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Château Cheval Blanc, Le Petit Cheval 2004
RedFrance2004
By Daniel Min · Tasted 2020-01-10 · Published 2026-09-16 · Updated 2026-09-16
At a glance
Two Vivino-listed scores — a (87–88) range (Jun 2006) and 15.5 out of 20 (Jan 2007, roughly 85 on a 100-point scale). Neither lists its publication.
Market note: Le Petit Cheval, first produced in 1988, is a strict selection of roughly a quarter of each year's harvest. It shares the same vineyards and philosophy as the grand vin (Château Cheval Blanc itself) but is said to open a little earlier, and is respected enough among Bordeaux second wines to be counted in the exclusive "Club of Nine."
What this wine is
Château Cheval Blanc's reputation began when Jean-Jacques Ducasse bought the estate in 1832. After his daughter Henriette married wine merchant Jean Laussac-Fourcaud, her husband modernized the property and made the decision that defines it to this day: around 1860, he planted equal parts Merlot, the Right Bank's "king grape," and Cabernet Franc — an unusual blend for the era that became Cheval Blanc's signature. Bronze at the 1862 London exhibition and gold medals at Paris in 1878 and Antwerp in 1886 put it on par with the first-growth Médocs at auction, and cellar master Gaston Vaissière worked there for 44 years.
The estate's most legendary moment is the 1947 vintage. In the scarcity of the postwar years, with barrels, bottles and corks all in short supply, an unusually hot summer produced a wine with a Port-like concentration reaching 14.4% ABV — current director Pierre Lurton has called it "an accident of nature," and one critic noted that "no modern winemaker would set out to live so dangerously" to make something like it. In 1998, Bernard Arnault and Baron Albert Frère acquired the château, opening a new era.
Le Petit Cheval, first produced in 1988, is the estate's second wine — a strict selection of roughly a quarter of each year's harvest, sharing the grand vin's vineyards and philosophy while reportedly opening a little sooner. It's respected enough among Bordeaux's second wines to be counted in the exclusive "Club of Nine."
What the world says
This 2004 vintage has been rated by 188 people on Vivino, averaging 4.2 — slightly below the 4.4 average across all 4,566 ratings for Le Petit Cheval overall. Two critic scores are listed: an (87–88) range (Jun 2006) and 15.5 out of 20 (roughly 85 on the 100-point scale, Jan 2007); neither names its publication.
The flavor keywords lead with oak, tobacco and vanilla (230 mentions), followed by blackberry and plum (197). Structure: intensity 4.0/5, tannin 3.4, acidity 3.4 — a balanced, full-bodied profile.
"Classy silent wine, still totally alive without brick color. Decanted by opening the bottle 3 hours in advance." — Vivino review, May 2026, 4.5 stars
"Perfect with a filet rossini." — Vivino review, Sep 2019, 4.5 stars
The recommended drinking window is 2009–2019; I drank mine in January 2020, right after that window had closed — and my note still reads, "After breathing in the bottle, the tannin was completely smooth, I couldn't feel it at all."
How I drank it
10 January 2020, a perfect 5.0. "Burgundy brown old color. Second of Chateau Cheval Blanc. Oak, chocolate, vanilla, cherry, raspberry, blackberry, black currant, black fruit, plum, sweet aroma, almond, pepper, savory. Old vintage but the cork was in beautiful condition, and the aroma coming off the end of the cork was wonderful. After the first taste, once the bottle had breathed, the tannin was completely gone — totally smooth. Even the sediment left in the bottle looked pretty... this is exactly why you drink old vintages ~~^^" This is one of only a handful of wines I've ever given a perfect 5.0.
What makes this note more interesting is the timing: the recommended drinking window (2009–2019) had just closed. Vivino's structure data puts tannin at a not-insignificant 3.4/5, yet my note says the tannin had disappeared entirely — sixteen years of age had fully resolved it. Phrases like "the aroma off the end of the cork" and "even the sediment looked pretty" are the kind of detail only someone who's handled a fair number of old bottles reaches for.
My 5.0 sits a full 0.8 above the community average of 4.2, which is striking on its own. One more thing worth noting: this wine is the second wine of Château Cheval Blanc, but the grand vin itself appears in the finale of the manga Drops of God as one of two "Drops of God" the protagonist ultimately chooses — the 1982 vintage. What I drank was the 2004 second wine, not literally the same bottle, but made under the same château and the same philosophy — which makes that closing line, "this is exactly why you drink old vintages," feel a little less like a throwaway.
Where this wine shows up
Wine snob Miles secretly pours his most prized bottle, a 1961 Château Cheval Blanc, into a paper cup at a fast-food restaurant during the film's climax. Often cited for its irony: Miles despises Merlot throughout the film, yet his most treasured wine is half Merlot.
wineinprovence.com — Miles' bottle of 1961 Cheval Blanc · Wine Spectator Forums — Question about 'Sideways'
In the manga's climax, one of the two final "Drops of God" the protagonist chooses is a 1982 Château Cheval Blanc — the grand vin. This piece covers the 2004 vintage of Le Petit Cheval, the second wine, so it isn't literally the same bottle, but it's made under the same château and philosophy.
wine-bible.hatenablog.jp — Drops of God 12 Apostles & wine list · kaminoshizuku.com — Drops of God 12 Apostles list
Artwork and stills are not reproduced for copyright reasons; scenes are summarised.
Vivino community data
2004 vintage rating distribution (188 ratings, average 4.2)
| 5★ | 48 (26%) | |
| 4★ | 106 (56%) | |
| 3★ | 29 (15%) | |
| 2★ | 3 (2%) | |
| 1★ | 2 (1%) |
Most-mentioned aromas
| Family | Mentions | Top keywords |
|---|---|---|
| Oak | 230 | oak 62 · tobacco 46 · vanilla 32 · chocolate 31 · cedar 16 |
| Black fruit | 197 | blackberry 51 · plum 39 · blackcurrant 25 · black fruit 21 · cassis 17 |
| Earth | 138 | leather 63 · earthy 15 · mushroom 15 · smoke 11 · graphite 6 |
| Spice | 50 | licorice 17 · pepper 11 · savory 4 · menthol 3 · mint 3 |
| Red fruit | 48 | cherry 19 · red fruit 9 · raspberry 6 · strawberry 6 · red currant 3 |
| Floral | 13 | violet 7 · perfume 5 · potpourri 1 |
| Vegetal | 8 | bell pepper 2 · gooseberry 2 · grass 2 · chard 1 · hay 1 |
Structure: Acidity 3.4/5 · Intensity 4.0/5 · Tannin 3.4/5 · Sweetness 1.6/5
Average by vintage (all vintages: 4566 ratings, average 4.4)
| Vintage | Average | Ratings |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 4.2 | 38 |
| 2019 | 4.5 | 63 |
| 2018 | 4.4 | 115 |
| 2016 | 4.4 | 91 |
| 2015 | 4.3 | 38 |
| 2014 | 4.4 | 215 |
| 2013 | 4.0 | 87 |
| 2012 | 4.2 | 196 |
| 2011 | 4.4 | 452 |
| 2010 | 4.4 | 184 |
| 2009 | 4.4 | 187 |
| 2008 | 4.4 | 311 |
| 2007 | 4.4 | 224 |
| 2006 | 4.2 | 140 |
| 2005 | 4.4 | 510 |
| 2004 | 4.2 | 188 |
| 2003 | 4.4 | 121 |
| 2002 | 4.4 | 92 |
| 2001 | 4.1 | 78 |
| 2000 | 4.4 | 250 |
My original note (Vivino, 2020-01-10)
“Burgundy brown old color. Second of Chateau Cheval blanc. Oak, chocolate, vanilla, cherry, raspberry, blackberry, black current, black fruit, plum, sweety aroma, almond,pepper, savory. 올빈지만 코르크상태 너무 좋았고 코르크 끝에서 오는 향기가 너무 좋았다. 처음 테스팅 이후엔 병브리딩하고 타닌을 전혀 느낄 수 없이 부드러웠다. 병에 남은 찌꺼기마저 예뻐보이는.. 이 맛에 올빈 먹죠~~^^”
Frequently asked questions
What kind of wine is Le Petit Cheval 2004?
The second wine of Saint-Émilion Grand Cru estate Château Cheval Blanc, produced since 1988, blending Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc at 13.5% ABV. Vivino: 188 ratings averaging 4.2; listed critic scores are an (87–88) range and roughly 85 on a converted scale.
How much does it cost?
World average price: US$171 per 750ml ex-tax (Wine-Searcher, Sept 2026) (Wine-Searcher check pending).
What food pairs well with it?
Vivino users suggest beef, lamb, poultry and game. With a balanced full body at intensity 4.0/5, it pairs especially well with steak dishes like filet — one Vivino review records it with filet rossini.
Is this the same Cheval Blanc that appears in the film Sideways?
Same château, different wine and vintage. In Sideways (2004), Miles secretly pours his 1961 Château Cheval Blanc — the grand vin — into a paper cup at a fast-food restaurant. This piece covers the 2004 vintage of Le Petit Cheval, the estate's second wine.