The second wine of Château Cheval Blanc is packed with wood flavors and spice. A toasty wine, it also has solid tannins plus fragrant fruitiness. Already the fruit is coming through strongly and it is for medium-term aging. Drink from 2017.

Polished, offering good mouthfeel to the layers of fig sauce, crushed plum and licorice. Judicious toast frames the finish, with a hint of charcoal adding length. A little lighter than when tasted from barrel, but still balanced and refined without trying too hard. Drink now through 2020.

The quality of Cheval Blanc's second wine continues to go from strength to strength. For example, the 2011 Le Petit Cheval reveals savory, high-brow nuances along with black currant, black cherry, spice box and mineral notes. Round, generous and medium-bodied, this sleeper of the vintage is ideal for drinking over the next decade or more.