![](/medias-ccb/millesimes/date-1956.png)
![](https://www.chateau-cheval-blanc.com/wp-content/uploads/formidable/18/fond_transparent-1.png)
Not a single bottle of Cheval Blanc was produced in 1956 and a killing frost left traces on the vines for many years. Over 10 hectares needed to be entirely replanted.
![](/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/ccb_logo.png)
![](/medias-ccb/millesimes/date-1956.png)
Not a single bottle of Cheval Blanc was produced in 1956 and a killing frost left traces on the vines for many years. Over 10 hectares needed to be entirely replanted.
Weather conditions and vine’s growing cycle
Temperatures and rainfall
1956 was a catastrophic year for Cheval Blanc. A terrible frost more or less wiped out the vineyard. The extremely cold temperatures (an average of -3 °C, i.e. 9.9 °C lower than average!) simply annihilated many vines. More than 10 hectares needed to be replanted. The Merlot vines were hit especially hard.
![](https://www.chateau-cheval-blanc.com/wp-content/uploads/formidable/18/histo1-1956-EN.jpg)
Water balance
![](https://www.chateau-cheval-blanc.com/wp-content/uploads/formidable/18/HYDRIQ1956-EN.jpg)
Features of the vintage
Ripening and yields
The thermometer went as low as -20°C in Saint Emilion, and 1956 is considered an annus horibilis! No one could remember such Arctic cold. The effect on Cheval Blanc was long-lasting: low yields for several years and with so many young Merlot vines after replanting, the blend reflected a high proportion of Cabernet Franc for several vintages.
Tasting
![](https://www.chateau-cheval-blanc.com/wp-content/uploads/formidable/18/fond_transparent-1.png)
The thermometer went as low as -20°C in Saint Emilion, and 1956 is considered an annus horibilis! No one could remember such Arctic cold. The effect on Cheval Blanc was long-lasting: low yields for several years and with so many young Merlot vines after replanting, the blend reflected a high proportion of Cabernet Franc for several vintages.