John Gilman - 94 Points
In my days as a wine merchant, I drank an awful lot of bottles of the 1981 Cheval Blanc, as I always found this to be one of the top wines of the vintage and its price back in the day (and I know I am really dating myself here) was often around forty dollars a bottle! It was pretty easy at that price to reach for this wine off of the shelf to take home and elevate a midweek dinner with its beauty and elegance! At age thirty-five, the wine continues to drink with great vibrancy and complexity, wafting from the glass in a constellation of red and black cherries, menthol, a beautifully complex base of gravelly soil tones, cigar ash and a smoky topnote. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied, focused and wide open, with a lovely core, fine balance and grip, melting tannins and a long, refined perfectly poised finish. A beautiful example of the vintage. (8/2016)
Specifications
Country | France |
Region | Bordeaux |
Sub-Region | St Emilion |
Classification | 1er GCC 'A' St Emilion |
Vintage | 1981 |
Grape | Merlot / Cabernet |
Volume | 750ml |
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