Chateau Cheval Blanc 1er Grand Cru Classe A 1995

When Jean Laussac-Fourcaud replanted the estate in the 1860s with Cabernet Franc as the structural backbone — locally called 'Bouchet' — the decision was considered audacious on a Right Bank dominated by Merlot. That single choice defines every bottle of Cheval Blanc produced since, and the 1995 is no exception.

The 42-hectare estate sits at Saint-Émilion's north-western boundary, pressing directly against Pomerol, on quaternary alluvium deposited by the Isle river — non-calcareous soils that share nothing with the limestone plateau typical of Saint-Émilion. Roughly 40% of the vineyard sits on deep gravel over blue clay, where the oldest Cabernet Franc vines (some planted 1920) concentrate the estate's most structured fruit. That clay subsoil moderates the slightly warmer, more precocious microclimate, preserving tension through the growing season.

Each of the 56 plots was vinified separately in temperature-controlled concrete vats sized to individual plot tonnage, filled by gravity to two-thirds capacity. The Grand Vin then aged 16–18 months in 100% new French oak — 225 L barriques sourced exclusively from Tronçais (Allier) and Bercé (Sarthe) forests, 180–350-year-old trees, every barrel replaced each vintage — held at a constant 14°C, racked manually through the bung hole using nitrogen gas to prevent oxidation.

What no peer replicates: Cheval Blanc is the only First Growth-equivalent on the Right Bank where Cabernet Franc, not Merlot, anchors the blend — a structural inversion that produces violet-driven perfume and silky tannin architecture rather than Pomerol's plush weight.

The 1995 Bordeaux vintage delivered a warm, dry summer with concentrated, structured wines built for long aging; at 30 years, this bottle is entering its mature drinking window, with the Cabernet Franc's characteristic freshness acting as a counterweight to the new-oak integration.