1994 Chateau Cheval Blanc, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru

Good medium color, less saturated than the '95. Pungent, vibrant aromas of sappy berries and resiny oak, with an intriguing floral nuance. At once thick and polished on the palate, with an herbal, peppery complexity. Very long, subtle aftertaste, with some vanillin oak and a slight tannic edge. Not quite as ripe or seamless as the '95, but a very classy, intensely flavored wine that should put on weight in bottle.

The 1994 Cheval Blanc is a vintage that I have not tasted for many years. It was a year that saw a large yield for Merlot but less for Cabernet Franc. It has a markedly rustic nose that belongs to a different era: ferrous in style, quite Pomerol-like. The palate is medium-bodied with (again) rustic tannins; it is fully mature. The 1994 is a little lactic towards the espresso-tinged finish that feels a bit one-dimensional and austere. It's not bad, but it's not a great Cheval Blanc due to some dilution. Tasted at the château.

Dark ruby/purple-colored, with a complex, spicy, tobacco, vanilla, blackcurrant, mineral, and floral-scented nose, the 1994 is a bigger, more structured wine than the 1993, its older sibling, but is it better? The wine finishes with mouthsearing tannin, which detracts from the otherwise impressive aromatics and sweet, medium-bodied, lush attack. As I have written many times in the past, Cheval Blanc has a tendency to fatten up, put on weight, and expand both aromatically and texturally with age, so perhaps this wine will move in that direction. If it does, my rating will appear unduly conservative. But if the tannin continues to taste astringent and the fruit begins to fade, then I will have overrated the 1994. Anticipated maturity: 2002-2017.
88 points – Robert Parker (Wine Advocate #109, Feb 1997)