Château Cheval Blanc
2009 was a warm and dry year but not to excess.
Wonderfully ripe grapes account for this very great vintage of Petit Cheval which is very intense and full of richness.
2009 was a warm and dry year but not to excess.
Wonderfully ripe grapes account for this very great vintage of Petit Cheval which is very intense and full of richness.
Weather conditions and vine’s growing cycle
Temperatures and rainfall
The beginning of the growing season, in April, was wet. However, summer was quite dry from mid-July to mid-September. After two days of rain on the 19th and 20th of September, a period of dry and remarkably stable weather set in and lasted until late October. Average temperatures throughout the growth cycle were slightly above-average. The months of June and August were fairly hot. Mild daytime weather in September alternated with remarkably cool nights.
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. There were periods with significant water deficit in 2009 even though the level of precipitation throughout the growing season was greater than average. Temperatures were fairly high (but not excessively so), gradually increasing the water deficit by causing major transpiration in the vines. Furthermore, a long dry period set in on the 10th of August, lasting until the 17th of September. There was a great deal of water stress early on in plots with gravelly soil, but this wsa later-occurring and more moderate in other types of soil. This water stress reduced the size of the berries and made for an early stop to vegetative growth – and thus an early start to ripening. It also blocked ripening in certain plots of young vines whose root system was insufficiently developed.
Growing season
Bud break took place in the last week in March for Merlot and early April for Cabernet Franc. This was slightly later than usual. However, the vines made up for the delay by the time flowering occurred. Véraison took place in the first week of August. The first plots of Merlot were picked on the 15th of September, and Cabernet Franc was harvested between 28th of September and the 7th of October.
Variable weather early in the season called for careful attention to fight an outbreak of mildew. The attack receded when dry weather came in July. Water stress slowed down vegetative growth and limited the size of the grapes: two essential factors for a great vintage. Bunch thinning during véraison (colour change) helped to even out ripening. The grapes were picked in fine, nearly perfect condition. The beautiful, very stable weather during the harvest (15th of September to the 7th of October) meant that fruit in every plot was at just the right degree of ripeness, without a trace of grey rot.
| Phenological stage | Merlot 2009 |
Average 1994-2014 | Cabernet franc 2009 |
Average 1994-2014 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bud break | March, 31st | March, 28th | April, 4th | April, 2nd |
| Flowering | May, 30th | May, 30th | June, 1st | June, 1st |
| Véraison | August, 1st | August, 2nd | August, 6th | August, 8th |
| Beginning of the Harvest | September, 15th | September, 19th | September, 28th | September, 27th |
| End of the Harvest | October, 2nd | September, 27th | October, 7th | October, 5th |
| Number of days between… | ||||
| Bud break and Flowering | 60 days | 63 days | 58 days | 60 days |
| Flowering and Véraison | 63 days | 64 days | 67 days | 68 days |
| Véraison and Harvest | 46 days | 48 days | 53 days | 50 days |
Features of the vintage
Ripening and yields
The long dry spell in July and August was important in concentrating the grapes and also led to slightly lower-than-average yields. Mild temperatures in August and September were very conducive to good ripening, while cool evenings in September locked in freshness and aromatics. The combination of these three factors resulted in a great vintage. When it came time to pick, the grapes were very sweet, with low acid – a sign of complete ripeness. Anthocyanin content was especially high, indicative of superlative tannins and wines with great ageing potential.
| 2009 yields (hl/ha) | Average from 1996 to 2014 | |
| Merlot | 37.8 | 38.9 |
| Cabernet Franc | 32.8 | 34.2 |
Cellar work
2009 Petit Cheval was not at all chaptalised. Approximately 3% 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 eggs were used per barrel, then the wine was filtered.
Blending
The final blend contains a high percentage of Cabernet Franc.
| Degree of alcohol | 14 |
|---|---|
| Total acidity (g H2 S04/L) | 2.90 |
| Volatile acidity (g H2 SO4/L) | 0.46 |
| pH | 3.80 |
| Total SO2 (mg/L) | 110 |
| Reducing sugar conten(g/L) | 1.9 |
| IPT (DO280) | 75 |
Tasting
This was a hot year in which the grapes reached a perfect degree of ripeness. The resulting wine is thus dark-coloured, smooth, deep, and intense.
2009 Petit Cheval has an intense nose of very ripe black fruit with spicy nuances. It is quite fresh with marked floral overtones. The oak is apparent at this stage and there is also a subtle menthol note.
This second wine is powerful, rich, and delicious on the palate. Its considerable tannin is made gracious by a silky texture and considerable freshness. The very long aftertaste is definitely that of a great wine.This was a hot year in which the grapes reached a perfect degree of ripeness. The resulting wine is thus dark-coloured, smooth, deep, and intense.
2009 Petit Cheval has an intense nose of very ripe black fruit with spicy nuances. It is quite fresh with marked floral overtones. The oak is apparent at this stage and there is also a subtle menthol note.
This second wine is powerful, rich, and delicious on the palate. Its considerable tannin is made gracious by a silky texture and considerable freshness. The very long aftertaste is definitely that of a great wine.