Château Cheval Blanc 1999 — Saint-Émilion, 0.75 L

Cabernet Franc on gravel and clay next to Pomerol

Cheval Blanc stands at the north-west edge of Saint-Émilion, next to Pomerol. Its soils are clay, gravel and sand, not the limestone found at many other Saint-Émilion estates. Bernard Arnault and Baron Albert Frère bought the estate in autumn 1998, so the 1999 is among the first vintages made under the new owners. The vineyard covers 42 hectares in 56 plots and is planted mainly to Cabernet Franc, with some Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.

At the estate, the grand vin is aged 16 to 18 months in 100% new barrels. The wine was first sold under the Cheval Blanc name in 1852; before that it had been sold as Figeac wine. In 1832 Jean-Jacques Ducasse, president of the Libourne court, bought the heart of the domain, and plots from Château Figeac were added over the following 20 years.

Premier Grand Cru Classé "A" until 2021

Cheval Blanc is classed as 1er Grand Cru Classé. It held Premier Grand Cru Classé "A" from the first Saint-Émilion classification (agreed 1954, published 1955). The estate left the classification in July 2021 and is not in the 2022 list.