The White Horse of Saint-Émilion: Cheval Blanc’s Reign Beyond the Classification

On the Right Bank of Bordeaux, Cheval Blanc proves that greatness grows beyond the 1855 classification.

WWMD – What would Margaret drink? Margaret Pearman is a certified sommelier under the Court of Master Sommeliers and curates the award-winning wine list at Charlie’s Coastal Bistro. Here is her sipping suggestion for May:

In the world of wine there are a handful of bottles I would consider the holy grail. These are the wines we all wish we could say we’ve tried — and if we’ve had the pleasure of comparing multiple vintages, that’s just an even bigger feather in our cap. Among them are Latour, Margaux, Mouton Rothschild, Haut-Brion, Lafite, Petrus and Romanée-Conti. Most of these wines are Cabernet-based Premiers Crus Classés from the Left Bank of Bordeaux. Perhaps the classification of 1855 placed these names on a pedestal just a bit too high. Nowhere else in the world has there been such a monumental coining of status. Moreover, the designation has only been adjusted once — to move Mouton Rothschild into the special club of five in 1973.

On the other side of the river, in Saint-Émilion (Right Bank), sits a less conspicuous great: Le Cheval Blanc, or White Horse. It is a unique blend of mostly Cabernet Franc and Merlot. Perhaps you remember the scene in Sideways when Miles drinks his prized ’61 from a Styrofoam cup, representing the utter defeat he has experienced. The domaine has been planted to vine for over 2,000 years. The Romans saw the potential of the region — as evidenced by the remaining aqueducts — which proves this land was recognized early on for its promise. Over the last 150 years, the winery has changed hands only once.

But why Cheval Blanc? The story goes that Louis XIV rode a white horse to an inn called Auberge du Cheval, though this cannot be confirmed. I believe it has more to do with the magical soil that makes up the domaine. Saint-Émilion is a unique “hill of a thousand châteaux.” Properties situated on the hillsides are revered as more prestigious than those on the plateau. Even though Cheval Blanc is located on the plateau, it rests on a rare island of Quaternary alluvium and possesses the same soil composition as the famed Petrus of Pomerol — a blend of gravel, clay and sand. The white horse symbolizes purity, nobility, divinity and strength — all qualities that define this one-of-a-kind wine.