Gorgeous perfume on the nose, delicate but expressive blackcurrants and black cherries, has a real dark side to it but lifted by the perfume. Great acidity from the start, bright and vibrant with a cool and fresh mid palate. This feels quite charming and confident without being too confident. Round and smooth with mouthwatering acidity and lovely bright fruits but at the same time the texture is so soft and comforting. It feels like a cooler baby brother to the grand vin, one who has an effortless style. Brilliant. There are no specific plots of Petit Cheval so all the plots in this 2019 were in the grand vin in 2018, so there is 'zero consistency in terms of quantity, commercialisation and proportion' for Petit Cheval says technical director Pierre Olivier Clouet. At only 5.5% production, this is the rarest of the Cheval wines. A blend of 56% Merlot and 44% Cabernet Franc.

This is so floral and beautiful with roses, violets and some lavender. Spices and stems, too. Medium-bodied, firm and bright with compact density to the wine. Beautiful tannins. This is extremely structured. Second wine of Cheval Blanc. 56% merlot and 44% cabernet franc.

The 2019 Petit Cheval is a stunning second wine - if it can even be called that. In 2019, Petit Cheval is a blend of four parcels that were in the Grand Vin in 2018. Dark, supple and expressive, the 2019 offers up an exotic melange of black cherry, spice, new leather and graphite, all of which build effortlessly in the glass. The Petit represents 5.5% of the chateau's production in 2019, but it is more of a second selection, as 12% of the wine that year was sold in bulk.

Exhibiting aromas of plums, sweet wild berries, rose petals, spices and cigar wrapper, the 2019 Le Petit Cheval is medium to full-bodied, velvety and seamless, with supple tannins and succulent acids. Pierre-Olivier Clouet explains that his aspiration is to produce 100% Cheval Blanc and that, as a result, this cuvee simply represents anything that doesn't belong in the grand vin's blend. Of course, however, it shares some of the latter's DNA.

While Merlot is almost equal with Cabernet Franc in the blend, this second wine of Cheval Blanc, has plenty of structure. At the same time, it has beautifully opulent fruit and ripe blackberry flavors. It will age well over the medium-term.

Dark and alluring, showing alder, espresso, steeped black currant and blackberry compote flavors that all cruise along, inlaid with notes of warm ganache and humus. On the hefty side but has breed and class. Merlot and Cabernet Franc.