Description
1 x 75cl botte of Chateau Cheval Blanc St Emilion 1953
The bottle is in good condition - the cap has slight signs of wear but shows no signs of seepage. The label is heavily stained but the writing is still visible and the full label is visible with only a slight tear to the bottom right hand side as per the photographs.
The fill level is about 1 inch below the base of the neck consistent with its age.
This is a truly stunning bottle and a fabulous vintage - the average price on wine searcher puts it at £1,675 a bottle.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Some information about the wine itself. From the Chateau - Cheval Blanc website
The weather in 1953 was very favourable to vine growth and the crop was both plentiful and of excellent quality.
This is a great vintage for Cheval Blanc. The wine is very well-balanced and still elicits enormous praise.
1953 WEATHER CONDITIONS
TEMPERATURES AND RAINFALL
The growing season began with a warm, wet April, followed by a very warm, but dry month of May. June and July were cool and rainy, whereas August and September were dry and slightly warmer than average.
WATER BALANCE
In order to grow well, vines need water stress to set in slowly so that the grapes will ripen well and become concentrated. The rain in June and July forestalled water stress, which nevertheless occurred late in the season thanks to dry, sunny weather in August and September.
FEATURES OF THE VINTAGE
GROWING SEASON, YIELDS AND CELLAR WORK
Flowering went very well in May because it did not rain very much. Even though June and July were cool, which slowed down the growth cycle somewhat, the harvest was able to begin on the 21st of September. The grapes were excellent because August and September we very dry and hot. Yields were high, but 1953 Cheval Blanc shows that quantity and quality are not incompatible.
Degree of alcohol: 12°.
TASTING NOTES
1953 is a very great vintage for Château Cheval Blanc with remarkable balance and complexity.
Merlot was particularly successful in the very classic 1953 vintage, which is the epitome of a great Cheval Blanc. It has great aromatic complexity in a blend consisting mostly of Cabernet Franc.
Both the bouquet and the palate reveal superb hints of tobacco, spice, dried flowers, cardamom, and forest floor. The wine is remarkably elegant and rich on the palate. It is also quite tannic, but this tannin is smooth and unctuous, leading up seamlessly to the remarkably fresh aftertaste.
Displaying sublime structure and precision, this is an emotional wine to drink.