Chateau Cheval Blanc, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru 2007

There is plumpness to the black fruit that gives beautiful impact on the attack, and here it combines with a tightening of the tannins from the mid-palate onwards. A deep richness to the texture tells you this is a complex and supremely confident wine.

Tasted at BI Wine & Spirits' 10-Years-On tasting, the 2007 Cheval Blanc has a refined bouquet with scents of red berry fruit, leather, iron filing and orange rind, perhaps a little more advanced than some of its Saint Emilion peers, but still attractive. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannin on the entry. This is a stocky Cheval Blanc, with the Cabernet Franc component really forming the backbone to this wine, imparting bell pepper and spice box notes towards the grippy finish. I think it might have peaked a couple of years ago, so drink now and over the next 15 years. Tasted February 2017.

Bright red-ruby. Perfumed aromas of violet, licorice and smoke. Like liquid silk in the mouth, with captivating inner-mouth perfume of berries, smoky oak and flowers. The broad, dusty tannins reach the front teeth. Doesn't possess the force or dimension of a great vintage but offers the advantage of early sweetness. Not particularly backward today, but there's more to come.