wine details
reviews
Jancis Robinson 16+60% Merlot, 33% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cabernet Franc. 13% of production. Cask sample. Dark-fruit aroma. Long and linear on the palate, the Cabernet Sauvignon marking the blend (first time this much in Petit Cheval). Crunchy fruit with a firm grain of tannin. Structure for a bit of age. 13% James Lawther MW
James Suckling 94-95
This is a very structured Petit Cheval, because of the higher than normal cabernet sauvignon in the blend. It seems more like Pauillac, with blackcurrants and chewy yet polished and intense tannins. It needs time. 60% merlot, 33% cabernet sauvignon and 7% cabernet franc.
Wine Advocate 89-91
Representing 13% of the estate's production (a further 18% was sold off in bulk), the 2021 Le Petit Cheval exhibits aromas of cherries, sweet berries, loamy soil, tobacco leaf and spices. Medium to full-bodied, lively and nicely concentrated, with powdery tannins and a saline finish, it's a blend of 60% Merlot, 33% Cabernet Sauvignon and 7% Cabernet Franc. William Kelley
Vinous 90-92
The 2021 Le Petit Cheval, which, according to Pierre Lurton, contains more Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend, has attractive iris flower and incense aromas on the nose, along with plenty of dark berry fruit and just a touch of crushed stone. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy black fruit on the entry, that Cabernet imparting a Médoc-like structure, and a strict, saline finish. I can see this aging well in bottle while waiting for the Grand Vin to reach its drinking plateau. Neal Martin
Parker 88-91
Representing 13% of the estate's production (a further 18% was sold off in bulk), the 2021 Le Petit Cheval exhibits aromas of cherries, sweet berries, loamy soil, tobacco leaf and spices. Medium to full-bodied, lively and nicely concentrated, with powdery tannins and a saline finish, it's a blend of 60% Merlot, 33% Cabernet Sauvignon and 7% Cabernet Franc.