- Château Cheval Blanc has been released for £5,760 per 12×75.
- James Suckling questioned if it might be the ‘wine of the vintage?’
- Buyers looking for value might want to consider the 2014, 2021 and 2020 vintages.
As part of this year’s Bordeaux En Primeur campaign, Chateau Cheval Blanc 2022 has been released at €470 per bottle ex-négociant, up 20.5% on the 2021’s opening price (€390).
It is being offered by the international trade for £5,760 per 12×75 (HKD 4,770 / CHF 6,504 / USD 8,040) an 21.5% increase on the 2021 (£4,740).
Ahead of the release, in a letter to the trade, LVMH (co-owners of Cheval Blanc) wrote that: ‘when looking at current market prices for 2015, 2016 or 2019, without reaching back to 2009 & 2010, one can expect a step change in price with the upcoming 2022 en primeur release, compared to the 3 previous ones. In line with our guiding principles, we believe that Cheval Blanc 2022 will represent a compelling offer to our distribution partners and to their customers’.
They went on to say ‘in terms of availability, you should know that in line with the chateau’s new commercial strategy, about 2/3 of the total production will be release en primeur while the remaining 1/3 will not be made available again before entering its drinking window, estimated at 15+ years old’.
Indeed, as the owners predicted, the new release offers an exciting opportunity for buyers. See more pricing analysis below.
Critics’ scores
This year’s wine has been highly-praised by critics. James Suckling gave it a barrel range of 99-100 points. He said that the wine ‘soars to new heights with its brightness and weightlessness’ and questioned if it might be the ‘wine of the vintage?’
Jean-Marc Quarin also found perfection in the wine, awarding it 100-points. He said it ‘is the blackest color ever seen at Cheval Blanc!’ and added that ‘this taste port is both brilliant and incomprehensible.’
By contrast, William Kelley (Wine Advocate) awarded it a slightly lower score of (97-99)+ points. However, in his tasting note he agreed it was ‘one of the stars of the vintage’ and concluded that it is ‘a wine that is as vibrant as it is lavish’.
Fair Value analysis
Cheval Blanc prices are 61% correlated to Neal Martin scores – the chosen critic for Liv-ex’s ‘Fair Value’ methodology.
That being said, Neal Martin’s En Primeur scores have not yet been published. If the critic were to score the wine 97 points, it would fall below the ‘Fair Value’ line (as shown on the chart below).
Alternatively, were he to score it 98 points (or higher), it would fall considerably below the line. It is also available at a 15% discount to the acclaimed 2016 vintage. Buyers may therefore find something to be excited about in this release.
Those looking for other options might want to consider the 2014, 2021 and 2020 vintages, which all sit below the trend line and are available at a discount to today’s release.
Cheval Blanc prices are also 91% correlated to Wine Advocate scores. Liv-ex members on Silver packages and above can find out more via the Fair Value Tool.
Our Bordeaux En Primeur 2022 page contains everything you need to know about this year’s campaign. You can also sign up for our daily En Primeur email alerts using the form below.
Liv-ex analysis is drawn from the world’s most comprehensive database of fine wine prices. The data reflects the real-time activity of Liv-ex’s 630+ merchant members from across the globe. Together they represent the largest pool of liquidity in the world – currently £100m of bids and offers across 16,000 wines.
