Cheval Blanc 1970 Magnum

After two very difficult years, 1970 Cheval Blanc is an excellent vintage. The intense colour shows bricking in keeping with its age. The complex bouquet, which seems slightly closed to begin with, opens up considerably in the glass, revealing amazing ripeness and depth, and is still assertive. Hints of forest floor, roast grape seeds, tea, and lime blossom appear after swirling in the glass. The wine starts out smooth and well-structured on the palate, with tertiary aspects such as forest floor nuances due to long ageing. The quality of tannin on the middle palate shows just how serious a wine this is. The long fresh aftertaste reveals incomparable softness typical of a great Cheval Blanc. Although this wine is presently at its peak, it is still quite fresh in well-stored bottles. Furthermore, due the fact that vats were not blend prior to bottling, there is some bottle variation in this vintage.

Nose is fresh, menthols and liquoriced. Red fruits dominate the bouquet with cedar and tobacco notes. One can also notice fresh blackberry notes and after opening the wine up appears mocha and cocoa notes. The wine starts out tight and acidulous. On the middle-palate, the freshness is remarkable showing both a straight and compact wine. Until the very end of the taste, this vintage reveals all its slender aspect.

Tasted at Cheval Blanc dinner at The Ledbury. This has always been a great 1970 Saint Emilion. It has a noticeable deep hue. The nose is unashamedly rustic with mulberry, crushed flowers, wild heather and a touch of chlorophyll. Great definition and vibrancy: a wine wallowing in its secondary aromas. The palate has fine definition and demonstrated much more backbone than the Cheval ’78 tasted alongside. Here, the Merlot is undaunted by the Cabernet Franc and lends it a beguiling fleshiness, especially towards the ferrous finish. This is wonderful, that is a point. (9/2011)