Description
1948 red wine for sale – Château Cheval Blanc 1948 from award-winning Arden Fine Wines in London.
Contact us here with any queries.
Ancient texts from as far back as the 15th century provide evidence of the cultivation of vines at Cheval Blanc.
Jean-Jacques Ducasse, president of the Tribunal Court of Libourne, purchased the heart of the domain in 1832.
This marked the beginning of Cheval Blanc’s prestigious career.
Over the next 20 years, successive acquisitions of plots of land from Château Figeac formed Cheval Blanc’s 39-hectare domain.
The estate is practically identical today.
Then in 1862, Cheval Blanc won its first medal at the Universal Exhibition of London.
This first bronze medal still adorns Cheval Blanc’s labels today.
Subsequently, in 1878 the Château won its first gold medal at the Universal Exhibition of Paris.
This medal is also still featured on the wine label.
When the first classification of Saint-Emilion wines came out in 1954, Cheval Blanc received the ultimate recognition as Premier Grand Cru Classé A.
When Jean Laussac-Fourcaud died in 1888, his widow inherited the domain.
She passed it down to her son Albert, who changed the family name.
Albert Fourcaud-Laussac continued his father’s work.
For example, he installed 12 wooden vats that remained in use until 1966.
The family owned the château until 1998, when Bernard Arnault and Albert Frère bought it.
The late Clive Coates MW described Chateau Cheval Blanc as “the only great wine in the world made predominantly from Cabernet Franc.”
The Chateau Cheval Blanc vineyard is considered to have three qualities:
- one third Pomerol as it is located on the boundary
- one third Graves as the soil is gravelly
- and the remaining third typical Saint-Émilion
1948 red wine for sale – Château Cheval Blanc 1948
Château Cheval Blanc 1948 is a very good year marked by a drought conditions.
The wine is atypical because it is very tannic – which is relatively rare for Cheval Blanc.
The harvest began on 27th September 1948 after an extremely dry growing season that accounts for this beautiful vintage. The heat led to small, thick-skinned grapes with ink-black juice.
1948 Château Cheval Blanc was very tannic when young and difficult to taste because of its 13.5% alcohol.
One of the leading brokers in Bordeaux criticised the wine harshly, saying it reflected none of Cheval Blanc’s usual smoothness and outgoing character.
The former owner, Claude Fourcaud-Laussac, said of this wine when he tasted it in 1989: “This teenager still has a great many years ahead of it”.
Indeed, the tannin of 1948 Château Cheval Blanc has ensured a phenomenally long life.
Although the aftertaste is not especially long, the wine’s tannic texture is tighter than other vintages of Cheval Blanc.
You can find this 1948 red wine for sale at award-winning Arden Fine Wines in London.
