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 Medoc-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, 01/12/2025]

Anticipated maturity: 2025-2055

Robert Parker 98

The 1990 Cheval Blanc is fast becoming my favorite modern-day vintage of this Saint Emilion estate and perhaps the 1990 is now exiting the slip-steam of the feted 1982. This is unequivocally a brilliant wine. The nose holds nothing back, a line of senses all doing the conga towards your olfactory senses: macerated dark cherries, exotic kirsch-like aromas, leather, mahogany bureau, touches of creme de cassis and herbs all vie for attention. The palate is full-bodied and cloaked in a silky, velvety texture that leaves you a little ga-ga. There is so much fruit ram-packed into the bravura of a finish. Moreover, there’s just so much joie-de-vivre and decadence in this wine, but it never seems overpowering or ostentatious. This bottle came from perfect provenance, as it was served blind by winemaker Pierre Lurton at a private dinner hosted by a mutual friend in Bordeaux. Tasted March 2016. [Neal Martin, 28/09/2017]

Anticipated maturity: 2016-2045