Château CHEVAL BLANC
Non-classified wine

See the data sheet

The 2022 vintage in the press:

J-M Quarin (February 2025): 98/100 "Pale yellow colour. Brilliant. Intense, fine, fruity and subtle nose. Complex nuances of white fruit, exotic fruit, warm butter, flowers, apple and verbena. Remains very fine when the glass is shaken. Meticulous texture from the moment it enters the mouth, developing immediately into an airy body. Fine fatness runs across the palate. The wine evolves juicy, delicate and yet powerful in the final third, with a nuanced return of the roast. But the most important thing is the strong sapidity of the finish. It testifies to this vintage's ability to temper the sensations inferred by the extremes of the climate. "

Vinous (N. Martin - March 2025): 98/100 "The 2022 Yquem is a blend of 80% Sémillon and 20% Sauvignon Blanc with 160 g/L residual sugar and a total acidity of 5.39 g/L. It is the first certified organic vintage for the estate and has the lowest level of total sulphur ever: 234 g/L. [...] Given the high level of residual sugar, what is surprising is that the 2022 does not seem a weighty or texturally unctuous Yquem, yet there is an intensity and concentration that is arresting. Vivid flavours of clementine, wild honey, quince and tangerine that effortlessly combine. The acidity almost nonchalantly counters the sensation of residual sugar, so it feels less than it actually is, the scintilla of salinity toward the finish tempting you back for more. This is a marvellous and quite cerebral Yquem for which patience is required."

See the data sheet

The 2022 vintage in the press:

J-M Quarin (February 2025): 98/100 "Pale yellow colour. Brilliant. Intense, fine, fruity and subtle nose. Complex nuances of white fruit, exotic fruit, warm butter, flowers, apple and verbena. Remains very fine when the glass is shaken. Meticulous texture from the moment it enters the mouth, developing immediately into an airy body. Fine fatness runs across the palate. The wine evolves juicy, delicate and yet powerful in the final third, with a nuanced return of the roast. But the most important thing is the strong sapidity of the finish. It testifies to this vintage's ability to temper the sensations inferred by the extremes of the climate. On paper, this is the richest Yquem in residual sugar (160 gr/l) since 1945."

Vinous (N. Martin - March 2025): 98/100 "The 2022 Yquem is a blend of 80% Sémillon and 20% Sauvignon Blanc with 160 g/L residual sugar and a total acidity of 5.39 g/L. It is the first certified organic vintage for the estate and has the lowest level of total sulphur ever: 234 g/L. [...] Given the high level of residual sugar, what is surprising is that the 2022 does not seem a weighty or texturally unctuous Yquem, yet there is an intensity and concentration that is arresting. Vivid flavours of clementine, wild honey, quince and tangerine that effortlessly combine. The acidity almost nonchalantly counters the sensation of residual sugar, so it feels less than it actually is, the scintilla of salinity toward the finish tempting you back for more. This is a marvellous and quite cerebral Yquem for which patience is required."

See the data sheet

The 2022 vintage in the press:

J-M Quarin (February 2025): 98/100 "Pale yellow colour. Brilliant. Intense, fine, fruity and subtle nose. Complex nuances of white fruit, exotic fruit, warm butter, flowers, apple and verbena. Remains very fine when the glass is shaken. Meticulous texture from the moment it enters the mouth, developing immediately into an airy body. Fine fatness runs across the palate. The wine evolves juicy, delicate and yet powerful in the final third, with a nuanced return of the roast. But the most important thing is the strong sapidity of the finish. It testifies to this vintage's ability to temper the sensations inferred by the extremes of the climate. On paper, this is the richest Yquem in residual sugar (160 gr/l) since 1945."

Vinous (N. Martin - March 2025): 98/100 "The 2022 Yquem is a blend of 80% Sémillon and 20% Sauvignon Blanc with 160 g/L residual sugar and a total acidity of 5.39 g/L. It is the first certified organic vintage for the estate and has the lowest level of total sulphur ever: 234 g/L. [...] Given the high level of residual sugar, what is surprising is that the 2022 does not seem a weighty or texturally unctuous Yquem, yet there is an intensity and concentration that is arresting. Vivid flavours of clementine, wild honey, quince and tangerine that effortlessly combine. The acidity almost nonchalantly counters the sensation of residual sugar, so it feels less than it actually is, the scintilla of salinity toward the finish tempting you back for more. This is a marvellous and quite cerebral Yquem for which patience is required."

See the data sheet

The 2021 vintage in the press:

La Revue du Vin de France (Guide 2025): 97/100 “An ample and coherent touch, with sinuous acidity, present without ever being dominant. It's not an imposing Yquem, but its immediately classic elegance and early availability are remarkable.”

Hachette (Guide 2025) : Coup de coeur ♥ « Ample and energetic from the attack, the material takes its ease in a voluptuous mouth, unctuous and caressing, more floral in its expression, supported in filigree by a hell of a freshness that stretches and illuminates the fruit in a saline and bittersweet finish. An emotional jury described it as a monument of elegance and purity. Great art. »

J-M Quarin (February 2024): 97/100 “Delicate vanilla touch when the glass is shaken. Magic on the palate! This is a white wine before being a sweet white wine. Ultra-noble texture. Distinguished aromas. Beautiful relief from the middle to the finish. Great length. Unbeatable!”

Vinous (N. Martin - January 2024): 96/100 “Slightly burnished in hue, it has a very attractive bouquet with scents of dried quince, clementine, linseed and subtle candle wax, perhaps more discrete than usual, but certainly fresh and vibrant. The palate is medium-bodied and viscous on the entry, a Yquem with perhaps a lighter chassis challenging season. It opens wonderfully in the glass, gaining more frangipane and kaki fruit scents, though it seems to have a lighter and more tensile finish than the 2020 or 2019. As such, I suspect that it will be comparatively approachable and, of course, delicious.”

See the data sheet

The 2021 vintage in the press:

La Revue du Vin de France (Guide 2025): 97/100 “An ample and coherent touch, with sinuous acidity, present without ever being dominant. It's not an imposing Yquem, but its immediately classic elegance and early availability are remarkable.”

Hachette (Guide 2025): Coup de coeur ♥ “Ample and energetic from the attack, the material takes its ease in a voluptuous mouth, unctuous and caressing, more floral in its expression, supported in filigree by a hell of a freshness that stretches and illuminates the fruit in a saline and bittersweet finish. An emotional jury described it as a monument of elegance and purity. Great art."

J-M Quarin (February 2024): 97/100 “Delicate vanilla touch when the glass is shaken. Magic on the palate! This is a white wine before being a sweet white wine. Ultra-noble texture. Distinguished aromas. Beautiful relief from the middle to the finish. Great length. Unbeatable! "

See the data sheet

The 2020 vintage in the press:

La Revue du Vin de France (Guide 2025): 97/100 “Magnificent length and lush glycerol, in a less botrytized vein but already capable of giving great emotions.”

Coup de ♥ du Guide Hachette 2024 “a particularly expressive, very floral and fruity (exotic fruit, citrus, peach, apricot, fresh almond...)”

La Revue du Vin de France (December 2023): 98/100 “Its sumptuous perfume evokes tangerine. It coats the palate with a sensation of tangy candy. Suave yet weightless, it is balanced by a melted breeding that carries it through to length.”

Bettane et Desseauve (Guide 2024): 97/100

Vinous (N.Martin - January 2024): 94+/100 “The 2020 Yquem has a slightly more Germanic nose than its peers, with a touch of petrol behind the veneer of dried honey, apricot and saffron. The palate is well balanced, with juste a little oak to be subsumed. It's very poised. Well-judged acidity drives through the harmonious finish. Give th three or four years in bottle for that wood to be assimilated, and you will have a sophisticated Sauternes on your hands ( and a score in line with the one tasted at the estate in 2023).”

See the data sheet

The 2020 vintage in the press:

La Revue du Vin de France (Guide 2025): 97/100 “Magnificent length and lush glycerol, in a less botrytized vein but already capable of giving great emotions.”

Coup de ♥ du Guide Hachette 2024 “a particularly expressive, very floral and fruity (exotic fruit, citrus, peach, apricot, fresh almond...)”

La Revue du Vin de France (December 2023): 98/100 “Its sumptuous perfume evokes tangerine. It coats the palate with a sensation of tangy candy. Suave yet weightless, it is balanced by a melted breeding that carries it through to length.”

Bettane et Desseauve (Guide 2024): 97/100

Vinous (N.Martin - January 2024): 94+/100 “The 2020 Yquem has a slightly more Germanic nose than its peers, with a touch of petrol behind the veneer of dried honey, apricot and saffron. The palate is well balanced, with juste a little oak to be subsumed. It's very poised. Well-judged acidity drives through the harmonious finish. Give th three or four years in bottle for that wood to be assimilated, and you will have a sophisticated Sauternes on your hands ( and a score in line with the one tasted at the estate in 2023).”

See the data sheet 

The 2016 vintage in the press:

J-M Quarin (September 2023): 98/100 “Pale color, with green highlights. Intense, fine, subtle, noble and complex nose. Immediately refined texture and feel on the palate. Full-bodied, airy, nuanced yet profound. Very long, slightly tannic finish. It's wonderful."

Vinous (N. Martin - February 2022): 95/100 "The 2016 Yquem was picked from 27 September until 4 November after drought-like conditions in the summer. It has an attractive nose with white chocolate, chamomile and Chinese white tea infusing the honeyed fruit. Very well defined and focused with cohesion than previous bottles. The palate is medium-bodied with a viscous opening that demonstrates a little more weight than the 2015, a fine bead of acidity and touches of ginger and lemongrass enlivening the finish. I feel this has gained a bit more complexity in recent years."

Hachette (Guide 2021): 100/100 “The 2016 has left behind the viennoiserie notes of its youth to refocus on tastes of citron and tangerine. Its power settles confidently into pure fruit, nourished by a fleshy liqueur, which lends masterly balance to this vintage, which is also at the top.”

The 2016 vintage in the press:

J-M Quarin (September 2023): 98/100 “Pale color, with green highlights. Intense, fine, subtle, noble and complex nose. Immediately refined texture and feel on the palate. Full-bodied, airy, nuanced yet profound. Very long, slightly tannic finish. It's wonderful."

Vinous (N. Martin - February 2022): 95/100 "The 2016 Yquem was picked from 27 September until 4 November after drought-like conditions in the summer. It has an attractive nose with white chocolate, chamomile and Chinese white tea infusing the honeyed fruit. Very well defined and focused with cohesion than previous bottles. The palate is medium-bodied with a viscous opening that demonstrates a little more weight than the 2015, a fine bead of acidity and touches of ginger and lemongrass enlivening the finish. I feel this has gained a bit more complexity in recent years."

Hachette (Guide 2021): 100/100 “The 2016 has left behind the viennoiserie notes of its youth to refocus on tastes of citron and tangerine. Its power settles confidently into pure fruit, nourished by a fleshy liqueur, which lends masterly balance to this vintage, which is also at the top.”

The 2014 vintage in the press:

Vinous (N. Martin - February 2024): 95+/100 “The 2014 Yquem has a potent nose with yellow plum, tangerine, peach and honey, exuberant and with plenty of botrytis. There is a real presence in this wine. The palate is well balanced with an unctuous entry and a keen thread of acidity, effervescent with blood orange, white peaches and pineapple toward the finish. Very persistent in the mouth, this is clearly an excellent Sauternes that consantly improves in the glass.”

Hachette (Guide 2019): 100/100 “The 2014 distinguished itself with legendary depth and freshness.”

The 2013 vintage in the press:

Hachette (Guide 2018): 98/100 “With the 2013 we also find a superb wine, starting with a perfume of orange marmalade and a generous note of fresh pineapple.”

Vinous (N. Martin - May 2023): 92/100 “The 2013 Yquem is consistent with previous encounters. It has a fresh nose thanks to the contribution of the 30% Sauvignon Blanc, not as complex as other vintages, yet delineated with lemon rind and lychee hints bubbling up with time in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with a keen line of acidity, pure and beautifully integrated with the oak, yet missing the complexity of a top-flight Yquem.”

The 2011 vintage in the press:

Vinous (N. Martin - September 2021): 95/100 "The 2011 Château d'Yquem has a powerful and well defined bouquet, very pure with honey, barley sugar and quince. The palate is well balanced with a fine bead of acidity that cuts through the concentrated botrytised fruit. Very persistent and quite rich on the finish, this is decadent and rather gorgeous. Long-term."

Hachette (Guide 2016): 99/100 “The 2011 is also an absolute model of the refinement this vintage can achieve.”

The 2011 vintage in the press:

Vinous (N. Martin - September 2021): 95/100 "The 2011 Château d'Yquem has a powerful and well defined bouquet, very pure with honey, barley sugar and quince. The palate is well balanced with a fine bead of acidity that cuts through the concentrated botrytised fruit. Very persistent and quite rich on the finish, this is decadent and rather gorgeous. Long-term."

Hachette (Guide 2016): 99/100 “The 2011 is also an absolute model of the refinement this vintage can achieve.”

The 2010 vintage in the press:

La Revue du Vin de France (December 2023): 99/100 “Marked by a hint of evolution, the 2010 is between wax and honey. A real ball of fruit, this late vintage is still in the thickness of its liquor despite a long, fine muscle. To be forgotten in the cellar”.

Vinous (N. Martin - February 2020): 94/100 "The 2010 Yquem has an attractive bouquet with marmelade, caramelized pear, orange pith and light puff pastry nates. It just needs a little more delineation. The palate is very well balanced with a fine bead of acidity, lightly spiced and impressive focus. Like the aromatics, I would have just liked a little more precision on the finish."

Hachette (Guide 2013): 97/100 “The 2010 perfectly illustrates the classicism of the vintage.”

The 2010 vintage in the press:

La Revue du Vin de France (December 2023): 99/100 “Marked by a hint of evolution, the 2010 is between wax and honey. A real ball of fruit, this late vintage is still in the thickness of its liquor despite a long, fine muscle. To be forgotten in the cellar”.

Vinous (N. Martin - February 2020): 94/100 "The 2010 Yquem has an attractive bouquet with marmelade, caramelized pear, orange pith and light puff pastry nates. It just needs a little more delineation. The palate is very well balanced with a fine bead of acidity, lightly spiced and impressive focus. Like the aromatics, I would have just liked a little more precision on the finish."

Hachette (Guide 2013): 97/100 “The 2010 perfectly illustrates the classicism of the vintage.”

The 2016 vintage in the press:

Vinous (N. Martin - August 2020): 98/100 “The 2016 Cheval Blanc has an exquisite bouquet of pixelated black and red fruit, crushed stone, violets and seamlessly integrated new oak ; this is utterly seductive. The medium-bodied palate reveals a hint of marmelade on the entry. Powerful and dense, this is an impressive, almost heady nascent wine with plenty of grip and sinew toward the finish. Maybe it lacks that crystalline detail at the moment, but it is clearly a long-term proposition.”

J-M Quarin (February 2019): 99/100 “Dark, intense, deep and beautiful color. Very original nose, very aromatic, fine, fruity, pure, complex and noble. Deep, lively and truffled. Soft on the attack, suave in development, melting and rich in the mid-palate, the wine is complex, juicy, noble, tasty and fat. It evolves on fine tannins, towards a grand finale that enthrals with its delicate grain and precise aromas. This is Cheval Blanc through and through!"

The 2015 vintage in the press:

J-M Quarin (February 2020): 99/100 “Nuances of ripe fruit combined with the delicacy of violets. Refined from the entry on the palate, juicy in the middle, particularly aromatic and complex, with a lot of brightness in the flavor, the wine evolves long, juicy, on a meticulous tannic texture and a very noble flavor. It's unputdownable."

Vinous (N. Martin - January 2019): 96+/100 "The 2015 Cheval Blanc has an intense bouquet of red and black fruit but lacks the precision and detail of some of its peers at present. It gradually unfurls to reveal light graphite/pencil box aromas, along with a touch of sous-bois indicative of healthy percentage of Cabernet Franc. The fresh, vibrant palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, crisp acidity and a slightly closed, reticent finish, suggesting that it is saving more for later."

The 2014 vintage in the press:

Vinous (N. Martin - February 2024): 95/100 “The Cheval Blanc 2014 has an almost Left Bank-inspired bouquet, scents of tarry black fruits, tobacco and undergrowth that unfold in the glass, but not as ‘immediate’ as the Canon. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, fleshy, very well balanced and nuanced with one of the few finishes I'd describe as “precise” that invite you back for the next sip. Excellent.”