Cheval Blanc stands on the boundary between Saint-Émilion and Pomerol, on gravel and clay that behaves more like the Médoc than like the rest of its own appellation. It plants an unusually high share of Cabernet Franc alongside Merlot, and that combination gives a wine which is silky and floral on the surface with real structure underneath. It is why the estate has sat at the very top of the Saint-Émilion classification for as long as the classification has existed.
In 1976 Cheval Blanc still belonged to the Fourcaud-Laussac family, who had held it since the nineteenth century. The vintage was a hot, dry one interrupted by September rain, and it made generous, early-maturing wines rather than monuments.
What has survived is a bottle of the most famous name in Saint-Émilion, from a year most people will never have the chance to taste.
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Producer: Château Cheval Blanc
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Vintage: 1976
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Appellation: Saint-Émilion AOC
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Format: 75cl
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Region: Bordeaux, France
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Style: Red
Where it is likely to be now. 1976 was not a keeping vintage, but Cheval Blanc has more depth than most of its peers, so a well-stored bottle may still be graceful — at fifty years old it is sold as a collectible without a guarantee of drinkability.
Who it suits. A serious fiftieth-birthday present for 1976, aimed at someone who knows enough about Bordeaux to understand what the name on the label means.
Condition. The merchant grades the bottle good, meaning the label, capsule and fill are sound and in keeping with a wine of this age.
Provenance. Bought to order from a professional European merchant. We check fill, label and capsule when the bottle reaches us and photograph it before it ships.
Delivered in 7 to 10 working days, tracked. Transit cover can be added at checkout.
Sold as a collectible item, as seen. No guarantee is given on drinkability.
