Weingut über:
Le Petit Cheval blanc
-- Weingut: For more than 10 years, Château Cheval Blanc has challenged itself to produce a great white wineon this small 6.6 hectares vineyard nested in the parcels of its elder. A genuine variation, in white, of the identity of Cheval Blanc, this wine is a blend of some 12 different plots, on sandy and clay soils, where 80% sauvignon blanc and 20% sémillon fit perfectly. The 2020 vintage starts with rather dry and mild January and February. March was very rainy in the first decade and surprisingly mild between 18th and 24th. April, May and June were mild and very rainy until June 20th. After this date and until August 12th the weather was extremely dry, more than 60 days without rain, and very hot with summer temperatures in excess regularly approaching 35 to 37 degrees. Ten days before picking, the temperatures dropped and the weather was cloudy. The final ripening of the grapes fortunately took place under fresher conditions, preserving the aromas of the wine. The first trimester saw above-normal temperatures, which led to the earliest budburst this young vineyard has ever seen, on March 19th for the Semillon and March 21st for the Sauvignon. Flowering and veraison were extremely rapid (1 week for flowering and 8 days for veraison) and very homogeneous. Water stress appeared in mid-July, remaining moderate until the harvest. The harvest, which was very early, took place from August 19th to 24th, with good health grapes. Slight leaf thinning in the rising sun homogenises the ripening process, and inhibits 'green varietal' notes, sometimes attributed to Sauvignon Blanc, giving rise to floral, fruity and mineral wines. At the end of pressing, the lightly settled grape musts ferment in demi-muids (600L), foudres (15hL) and wooden vats (15, 20, 25 and 30 hL). After vinification, the rhythm of stirring, initially on a daily basis, decreases, according to the team's tastings. The wines blended in February continue to age for 18 months. Then they are racked into vats, for massing, stabilisation, fining and clarification, and are finally bottled on 18 May 2022.A particularly successful vintage for Le Petit Cheval blanc, with bergamot, citrus, slightly grapefruit, fruity touches of pear, white flesh fruit. Freshness and a mineral note that probably comes from the ageing in large vessels. The nose is bright, fresh, precise and clean. The palate is vibrant, with a beautiful attack, freshness, tension, a relatively strong acidity, salinity and nice bitters that lengthen the mouth, and which compose with a beautiful volume, wide, creamy. A very nice balance for a wine that is already accessible, from its youngest age.
