Château Cheval Noir
First known under the name Cheval Noir in 1895, this property is one of the oldest in Saint-Émilion. Château Cheval Noir was purchased in 1937 by the Mähler-Besse family. This was their first vineyard acquisition. Located in close proximity to the most famous estates in Saint-Émilion, Château Cheval Noir produces outstanding wine. Hubert de Boüard (well-known oenologist and co-owner of Château Angélus, a Premier Grand Cru Classé and neighbour of Cheval Noir) has shared his expertise to make Cheval Noir for the past several years.
The Château Cheval Noir vineyard consists predominantly of Merlot vines planted over 50 years ago on siliceous soil overlaying ironpan. This 5-hectare estate’s superb terroir, bordering on Angélus, produces elegant, well-balanced wines.
The soil is ploughed several times a year and great care is taken to respect the environment at all times.The vines are pruned using the Guyot-Double method. The château team pays special attention to pruning and green pruning. The leaves are thinned by hand on the east-facing side and bunch thinning is practised as necessary to provide good aeration for the clusters.