1990 Chateau Cheval Blanc Premier Grand Cru Classe A, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru 1x750ml

Vinous 99

The 1990 Cheval Blanc flirts with perfection, this perhaps the best bottle that I have drunk. Incredible delineation on the nose, pixelated red fruit so vibrant and poised, with underlying hints of pencil box and forest floor. This just blossoms in the glass. The palate is very complex and refined, perfectly poised, layers of graphite-infused black fruit that impart a Médoc-like personality, yet few have this degree of decadence on the finish. It won over a table of hardnosed seasoned wine-lovers – just a brilliant Cheval Blanc at the very peak of its powers. Tasted single blind at the 1990 Bordeaux dinner at Medlar. [Neal Martin, 12/01/2025]

Anticipated maturity: 2025-2055

Robert Parker 98

After entering what seemed like a slight dip, the 1990 Cheval Bland is rapidly assuming the mantle of that era’s greatest wine from the hands of the 1982. Here it’s just on fire, racing out of the blocks with its hedonistic bouquet of macerated dark cherries, sloes, game and iodine all beautifully defined and indeed, reminding me of the 1982 around the later nineties. The palate is velvet smooth, the acidity cutting through the swathe of lush black and red fruit, the merlot more expressive at this precise moment. Showy and yet refined, there is a completeness to this wine that is irresistible. Tasted February 2014. [Neal Martin, 02/01/2014]