Chateau Cheval Blanc 1986

  • 94 Vinous
  • 93 Robert
    Parker
2016 Vintage In Stock
949 99
OFFER Take $20 off your order of $100+
Ships Tomorrow
1
Limit Reached
Alert me about new vintages and availability
Chateau Cheval Blanc  1986  Front Bottle Shot
Chateau Cheval Blanc  1986  Front Bottle Shot Chateau Cheval Blanc  1986  Front Label

Product Details


Varietal

Region

Producer

Vintage
1986

Size
750ML

ABV
12.5%

Features
Collectible

Your Rating

0.0 Not For Me NaN/NaN/N

Somm Note

Winemaker Notes

The 1986 vintage is atypical due to the high proportion of Cabernet Franc, which accounts for this variety’s two hallmarks: remarkably elegant aromatic intensity and considerable ageing potential. The medium deep colour is showing some bricking in keeping with its age. The intense, complex nose expresses all the refinement of Cabernet Franc, showing hints of ink, fruit in brandy, and mint. With aeration, the bouquet displays overtones of Virginia tobacco and cedar. However, the overriding olfactory component is blackberry. The wine starts off quite smooth and soft on the palate. The tannin is soft, ethereal, and extremely elegant. The aromatic profile is huge, encompassing Morello cherry jam and leather. Wonderfully fresh and with obvious finesse, the long aftertaste is reminiscent of caramel. 1986 Cheval Blanc is a great wine at its peak, but will easily stay on its plateau for several more years.

Professional Ratings

  • 94

    Finally, the 1986 Cheval Blanc, a vintage that I had not tasted for several years. This was not a renowned growing season for the Right Bank, but this Saint-Émilion bucks the trends to produce one of its most attractive wines. It has a gorgeous bouquet that you could lose yourself in with red berry fruit, quite tertiary at first, and scents of meat juices, fennel, juniper and wilted flowers. This is complex but also has the warmth I normally associate with the 1985s. The palate is medium-bodied with melted tannins, exquisite balance, light sous-bois and black truffle notes that infuse the dark berry fruit towards the persistent finish. It's like a less extravagant version of the 1985. It's probably at its peak now, though this bottle suggests it will drink well for many years.

  • 93
    Tasted at the château, the 1986 Cheval Blanc has a far superior bouquet to the 1996 Cheval Blanc when I tasted them side by side. The aromatics here are far more cohesive and complex, very delineated with expressive Cabernet Franc, hints of cooked meat, cranberry, juniper berries and wilted rose petals - just gorgeous. The palate is beautifully balanced with slightly furry tannin that is offset by a superb seam of acidity. It is nicely structured but not overbearing, leather and truffle filtering through the black fruit and while there is a little austerity on the finish, it is purely complementary. Though 1986 is not known as a Right Bank vintage, the 1986 Cheval Blanc pulled victory out of the bag and at 30 years, it continues to give immense pleasure. Tasted July 2016.

Other Vintages

2022
  • 100 James
    Suckling
  • 100 Decanter
  • 100 Vinous
  • 99 Robert
    Parker
  • 98 Jeb
    Dunnuck
2021
  • 98 Vinous
  • 98 James
    Suckling
  • 97 Robert
    Parker
  • 97 Wine
    Enthusiast
  • 96 Decanter
  • 96 Jeb
    Dunnuck
2020
  • 100 Jeb
    Dunnuck
  • 98 Decanter
  • 98 James
    Suckling
  • 97 Wine
    Enthusiast
  • 96 Wine
    Spectator
  • 96 Robert
    Parker
2019
  • 100 Robert
    Parker
  • 100 James
    Suckling
  • 99 Decanter
  • 97 Wine
    Spectator
2018
  • 100 Decanter
  • 99 James
    Suckling
  • 98 Jeb
    Dunnuck
  • 98 Robert
    Parker
  • 98 Wine
    Enthusiast
  • 97 Wine
    Spectator
2017
  • 97 James
    Suckling
  • 96 Wine
    Spectator
  • 96 Jeb
    Dunnuck
  • 96 Robert
    Parker
  • 96 Decanter
  • 95 Wine
    Enthusiast
2016
  • 100 Robert
    Parker
  • 99 James
    Suckling
  • 98 Decanter
  • 97 Wine
    Spectator
  • 97 Wine
    Enthusiast
  • 97 Jeb
    Dunnuck
2015
  • 100 Robert
    Parker
  • 100 Wine
    Enthusiast
  • 99 James
    Suckling
  • 98 Jeb
    Dunnuck
  • 98 Wine
    Spectator
  • 98 Decanter
2014
  • 97 Wine
    Spectator
  • 96 Wine
    Enthusiast
  • 96 Robert
    Parker
  • 96 James
    Suckling
  • 94 Jeb
    Dunnuck
2012
  • 96 Jeb
    Dunnuck
  • 95 Wine
    Spectator
  • 95 Wine
    Enthusiast
  • 94 James
    Suckling
  • 93 Robert
    Parker
2011
  • 96 Jeb
    Dunnuck
  • 95 Robert
    Parker
  • 94 Wine
    Spectator
  • 94 James
    Suckling
  • 92 Wine
    Enthusiast
2009
  • 100 Robert
    Parker
  • 100 Jeb
    Dunnuck
  • 99 James
    Suckling
  • 98 Wine
    Spectator
  • 98 Wine
    Enthusiast
2008
  • 97 Robert
    Parker
  • 95 Wine
    Enthusiast
  • 93 Wine
    Spectator
2006
  • 98 Wine
    Enthusiast
  • 97 Robert
    Parker
  • 95 Wine
    Spectator
  • 95 Wine &
    Spirits
2005
  • 100 Jeb
    Dunnuck
  • 100 Robert
    Parker
  • 98 James
    Suckling
  • 97 Wine
    Spectator
  • 97 Wine
    Enthusiast
  • 96 Wine &
    Spirits
2004
  • 97 Wine
    Enthusiast
  • 94 Wine
    Spectator
2003
  • 96 Wine
    Spectator
  • 93 Wine
    Enthusiast
  • 92 Robert
    Parker
2002
  • 92 Wine
    Spectator
  • 90 Robert
    Parker
2001
  • 95 Wine &
    Spirits
  • 93 Robert
    Parker
  • 92 Wine
    Spectator
2000
  • 99 Robert
    Parker
  • 98 Jeb
    Dunnuck
  • 97 Wine
    Enthusiast
  • 95 Wine &
    Spirits
  • 93 Wine
    Spectator
1999
  • 93 Robert
    Parker
1998
  • 100 Decanter
  • 100 Jeb
    Dunnuck
  • 98 Wine
    Spectator
  • 96 Robert
    Parker
  • 96 James
    Suckling
  • 95 Wine &
    Spirits
1996
  • 91 Wine
    Spectator
1995
  • 94 Wine
    Spectator
1990
  • 98 Robert
    Parker
  • 97 James
    Suckling
  • 93 Wine
    Spectator
1983
  • 97 Wine
    Spectator
1982
  • 99 Robert
    Parker
  • 97 James
    Suckling
  • 96 Wine
    Spectator
  • 94 Jeb
    Dunnuck
1979
  • 88 Wine
    Spectator
1953
  • 92 Wine
    Spectator
Chateau Cheval Blanc

Chateau Cheval Blanc

View all products
Chateau Cheval Blanc, France
Chateau Cheval Blanc Aerial View of Cheval Blanc Winery Image

The present-day Cheval Blanc vineyards had vines at least as far back as the 18th century, as shown by Belleyme's map of the region dated 1764. Nearly a century later, the estate was acquired by the Fourcaud-Laussac family who owned it until 1998, when it was sold to Mr Bernard Arnault and Baron Albert Frère.

The vineyard is in a single block, and borders on the Pomerol appellation. An outstanding terror and unusual proportions of Cabernet Franc and Merlot give this great wine an absolutely unique flavor. Chateau Cheval Blanc has had a greater number of outstanding vintages than any other classified great growth over the past century.

Another unusual characteristic of Cheval Blanc is that once it reaches its peak, it maintains it for a very long time. This admirable wine is powerful, soft, rich, round and silky. It has tremendous fruit and elegance as well as exceptional quality from year to year.

Image for Bordeaux Blends content section
View all products

One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.

Image for St-Émilion Wine Bordeaux, France content section

St-Émilion Wine

Bordeaux, France

View all products

Marked by its historic fortified village—perhaps the prettiest in all of Bordeaux, the St-Émilion appellation, along with its neighboring village of Pomerol, are leaders in quality on the Right Bank of Bordeaux. These Merlot-dominant red wines (complemented by various amounts of Cabernet Franc and/or Cabernet Sauvignon) remain some of the most admired and collected wines of the world.

St-Émilion has the longest history in wine production in Bordeaux—longer than the Left Bank—dating back to an 8th century monk named Saint Émilion who became a hermit in one of the many limestone caves scattered throughout the area.

Today St-Émilion is made up of hundreds of independent farmers dedicated to the same thing: growing Merlot and Cabernet Franc (and tiny amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon). While always roughly the same blend, the wines of St-Émilion vary considerably depending on the soil upon which they are grown—and the soils do vary considerably throughout the region.

The chateaux with the highest classification (Premier Grand Cru Classés) are on gravel-rich soils or steep, clay-limestone hillsides. There are only four given the highest rank, called Premier Grand Cru Classés A (Chateau Cheval Blanc, Ausone, Angélus, Pavie) and 14 are Premier Grand Cru Classés B. Much of the rest of the vineyards in the appellation are on flatter land where the soils are a mix of gravel, sand and alluvial matter.

Great wines from St-Émilion will be deep in color, and might have characteristics of blackberry liqueur, black raspberry, licorice, chocolate, grilled meat, earth or truffles. They will be bold, layered and lush.

JBL636315_1986 Item# 636315

Internet Explorer is no longer supported.
Please use a different browser like Edge, Chrome or Firefox to enjoy all that Wine.com has to offer.

It's easy to make the switch.
Enjoy better browsing and increased security.

Yes, Update Now

Search for ""