Château Cheval Blanc 1946

Château Cheval Blanc

A vintage considered of only average quality in its youth and not a mythical year for Cheval Blanc. This wine nevertheless improved with age and constitutes a truly pleasant surprise, with heretofore unexpected qualities.

A vintage considered of only average quality in its youth and not a mythical year for Cheval Blanc. This wine nevertheless improved with age and constitutes a truly pleasant surprise, with heretofore unexpected qualities.

Weather conditions and vine’s growing cycle

Temperatures and rainfall

WEATHER CONDITIONS AND GROWING SEASON

The weather in 1946 was quite wet causing very uneven ripening and slowing down the growth cycle. The harvest began on the 30th of September and finished on the 14th of October.
In her book, Madame Fourcaud-Laussac mentions that the cellarmaster at the time, Gaston Vaissière, noticed “a certain lack of maturity in the Bouchet” (Bouchet is the local name for the Cabernet Franc).

Beginning End
1946 harvest dates September, 30th October, 14th
Average harvest dates: 1946-2014 September, 24th October, 8th

 

Features of the vintage

Ripening and yields

YIELDS AND CELLAR WORK

1946 yield    (hl/ha) Average yield: 1946 to 2014
24.3 33.9

 

 

The wine was a little green and without much scope to begin with, but seriously improved over time. Many years down the line, this wine – which seemed uninteresting when very young – has developed astonishingly well, and provides a great deal of pleasure. Its alcohol level of 13° was fairly high at the time.

 

Tasting

The nose opens on reduction notes and dry plant aromas such as hay and straw. The second nose is on the foliage and little acidulated red fruit like gooseberry. On the palate the wine is unfortunately diluted and acid. Simple, it lacks depth and length, while providing cold smoke, hearth and caramel flavors.
The 1946 vintage is a pleasant surprise that shows to what extent a wine can sometimes reveal virtues unsuspected in its youth. The deep, dark colour shows its age with orange highlights. The freshness on the palate from the very first is quite incredible for a 70 year-old wine. Far from being diluted due to the abundant rainfall in 1946, this wine shows remarkable concentration. The tannin is velvety and the wine is altogether very round and delicate. A pure delight.
Tastings
11/08/2015

The nose opens on reduction notes and dry plant aromas such as hay and straw. The second nose is on the foliage and little acidulated red fruit like gooseberry.

On the palate the wine is unfortunately diluted and acid. Simple, it lacks depth and length, while providing cold smoke, hearth and caramel flavors.

15/04/2010

The 1946 vintage is a pleasant surprise that shows to what extent a wine can sometimes reveal virtues unsuspected in its youth.

The deep, dark colour shows its age with orange highlights.

The freshness on the palate from the very first is quite incredible for a 70 year-old wine. Far from being diluted due to the abundant rainfall in 1946, this wine shows remarkable concentration. The tannin is velvety and the wine is altogether very round and delicate.

A pure delight.