Why this vintage
- 96/100 from Jeb Dunnuckand 2 other scores above 90/100.
- The 2012 vintage in Saint-ÉmilionMerlots brought in just before the rain made for a vintage markedly more successful than on the Left Bank.
Critic scores
- Jeb Dunnuck96
- Wine Advocate95
- Wine Enthusiast90
The 2012 vintage in Saint-Émilion
Vintage benchmark: 90/100 (appellation benchmark, not a score for this wine)
Vintage character: Merlots brought in just before the rain made for a vintage markedly more successful than on the Left Bank.
Overall reading of the year’s season across Saint-Émilion. An estate can depart from it sharply, in frost or hail years, where two neighbours did not make the same vintage. What this particular wine actually gave is on its technical sheet and in the scores above.
Blend of the 2012 vintage
- 2 % Cabernet Sauvignon
- 53 % Merlot
- 45 % Cabernet Franc
Shares for this vintage, as recorded on the 2012 technical sheet. The vineyard itself is planted with cabernet franc, merlot, cabernet sauvignon, malbec — a vintage blend departs from the area under vine as the year dictates.
Figures from the 2012 sheet
- 40 yrsVine age
Winemaking
The wine production of Cheval Blanc is a matter of tradition, in phase with a perennial will of harmony and balance: a fragmented management and a respect of the vine rhythm, a permanent adaptation to the nature of the grape, and careful, measured, thoughtful gestures.
Ageing
18 months in 100% new barrels.
Terroir
Cheval Blanc's mosaic terroir of clay, sand and gravel is unique. Two good fairies watched over its cradle: Pomerol and Saint-Émilion. Soils and subsoils, configuration, sedimentation, water and mineral deficit — everything here combines to achieve the required concentration and to shape the wine's ageing. It is a very ancient history, going back to the Quaternary and to the sediments of the nearby Isle river. A geological union for an exceptional wine, for the quality of the soil determines the success of the grape variety. At Cheval Blanc, the conjunction of a terroir of the very highest quality with an unusual varietal mix gives the wine a unique organoleptic personality.
An offer on Château Cheval Blanc 2012
Availability, allocations and terms: the Compagnie Médocaine will reply promptly. The estate and vintage are already filled in in the message.
Texts and documents 2012
The texts below copy in one click for your product sheets, catalogues and social channels. The printable sheet condenses the whole page onto a single A4 page.
Visuals
This wine’s visuals are grouped in the media library. High-definition packshots, labels, back labels and lifestyle photos are reserved for clients and partners, on the Compagnie Médocaine’s VinCod media library.
Sheet checked on September 28, 2026. Technical data: the estate’s VinCod sheets. Critic scores: sources cited above, with their date. Vintage benchmarks and character: Compagnie Médocaine’s own editorial read. Soils and relief, where shown: the Compagnie Médocaine’s parcel survey and the Mapbox/IGN terrain model.