Château Cheval Blanc
This is a classic vintage showing considerable freshness and great balance. The growing season was slow, but finished up in glory thanks to an extraordinary Indian summer that accounted for impeccable grapes.
This is a classic vintage showing considerable freshness and great balance. The growing season was slow, but finished up in glory thanks to an extraordinary Indian summer that accounted for impeccable grapes.
Weather conditions and vine’s growing cycle
Temperatures and rainfall
Winter was mild with average rainfall. The beginning of the growth cycle was quite wet, with 173 mm of precipitation in May – some two and a half times the average amount. This rain was accompanied by very mild temperatures. However, a period of relatively dry weather lasted from mid-June to late July. Temperatures and rainfall in August were close to the monthly average. There were a few showers in early September, followed by an unusual spell of dry, very cool conditions from mid-September to mid-October which meant the grapes could be picked under very good conditions. The amount of sunshine was normal from April to September. 2008 was a cool year (sums of temperature lower than the 1995-2009 average) with average rainfall, but with a fine Indian summer.
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.. In 2008, the soil remained at its water storage capacity until mid-June. However, a slight water deficit set in during the month of July. This stabilised in August, before intensifying in late September. That having been said, the water deficit was not great in 2008.
Growing season
The growth cycle was slow, which made for gradual ripening. Thanks to an exceptional Indian summer and the good condition of the grapes, ripening could continue unabated. Bud break took place a few days later than average. Flowering took its time in the first week of June due to inclement weather. This would go on to account for small yields. There was a fairly sizeable gap between mid-véraison in Merlot (8th of August) and Cabernet Franc (14th of August). This discrepancy continued until the harvest, which was considerably spread out. Picking began with Merlot on the 30th of September and finished with the last plots of Cabernet Franc on the 17th of October. The harvest was interrupted on several occasions in order to pick each plot at optimum ripeness. This was the latest vintage at Cheval Blanc since 1988. The grapes were in remarkably fine condition.
| Phenological stage | Merlot 2008 |
Average 1994-2014 | Cabernet franc 2008 |
Average 1994-2014 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bud break | March, 27th | March, 28th | April, 3rd | April, 2nd |
| Flowering | June, 4th | May, 30th | June, 6th | June, 1st |
| Véraison | August, 8th | August, 2nd | August, 14th | August, 8th |
| Beginning of the Harvest | September, 30th | September, 19th | October, 6th | September, 27th |
| End of the Harvest | October, 5th | September, 27th | October, 17th | October, 5th |
| Number of days between… | ||||
| Bud break and Flowering | 70 days | 63 days | 64 days | 60 days |
| Flowering and Véraison | 65 days | 64 days | 69 days | 68 days |
| Véraison and Harvest | 53 days | 48 days | 53 days | 50 days |
The wet, warm weather in May caused a tremendous danger from mildew. Only very close observation and quick responsiveness avoided a massive deterioration of grapes at Cheval Blanc. However, there was little oidium this year. The cool, dry weather in the month preceding the harvest stopped grey rot from spreading.
Features of the vintage
Ripening and yields
Despite the difficult conditions early in the season, weather was favourable to good ripening. The water deficit in June was weak, but enough to slow down the development of vine shoots. This is a major factor in channelling vigour into producing sugar in the grapes rather than vegetative growth. Furthermore, the low degree of fertilisation during flowering limited yields to just 27 hectolitres per hectare. Despite the small potential crop, bunch thinning was done at mid-véraison to eliminate clusters that were behind and also to make ripening more homogeneous.
The combination of restricted vegetative growth starting in the latter part of July, an outstandingly fine Indian summer, and grapes in top condition led to a crop of rich fruit with rare balance and great aromatics. The size of the berries was slightly greater than average. Sugar content was the second highest in the previous decade, just behind 2005. The cool weather maintained good acidity, and the grapes were also rich in anthocyanins. Merlot was very in good quality (rich and complex), and the Cabernets Franc was exceptional. The overall potential was quite homogeneous and there was an obvious synergy between Merlot and Cabernet Franc.
| 2008 yields (hl/ha) | Average from 1996 to 2014 | |
| Merlot | 28.5 | 38.9 |
| Cabernet Franc | 26.4 | 34.2 |
Cellar work
Maceration lasted from 23 to 31 days depending on the lot.
2008 Petit Cheval was not at all chaptalised. Approximately 13% of the juice was bled off, and the wine was aged in 100% new oak barrels for 12 months.
Traditional fining with egg white was done in order to settle particles in suspension in barrel. Two egg whites per barrel were used. These were later eliminated by filtration.
Blending
The final blend contains a high percentage of Cabernet Franc.
Date of bottling : April 21th, 2010
| Degree of alcohol | 13.5 |
|---|---|
| Total acidity (g H2 S04/L) | 3.20 |
| Volatile acidity (g H2 SO4/L) | 0.43 |
| pH | 3.67 |
| Total SO2 (mg/L) | 81 |
| Reducing sugar content (g/L) | 2.8 |
| IPT (DO280) | 80 |
Tasting
This wine corresponds perfectly to the style of a second wine: classic, balanced, and very tasty.
The colour is a deep, attractive ruby-red.
The nose is bursting with red fruit aromas.
The wine starts out quite rich on the palate, going on to show great balance, freshness, and minerality. The tannic texture is very fine and there is a beautiful long aftertaste.
This second wine is enjoyable to drink as of now, but still has a long way to go.This wine corresponds perfectly to the style of a second wine: classic, balanced, and very tasty.
The colour is a deep, attractive ruby-red.
The nose is bursting with red fruit aromas.
The wine starts out quite rich on the palate, going on to show great balance, freshness, and minerality. The tannic texture is very fine and there is a beautiful long aftertaste.
This second wine is enjoyable to drink as of now, but still has a long way to go.