Petit cheval 1995

Le Petit Cheval

1995 was a warm and early-maturing year. September was cool and fairly rainy.
This is a very good vintage of Petit Cheval, with richness and smoothness.

1995 was a warm and early-maturing year. September was cool and fairly rainy.
This is a very good vintage of Petit Cheval, with richness and smoothness.

Weather conditions and vine’s growing cycle

Temperatures and rainfall

This was an especially warm year, with an average temperature of  14.1°C, i.e. 1.3°C less than average. After a dry, mild spring, there was a heatwave in summer with record highs in July and August.  There had been nothing like it for 45 years. There was little rain from June to August at Cheval Blanc, although there were wide disparities in Bordeaux: drought conditions in Pauillac, but above-average rainfall on the Saint Emilion plateau. The early part of September was cold and wet, but the rain stopped during the last 10 days of the month.  The fine weather then lasted until the end of October.

1995 : TEMPERATURES AND RAINFALL COMPARED WITH NORMAL VALUES IN SAINT-EMILION

Water balance

Limited precipitation in June, July and August were conducive to marked water stress, which was beneficial to ripening.

1995 WATER BALANCE

Growing season

hanks to great weather, the growing season started early. Bud break took place about the 28th of March, with little difference between Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Mid-flowering occurred on the 1st of June. Véraison was observed in Merlot on the 4th of August and in Cabernet Franc on the 12th of that month. The weather was beautiful during the harvest, which lasted from the 15th to the 28th of September. In the previous 50 years, only the 1989 and 1990 vintages were picked earlier at Cheval Blanc. The grapes were in remarkably fine condition.

Phenological stage Merlot
1995
Average
1994-2014
Cabernet franc
1995
Average
1994-2014
Bud break March, 27th March, 28th March, 29th 2 avril
Flowering June, 1st May, 30th June, 1st June, 1st
Véraison August, 4th August, 2nd August, 12th August, 8th
Beginning of the Harvest September, 15th September, 19th September, 27th
End of the Harvest September, 27th September, 28th October, 5th
Number of days between …
Bud break and Flowering 66 days 63 days 64 days 60 days
Flowering and Véraison 64 days 64 days 72 days 68 days
Véraison and Harvest 43 days 48 days 41 days 50 days

 

Features of the vintage

Ripening and yields

The grapes had the concentration found in warm, dry years: high levels of sugar and phenolic compounds, and lower acidity than the ten-year average. The crop was larger than usual.

1995 yield   (hl/ha) Average yield: 1946 to 2014
44.7 33.9

 

Cellar work

Petit Cheval did not bleed wine from any of the fermentation vats, nor chaptalise.
1995 Petit Cheval contains no press wine and was entirely aged in new oak barrels.

Blending

1995 PROPORTION OF THE DIFFERENT WINES, CHEVAL BLANC, PETIT CHEVAL & THIRD WINE
Degree of alcohol 12,5
Total acidity (g H2 S04/L) 3.35
Volatile acidity (g H2 SO4/L) 0.49
pH 3,89
Total SO2 (mg/L) 108
Reducing sugar content (g/L) 0,9
IPT (DO280) 60

 

Tasting

This was a very good, rich, and velvety vintage for Petit Cheval. The colour reflects its great concentration. The core is very dark and youthful. The nose is quite intense as well, showing mint, eucalyptus, and very ripe, almost candied fruit (banana and quince), enhanced by a touch of citrus. Notes of leather, truffle, and spice (cinnamon) are released after swirling in the glass. The wine starts out rich and very velvety on the palate with mouth-filling freshness. It goes on to display plenty of ripe fruit, richness, and well-integrated oak on the middle palate. The aftertaste is quite elegant. This is a delicious, very attractive Petit Cheval that strikes the right balance between aromatic complexity and freshness.
Tastings
15/04/2010

This was a very good, rich, and velvety vintage for Petit Cheval.

The colour reflects its great concentration. The core is very dark and youthful.

The nose is quite intense as well, showing mint, eucalyptus, and very ripe, almost candied fruit (banana and quince), enhanced by a touch of citrus. Notes of leather, truffle, and spice (cinnamon) are released after swirling in the glass.

The wine starts out rich and very velvety on the palate with mouth-filling freshness. It goes on to display plenty of ripe fruit, richness, and well-integrated oak on the middle palate. The aftertaste is quite elegant.

This is a delicious, very attractive Petit Cheval that strikes the right balance between aromatic complexity and freshness.