What can I say about this mammoth wine that is more like port than dry red table wine? The 1947 Cheval Blanc exhibits such a thick texture it could double as motor oil. The huge nose of fruitcake, chocolate, leather, coffee, and Asian spices is mind-boggling. The unctuous texture and richness of sweet fruit are amazing. Consider the fact that this wine is, technically, appallingly deficient in acidity and excessively high in alcohol. Moreover, its volatile acidity levels would be considered intolerable by modern day oenologists. Yet how can they explain that after 47 years the wine is still remarkably fresh, phenomenally concentrated, and profoundly complex? It has to make you wonder about the direction of modern day winemaking. Except for one dismal, murky, troubled, volatile double-magnum, this wine has been either perfect or nearly perfect every time I have had it. But beware, there are numerous fraudulent bottles, particularly magnums, of 1947 Cheval Blanc in the marketplace. Having a 1947 Cheval Blanc served out of an impeccably stored magnum three times over the last three years made me once again realize what a great job I have. The only recent Bordeaux vintages that come even remotely close to the richness, texture, and viscosity of so many of these right bank 1947s are 1982 and 1990. - RP
(14.4% alcohol; 37.4 h/h): Amazingly vivid ruby-red color with only a hint of garnet at the rim. Explosive nose combines intensely minty notes with liqueur-like plum, blackberries macerated in alcohol, pine needles, sweet coffee and Oriental spices. This is a slightly more herbal bottle than the four others I have had before, all of which were alcoholic (but balanced) fruit bombs on the nose. Broad, lush and sweet in the mouth, with an exotic high-toned quality to the almost porty, very viscous flavors of dark berries, coffee, dark chocolate and vanilla. This verges on jammy but stays fresh thanks to sound acidity. The extremely long finish features a pronounced note of coffee grounds, very chewy but noble tannins and some residual sugar; in fact, this is downright port-like in its rich, round, alcoholic persistence. Undoubtedly a great wine, but I think it's more emblematic of the hot 1947 vintage than of Cheval Blanc. I found this particular bottle a little less thrilling than the two I had most recently tasted, but readers may want to take note that this wine is considered by some critics as one of the three or four greatest red wines ever made anywhere.- Ian D'Agata (1/211)
Producer: Cheval Blanc
Vintage: 1947
Varietal: Red Blend
Country: France
Region: Bordeaux
Sub-Region: Saint Emilion
Appellation:
Sub-Appellation:
SKU: #
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