Chateau Cheval Blanc, St Emilion 1959
96 pts, 95 pts Stephen Tanzer The intense, generous nose displays hints of truffle and black pepper. This mythical Cheval Blanc is rich and full-bodied on the palate. It is also well-structured, with coffee, leather, and blackcurrant flavours - altogether unbelievably delicious, succulent, and long. Huge and incomparably rich, 1959 Cheval Blanc is complex, well-focused, and concentrated. A benchmark for the estate! Incidentally, Gaston Vaissiere, the old maitre de chai, always recommended tasting the 1959 immediately after opening, with no decanting, as he did not think that contact with the air was beneficial for this vintage. In 2011 at the Chateau, such incredible dimension and layers on the nose. Moroccan mint. Just absolutely fascinating - intellectual and challenging from a vocabulary point of view. Such AMAZING blackberry tastes. So mouth-enveloping and totally mouth-coating. Fabulous harmony of texture, fruit and ripe tannins. Finishes two hours later on a note of prune liqueur. This is one of the best wines Bordeaux has ever produced.