Purple hue. Restrained compared with Petit Cheval but dense and beguiling. Bright, fresh and smooth but plenty of punch from a polished but solid tannic core. Abundant fruit. Long. Should hold up well. (JL)

From bottle, the 2023 Château Cheval Blanc is one of the most compelling wines of the vintage, just as it was from cask. Bursting with aromas of cherries and mulberries mingled with notions of violets, rose petal and anise, it's full-bodied, velvety and layered, with a deep and enveloping core of vibrant fruit, ripe tannins and a long, expansive finish. It's a blend of 52% Merlot, 46% Cabernet Franc and 2% Cabernet Sauvignon, drawing on fully 46 of the blocks that make up Cheval Blanc, and it attained 13.8% alcohol.

Aromas of leather, black chocolate, mint and dark blackcurrant, herbal, amazing florality with violet and liquorice. Serious and classic, yet this is so juicy and already approachable, with supportive fine tannins giving weight and texture but no overt power. Pristine fruit, a touch cool but still ripe, and I love the slightly chalky edge, too. Absolutely incredible, with everything super-well integrated already, the oak not standing out: shows the art of blending. Very Cheval at its finest. Exceptional.

Blackberry and dark-chocolate aromas with bark, mushrooms, stems, flint, lead pencil and a hint of violets. Medium-bodied with a toned structure from the tight, compressed palate and fine, polished tannins. Extremely long. A blend of 52% merlot, 46% cabernet franc and 2% cabernet sauvignon. Best after 2029.

Contrasts intensity and depth with nuance and softly spoken character. Lift and tension, precisely placed cocoa bean, liqourice root, tomato leaf, tannins, violet and peony florals and slate, sinewy, slow-tug tannins, powerful with lift off. Has plenty to say and demands that you slow down to hear it. 40hl/h yield, 75% of overall production (no press wine as ever), harvest September 6 to October 3. Pierre-Olivier Clouet director.

The 2023 Cheval Blanc is stellar, just as it was en primeur. Lithe and elegant, the 2023 is super impressive right out of the gate. It possesses superb textural density yet remains so elegant, so precise. Exotic floral and spice notes weave through a core of red/purplish fruit. Hints of lavender, rose petal and menthol follow, adding myriad layers of dimension. The 2023 is wonderfully vivid, even in the early going. It's a magnificent young Cheval Blanc that will provide many decades of exceptional drinking. Yields were 39 hectoliters per hectare, the highest since 2004.

A blend of 52% Merlot, 46% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Cabernet Sauvignon raised just about all in new barrels, with a tiny amount in once-used barrels and foudre (roughly 10% of the blend), the 2023 Château Cheval Blanc is an absolutely quintessential Cheval Blanc that's all about complexity, finesse, and elegance. Blackcurrants, mulberries, graphite, spicy wood, smoke, and crushed stone-driven aromatics slowly pick up a kiss of violets and flowers with time in the glass. It's beautifully textured, medium to full-bodied, and flawlessly balanced, with ripe, polished tannins and a gorgeous finish. It's possibly in the same family as the 2019 and is going to shine with 5-7 years of bottle age and evolve for 30+ years on its balance and overall harmony. There are roughly 10,683 cases produced. Drink 2031-2055.