 Château Cheval Blanc's 37 hectares are situated on the Saint-Émilion/Pomerol border.
Cheval Blanc is one of only two Saint-Émilion châteaux to be classified as 1er Grand Cru Classé (A) – the district’s highest appellation – and is currently under the stewardship of Pierre Lurton, one of Bordeaux's most talented winemakers. Unusually, the wine comprises two-thirds Cabernet Franc, giving it its trademark structure, deep colour and powerful bouquet.
Cheval Blanc's vines are treated naturally, with no herbicides and natural fertiliser, and the produce from three vineyard plots is vinified separately to preserve the highly distinctive character of each terroir: 40% being gravel over clay, 40% deep gravel with the remainder being sand over clay, which is particularly well suited to Cabernet Franc, for which Cheval Blanc is famed.
Cheval Blanc was once part of the Figeac estate, but became a separate entity when President Ducasse bought it in 1830, who built the charming château in the style of a summer villa. Gradually more land was acquired and managed by Ducasse’s son-in-law, Jean Laussac-Fourcaud, and passed through his family until 1988 when it was sold to Bernard Arnault and Albert Frere who appointed Pierre Lurton as Director in 1991. |
