2023 Cheval Blanc Le Petit Cheval Blanc

This booms right out of the glass, just a knockout, fabulous white with so much personality, steel, cold ash, grilled nectarine, preserved citrus. A full two years ageing on full lees. Since its inaugural vintage, this is a wine that has unquestionably grown in itself, and it's hard to go wrong with this particular vintage. Harvest August 19, with 24 months ageing in large oak casks for the whites, the longest ageing to date, successfully capturing density and mid palate. 10% new oak, spread across a mix of 600l demi-muids and large oak casks. Estate director Pierre-Olivier Clouet.
98/100 Jane Anson

Le Petit Cheval Blanc 2023 (Bordeaux blanc; 70 % Sauvignon Blanc, 30 % Sémillon; 13.5% alcohol; crafted from a mosaic of 12 parcels from the 6 hectares of what was once the Tour du Pin vineyard just across the street from the château itself on clay, sandy and gravelly soils; tasted in September 2025 on the eve of its release). Zingy. Bitingly – almost searingly – fresh, which I find very reassuring in another hot and dry vintage. This would not be difficult to pick blind and one of the things I like about it the most is the sense of familiarity, with those lovely – and now redolently Petit Cheval Blanc – notes of linden, lime, Bergamot, blood orange, white grapefruit zest, greengage and gooseberry. The use of oak is more subtle than before and there’s a little less beeswax than in earlier vintages. The accent here is more on the citrus notes than the stone fruits. And that also leaves more space for the white delicate florality and the most gorgeous brushstroke of tannin on the finish. A beautifully stylish, sleek, slender and refined wine with a long and chiselled finish and a simply wondrous mouthfeel. So pure, so elegant, so crystalline and yet so intense. The best vintage yet.
96/100 Colin Hay; The Drinks Business

Pale green gold, this is savoury and sappy, with a wave of white peach and nectarine pit. Structure and longevity, focus and clarity, this wine is now seriously finding its feet and setting itself apart. Early harvest, precision winemaking, the Sémillon comes through on the texture with the dominant flavours of tea leaf, chamomile, citrus, greengage and lime speaking to the Sauvignon Blanc. Pierre-Olivier Clouet director.
96/100 Jane Anson