Cheval Blanc St-Emilion 2012

98 points Jane Anson (Inside Bordeaux): "(53% Merlot, 45% Cabernet Franc, 2% Cabernet Sauvignon). Seductive, rich flavours, far more creamy in its fruit expression than many of the top Left Banks in the 2012 vintage, and yet also higher in fresh acidities, giving a lovely push-and-pull contrast. Persistent, with sage and white pepper spice, this is a nuanced and sculputed wine, full of personality and grace. Not the depth of the truly great vintages at Cheval such as the 2010 or 2016, but this is one of the wines of the tasting, with layers of flavour that will take decades to fully unwind. 100% new oak. Alcohol 13.5%. Drink: 2022-2042. (3/3/22)"

97 points Antonio Galloni (Vinous): "The 2012 Cheval Blanc boasts stunning power and a vertical, imposing sense of structure that is quite rare in this vintage. Dark and almost brooding in style, the Cheval is a rare 2012 that absolutely demands cellaring. Smoke, tobacco, incense and dark spices open up with time, but the 2012 is a reticent, tannic wine that is only showing the barest hints of its ultimate potential. This is a magnificent showing and one of the clear highlights of the year. Drink: 2020-2042. (Jan 2016)”

96+ points Jeb Dunnuck: "A step up over the 2011, the 2012 Chateau Cheval Blanc offers a similar medium to full-bodied, elegant style yet has slightly more freshness and purity. Smoked black fruits, cassis, tobacco leaf, and sappy flower notes all emerge from this thrillingly textured, balanced, focused 2012. It opens up with time in the glass, has ripe, sweet tannins, and it’s another one of those wines that offers pleasure today yet will cruise for decades. The final blend is the usual 54% Merlot and 46% Cabernet Franc. Readers should be happy to have bottles in their cellars. Drink: 2022-2047. (6/14/19)"

96 points Sebastian Payne, MW (Decanter): "A beautifully balanced claret with a fragrant silky texture, fine backbone and length on the palate, promising a long life. Not a ‘big’ wine but a delicious one with class. Made in the spanking new cellar (inaugurated June 2011). Drinking Window: 2022-2040. (3/3/22)"

96 points Lisa Perrotti-Brown (The Wine Palate): "The 2012 Cheval Blanc is deep garnet-brick in color. Notes of cigar box, Chinese five spice, and plum preserves all leap from the nose, leading to hints of dried cherries, dusty soil, graphite, and garrigue. The medium-bodied palate is both generous and lively, with velvety tannins to support and a long, spicy finish. Drink: 2023-2038. (Jun 2025)"

96 points Tim Atkin, MW.

95+ points John Gilman (View From the Cellar): "The grand vin here this year is comprised of a blend of fifty-four percent merlot and forty-six percent cabernet franc and was produced from yields of thirty-one hectoliters per hectare. It is a great Cheval Blanc in the making, soaring from the glass in a classic blend of dark berries, mulberries, cigar smoke, espresso, lovely, cabernet franc-derived herb tones, menthol and a stylish base of nutty new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, pure and seamless, with a youthful personality, superb focus and balance, a fair bit of tannin and outstanding length and grip on the nascently complex and very, very promising finish. There was a pretty wide variety of samples of this wine on display at the château on the damp morning in early April when the estate was playing open house to visiting journalists (I overheard Michel Bettane comment that “every single bottle is different”), and one had to hunt around a bit to find a bottle that was not totally shut down, but the samples that were open for inspection clearly indicated that this will be a great, great vintage of Cheval Blanc. 2025-2075. (Mar/Apr 2013)"

95+ points Lisa Perrotti-Brown (Wine Advocate): "Medium to deep garnet colored, the 2012 Château Cheval Blanc reveals lovely cassis, warm black cherries and redcurrant jelly notions with underlying hints of cedar chest, garrigue, Indian spices and damp soil. Medium to full-bodied, it possesses wonderful energy and freshness on the palate with a beautifully poised ethereal nature and long mineral-tinged finish. This elegantly crafted beauty should enter its drinking window in a couple of years and cellar gracefully for another 20+ years. Drink: 2020-2040. (Aug 2018)"

95 points Wine Spectator: "This wine is gorgeous in all facets, offering a simultaneously loamy and creamy mouthfeel, seamless layers of red and black currant, cherry, raspberry and blackberry fruit, and a long, tobacco-fueled finish that features alluring hints of black tea and incense. The fruit and terroir shine in this broad, deep and defined style. Best from 2018 through 2030. (3/31/15)"

95 points/'Cellar Selection,' Wine Enthusiast: "With a wonderful 45% blending of fragrant Cabernet Franc, this is a sumptuous, perfumed wine. It's rich with a velvet texture that hides the dark tannins while bringing out the rich plum flavors. The dense texture is balanced by some fresh acidity and a fruity aftertaste. Drink this deceptively approachable wine from 2024. (May 2015)"

95 points Jeff Leve (The Wine Cellar Insider): "A reserved vintage for Cheval Blanc, the wine pops with flowers, cigar wrapper, mint leaf, spice, cedar, and just a hint of truffle. Bright, fresh, juicy, crisp red cherries and plums are also front and center of this medium-bodied, elegant, classic version of Cheval Blanc. Drink from 2022-2045. (Jul 2022)"