Château Cheval Blanc
“An awful year for winegrowing, with wet, windy, cold weather,” according to Claude Fourcaud-Laussac, one of the owners of Château Cheval Blanc in 1968. The wine was sold as simple AOC Saint Emilion.
The 1968 growing season was not only very wet, but also much chillier than usual from May to September. These conditions were not compatible with making quality wine.
“An awful year for winegrowing, with wet, windy, cold weather,” according to Claude Fourcaud-Laussac, one of the owners of Château Cheval Blanc in 1968. The wine was sold as simple AOC Saint Emilion.
The 1968 growing season was not only very wet, but also much chillier than usual from May to September. These conditions were not compatible with making quality wine.
Weather conditions and vine’s growing cycle
Temperatures and rainfall
The 1968 growing season was not only very wet, but also much chillier than usual from May to September. These conditions were not compatible with making quality wine.
Water balance
In order to grow well, the vine needs for water stress to set in slowly so the grapes to ripen well and become concentrated. The water balance shows that there was very little water stress this year. The soil was practically waterlogged during the harvest, which is very rare in Bordeaux.
Growing season
The weather in 1968 was very poor during the “crucial” months i.e. ripening.
The harvest took place from the 1st to the 12th of October. Yields were low (25.5 hectolitres per hectare) and there was an alcoholic degree of 12°. The wine was declassified and sold as generic Saint Emilion.
| Begin | End | |
| 1968 harvest dates | October, 1st | October, 12th |
| Average harvest dates: 1946-2014 | September, 24th | October, 8th |
Features of the vintage
Ripening and yields
| 1968 yield (hl/ha) | Average yield (1946 to 2014) | |
| 25.5 | 33.9 | |
Tasting
The nose carries aromas of tea, hay and tobacco, together with red fruit and especially raspberry. However, this is a fairly simple nose for a Cheval Blanc wine.
In the mouth, it lacks density and depth and ends too quickly compared to the other vintages of Château.The nose carries aromas of tea, hay and tobacco, together with red fruit and especially raspberry. However, this is a fairly simple nose for a Cheval Blanc wine.
In the mouth, it lacks density and depth and ends too quickly compared to the other vintages of Château.