Chateau Cheval Blanc Premier Grand Cru Classe A, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru, 1985

Critic Review

Cellar Favorite: 1985 Cheval Blanc (Sep 2024)

It has been several years since I last tasted the 1985 Cheval Blanc. When this was poured, a guest enquired whether I liked it, to which I replied: “It’s Cheval Blanc…It’s 1985…Of course!” Now, approaching four decades old, I suspect the 1985 will not improve further, except in a larger format. This bottle shows minor degradation in color on the rim, just light bricking. The bouquet bursts from the glass: dark berry compote, iron filings, shavings of black truffle and brown leaves, becoming more savory as it blossoms in the glass. There’s real depth to the aromatics, which are irresistible. The palate has recently dispensed with some of its backbone as the tannins polymerize, rendering it a tad looser knit than prior examples. Ferrous red fruit, hints of soy, dried fig and just the faintest brush of curry leaf on the finish. This is “old school” Saint-Émilion in all its glory. There’s no excuse not to crack open a bottle in your cellar if you are lucky enough to have one.

Neal Martin - 95

Cellar Journal – Bordeaux to Start… (Jul 2018)

The 1985 Cheval Blanc has always been one of the picks of the vintage for what was a fecund decade for the Saint-Émilion. This example shows similarly to previous bottles. It has a fragrant bouquet with sandalwood, clove and chestnut, maybe here even a touch of brettanomyces? It is only slight. The palate is beautifully balanced with melted tannin. The Cabernet Franc in full flight – hints of bell pepper and cedar, a surfeit of fruit. Maybe it lacks the precision of more recent vintages but how can you resist its charm. Impossible! It is a wonderful wine, but I wonder...was its heyday around the turn of the millennium? Tasted blind at Chez Brunce lunch.

Neal Martin - 95

Vertical Tasting of Chateau Cheval Blanc (Oct 2011)

(49 h/h): Very bright red. Ripe red cherry, plums macerated in alcohol and a floral element on the delicate nose. Then rich, ripe and dense in the mouth, with strongly saline, persistent flavors of dark berries, spice cake, leather and cocoa. There's lovely sweetness to this wine, but also a slightly funky hint of earthiness at the back that falls just short of gamey. Finishes fleshy and long, with slightly drying tannins. Still, this is a lovely medium-bodied, softer style of Cheval Blanc that is a joy to drink. Though there was less water stress on the Right Bank than on the Left in 1985, Pierre Lurton told me that the hints of game (which he felt were there) and earthiness suggest a dry year. The year actually featured a cool and humid spring, followed by a rainy but warm July, then a dry, warm August. The harvest was late (October 1-17), allowing the estate to take advantage of the ideal September weather conditions.

Ian d'Agata - 92

1982 Bordeaux, 20 Years On (Jul 2002)

Medium red, with a hint of amber at the rim. Pungent, highly complex nose combines redcurrant, autumn leaves, sweet tobacco, smoked meat, truffle and mint. Dense and silky, with a firm spine of acidity giving the wine excellent penetration and vinosity. Impeccably balanced and sweet. Finishes firmly tannic, with superb subtle persistence. A particularly lovely '85, in the elegant style of the vintage. Drink now through 2015.

Stephen Tanzer - 93