Cheval Blanc 2018 has been released at €528 per bottle ex-negociant, up 22.2% on the 2017 release of €432. It is being offered by the trade at £6,588 per 12×75, an increase of 24.2% in sterling terms on the 2017 release of £5,304 per case.
Liv-ex members voted today’s release the second-best wine of the vintage after Lafite Rothschild. They also overestimated its release price, albeit very slightly. On average, merchants expected the 2018 to be released at €530 ex-negociant.
Cheval Blanc 2018 was one of the six wines to receive a potential 100 points from Antonio Galloni (Vinous, 97-100). According to him, the “dazzling” wine is “endowed with phenomenal balance” and its sense of harmony “leaves the strongest impression”.
James Suckling also enjoyed the “decadent” 2018, awarding it 98-99 points. He said that “what strikes you is how aromatic this already is at this stage”.
For Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW (The Wine Advocate, 97-99), the wine possesses “a beautifully plush structure of velvety tannins wrapping round the densely packed, complex, fragrant fruit, with seamless freshness and a very long, layered finish”.
Jane Anson (Decanter), Jeff Leve (The Wine Cellar Insider), Chris Kissack (The Wine Doctor), Jean-Marc Quarin and Jeb Dunnuck all found potential perfection in today’s release. In his tasting note, Leve said that “if you can afford it, it is a wine you should have in your cellar and you’ll want to age this for at least 15 years before popping a bottle”.
Prices for Cheval Blanc show 94% correlation to ‘Benchmark Critic’ scores. With this price tag, the 2018 is positioned slightly above the implied ‘Fair Value’ line. Those considering the potential for this wine to receive a 100 points once in bottle will see value in today’s release.
The 100-point Robert Parker 2005 also looks attractive, as it offers bottle age and is currently available at only a small premium.
Looking for more?
Our Bordeaux 2018 pages contain everything you need to know about this year’s En Primeur campaign, including:
- Critic scores
- Release prices
- Bordeaux 2018 analysis tool [members only]
- The conversation on social media
- Liv-ex’s fair value methodology
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