifty percent of the crop made it into the 2001 Cheval Blanc, which includes an unusually high percentage of Merlot (60%, along with 40% Cabernet Franc). As administrator Pierre Lurton told me, it was a year where the vines had to be extensively pruned so yields were kept low. The Cabernet Franc vineyards produced 32 hectoliters per hectare, and the Merlot vineyards, 39 hectoliters per hectare. The cool September weather resulted in a late harvest for this estate. The opaque ruby/purple color of the 2001 is accompanied by a sweet bouquet of menthol, ripe black currant, plum, and cherry fruit, and an intriguing mineral characteristic. The wine is medium-bodied, with wonderful sweetness and purity, good definition, a layered texture, and sweet tannin in the finish. It will not make anyone forget the prodigious 2000 or the increasingly impressive 1998, but it is a fruit-driven, dense effort with abundant quantities of vibrant acidity. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2030. “