2021 Château Cheval Blanc Le Petit Cheval Saint-Émilion Grand Cru

Le Petit Cheval 2021 is the refined second wine of the legendary Château Cheval Blanc, offering a more approachable expression of this iconic Saint-Émilion estate without sacrificing pedigree or complexity. Crafted from plots and barrels selected specifically for their charm and immediate drinkability, it captures the château’s trademark elegance and precision in a slightly lighter, earlier-drinking style. In this cooler, classical Bordeaux vintage, Le Petit Cheval 2021 stands out for its freshness, finesse and beautifully sculpted fruit.

Tasting Notes
In the glass, the 2021 Le Petit Cheval shows a vibrant, medium ruby colour with purple highlights, hinting at both youth and energy. The nose is lifted and detailed, offering red and black fruits—think wild raspberry, redcurrant and black cherry—woven with floral notes of violet and peony, plus subtle hints of graphite, cedar, fresh tobacco leaf and a gentle spice from well-judged oak. On the palate, this is a poised, medium-bodied Saint-Émilion with a supple attack and a core of pure, crunchy fruit. Predominantly Merlot and Cabernet Franc (with a touch of Cabernet Sauvignon), the blend brings silky plum and cherry, framed by fine, chalky tannins and a cool, mouth-watering acidity that speaks clearly of the 2021 vintage. Layers of crushed berries, cocoa nib, pencil shavings and a faint savoury note of fresh herbs unfold with air, leading to a long, linear finish. While crafted to be enjoyable in its youth, it has the structure to evolve gracefully over 8–12 years, gaining further complexity and softness in bottle.

Production
Le Petit Cheval 2021 is born from the same exceptional terroir as Château Cheval Blanc, on the border of Pomerol and Saint-Émilion. Here, a rare mosaic of gravel, clay and sandy soils allows Merlot, Cabernet Franc and a little Cabernet Sauvignon to reach striking aromatic precision and balance. Grapes are harvested by hand in small crates, with rigorous sorting in the vineyard and at the winery to retain only perfectly ripe, healthy fruit. Vinification takes place in temperature-controlled vats (including concrete and/or stainless steel), with gentle extraction tailored to each parcel to preserve freshness and fine tannins rather than power. The wine is then aged in French oak barrels (a proportion of which are new, but generally less than for the grand vin) for well over a year, allowing texture to polish and the oak to integrate without overwhelming the purity of the fruit.

Food & Serving
This refined Saint-Émilion pairs beautifully with classic French and modern cuisine alike. Consider roast lamb with herbs, veal chops, duck breast, beef tenderloin, or richer poultry dishes such as guinea fowl or roast chicken with truffle jus. It also shines alongside mushroom risotto, lentil dishes, earthy root vegetables, and hard cheeses like Comté or aged Gouda. Serve at 16–18°C (60–64°F) for optimal expression. In its youth, a gentle decant of 45–60 minutes helps the aromatics open and the tannins relax; as it ages, a shorter decant or careful service from bottle will suffice.

Producer
Château Cheval Blanc is one of Bordeaux’s most revered estates and a Premier Grand Cru Classé ‘A’ of Saint-Émilion, renowned for its singular terroir and its emphasis on Cabernet Franc. With documented origins in the 19th century, the estate has built a reputation for producing wines of remarkable perfume, longevity and finesse, often counted among the greatest in the world. Located at the junction of Saint-Émilion and Pomerol, its gravel-and-clay vineyards give Cheval Blanc a style that is both right-bank in richness and left-bank in structure. Le Petit Cheval was created as the château’s second wine, allowing ultra-strict selection for the grand vin while offering wine lovers a more accessible gateway to the estate’s character. Under meticulous, modern yet terroir-focused stewardship, Cheval Blanc continues to set benchmarks for quality and consistency in Bordeaux, with its wines regularly achieving top critical acclaim and long-term collector status.

We deliver within 2 - 6 business days. You can choose whether it should be to a parcel shop or home delivery. Free delivery to both parcel shops and your front door. Our store partners primarily use GLS, DPD, UPS and DHL for deliveries. We cover deliveries to the majority of countries in Europe.