98 points Jane Anson (Inside Bordeaux): "A legendary year where Cheval was among wines of the vintage Still full of life even if the tertiary notes are domiant, with truffled spice, tobacco, cocoa and cinammon, touches of saffron and raspberry puree but with an incredible freshness on the finish for a wine that is now 32 years old. The tannins are so finely spun at this point that you barely get any resistance from them, and yet a gentle power and sense of confidence is still unmissable. Generous and so moreish. Overall it was a great Pomerol year and Cheval is famously located right next door to this appellation and on similar soils - you can look to Trotanoy and Petrus for other wines from this vintage that are knocking it out of the park right now. Rainfall was 25% below average for the region, but the yield was up at an extremely generous 50hl/h. (6/28/21)"
98 points Decanter: "Cheval Blanc saw 25% less rainfall than average in this vintage. Summer was hot but not a heatwave – the grapes were brought in from 7 September to 5 October, the earliest harvest date in the 20th century, and there are clear hints of prune and fig, but with menthol and eucalyptus touches that give it a fresh lift and suggest that blockages of maturity just might have been the key to its longevity. Concentrated, sexy, opulent, lifted through the finish, just smoky enough. The blend, by the way, is not exact because Cabernet Sauvignon was counted with the Cabernet Franc right up until 2014. However, plantings were recorded as 54% Merlot and 46% Cabernet Franc, with a high yield of 50hl/ha (the average between 1946 and 2014 is 33hl/ha, so this is significant). Still in the fullest grip of life. Drinking Window: 2018-2030. (Oct 2018)"
96 points John Gilman (View From the Cellar): " Four years have passed since I last had the pleasure to drink a bottle of the 1989 Cheval Blanc and the wine has continued to blossom and is now really starting to come properly into its plateau of maturity. It is truly a stunning vintage of Cheval Blanc and may one day surpass the 1983 at this estate. The bouquet is deep, pure and stunning, wafting from the glass in a blend of sweet dark berries, black cherries, a touch of nutskin, menthol, a beautiful base of dark soil tones, cigar smoke and well-done toasty new oak. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and sappy at the core, with superb soil inflection and grip, fine-grained, buried tannins, seamless balance and a supremely long, complex and elegant finish. My gut instinct is that the ’89 Cheval Blanc will be even better five or ten years further down the road, but for those who may have more than a few bottles in the cellar, it is hardly a crime to be drinking this wine today! It will be a fascinating horse race to watch between the 1989 and the 1990 vintages here over the next several decades, as both wines are utterly brilliant! Fine, fine juice. 2023-2075. (Nov/Dec 2023)"
95 points Neal Martin (Vinous): "The 1989 Cheval Blanc is a vintage that I have not encountered since 2010. One bottle opened was rustic and fatigued, and Pierre-Olivier Clouet opened a second that was much better. It has a gorgeous bouquet of ample red fruit, morels, black truffle, cigar box and hints of brown sugar, all very well defined and charming. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannin and approaching full maturity; brown spices, bay leaf and clove infuse the red berry fruit. At 30 years of age, I suspect this 1989 will not improve further, but its robustness suggests that any decline will be graceful. Tasted from an ex-cellar bottle at the château. Drink: 2019-2045. (Sep 2019)"
18.5+/20 points Chris Kissack (Winedoctor): "A fascinating nose to this wine, which is now approaching the end of its second decade. Initially it showed some gamey and slightly mushroomy aromas, but then it opened out to reveal more complexity, with aromas of mint, salty rock and iron. It is certainly enticing! The palate is fresh, a touch fleshy with a nice texture to it, and although maturing nicely it is still in possession of some tannin and extract. This is a wine of fine substance, meaty and yet also stylish. A fabulous bottle. (Jun 2008)"
98 points Decanter: "Cheval Blanc saw 25% less rainfall than average in this vintage. Summer was hot but not a heatwave – the grapes were brought in from 7 September to 5 October, the earliest harvest date in the 20th century, and there are clear hints of prune and fig, but with menthol and eucalyptus touches that give it a fresh lift and suggest that blockages of maturity just might have been the key to its longevity. Concentrated, sexy, opulent, lifted through the finish, just smoky enough. The blend, by the way, is not exact because Cabernet Sauvignon was counted with the Cabernet Franc right up until 2014. However, plantings were recorded as 54% Merlot and 46% Cabernet Franc, with a high yield of 50hl/ha (the average between 1946 and 2014 is 33hl/ha, so this is significant). Still in the fullest grip of life. Drinking Window: 2018-2030. (Oct 2018)"
96 points John Gilman (View From the Cellar): " Four years have passed since I last had the pleasure to drink a bottle of the 1989 Cheval Blanc and the wine has continued to blossom and is now really starting to come properly into its plateau of maturity. It is truly a stunning vintage of Cheval Blanc and may one day surpass the 1983 at this estate. The bouquet is deep, pure and stunning, wafting from the glass in a blend of sweet dark berries, black cherries, a touch of nutskin, menthol, a beautiful base of dark soil tones, cigar smoke and well-done toasty new oak. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and sappy at the core, with superb soil inflection and grip, fine-grained, buried tannins, seamless balance and a supremely long, complex and elegant finish. My gut instinct is that the ’89 Cheval Blanc will be even better five or ten years further down the road, but for those who may have more than a few bottles in the cellar, it is hardly a crime to be drinking this wine today! It will be a fascinating horse race to watch between the 1989 and the 1990 vintages here over the next several decades, as both wines are utterly brilliant! Fine, fine juice. 2023-2075. (Nov/Dec 2023)"
95 points Neal Martin (Vinous): "The 1989 Cheval Blanc is a vintage that I have not encountered since 2010. One bottle opened was rustic and fatigued, and Pierre-Olivier Clouet opened a second that was much better. It has a gorgeous bouquet of ample red fruit, morels, black truffle, cigar box and hints of brown sugar, all very well defined and charming. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannin and approaching full maturity; brown spices, bay leaf and clove infuse the red berry fruit. At 30 years of age, I suspect this 1989 will not improve further, but its robustness suggests that any decline will be graceful. Tasted from an ex-cellar bottle at the château. Drink: 2019-2045. (Sep 2019)"
18.5+/20 points Chris Kissack (Winedoctor): "A fascinating nose to this wine, which is now approaching the end of its second decade. Initially it showed some gamey and slightly mushroomy aromas, but then it opened out to reveal more complexity, with aromas of mint, salty rock and iron. It is certainly enticing! The palate is fresh, a touch fleshy with a nice texture to it, and although maturing nicely it is still in possession of some tannin and extract. This is a wine of fine substance, meaty and yet also stylish. A fabulous bottle. (Jun 2008)"
| Product SKU | 343208 |
| Producer | Cheval Blanc |
| Country | France |
| Region | Bordeaux |
| SubRegion | Right Bank |
| Appellation | St-Émilion |
| Varietal | Cabernet/Bordeaux Blends |
| Vintage | 1989 |
| Size | 750ml |
| Color | Red |
| Blend | 54% Merlot and 46% Cabernet Franc |
| ABV | 13.0% |
| Ships To |
