I felt like I was in a New York gallery. Sleek. Ultra-modern. Overwhelmingly sexy. And tingling with creativity and energy.
This is Cheval Blanc.
A teacher of mine during University had praised Karl Marx's Capital for being a unique exemplar of a book whose form and structure (that is, the way it was written), actually enhances and supports the the arguments and the ideas that are produced. I came away from Cheval Blanc with a mouth still panting from excitement from a finish that just didn't stop, and a mind absolutely impressed with the experience of the visit to Cheval Blanc. I learned that the same principal holds for wine and the space that we drink it in. Our senses are inseparable. When a harmony exists amongst the senses, the unified whole of the experience is perfected and brought to its maximum. Cheval Blanc's brand, spanking new $20,000,000 showroom, cellar, and fermentation room was the architectural embodiment of the wine. It was the structure that underlined the principals of its product.
We were greeted by Stephanie, a woman who exuded calmness and elegance. Like old friends to her home, she showed us around. The visit was nonchalant. In no rush, Stephanie gave us the time she knew was needed for our dropped jaws and wide eyes to come back to normal in each space we stepped into before she started her explanation.
The first buildings of Chateau Cheval Blanc are traditional, and are now used as an office space, occasionally as guest rooms, and frequently for hosting parties.
Walking under an old stone archway, one changes from the 16th century into the 21st. It's shocking. And this abruptness is so pleasurable.
The new space boasts large glass windows to show off the fact that the building is situated in the midst of one of the world's greatest vineyards. And why shouldn't it? And, better yet, why haven't other Chateaux thought of this?
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| The Harvest space. Now empty, in two weeks it will be bustling with machines and people. |
Stepping into the fermentation room is like stepping into a religious sanctuary. Really. The silent, noble concrete vats wait like Pacific-island stone statues. Designed in Venice specifically for Cheval Blanc, the concrete vats are truly unique. These are some thick vats, to control and protect the wines, and also to hide the technology within the walls. Unlike every other concrete vat I've seen, at Cheval Blanc there is no central coil within to control temperatures. All of the technology is hidden, as is the case with the entire building (a problem when trying to use the elevators). The space is built of concrete with large, windows bringing in light. It feels like a museum. Each vat has a name tag with it's number, year, and grape content.
Walking through the altar erected in honor of fermentation, one comes to a stairway. From the top it looks industrial. You don't expect anything. And then you start to descend. And midway down the steps you catch your breath. Soft lights hang from the ceiling providing sophistication, like the transmittance of light from a pearl earring dangling at the neckline. There in the basement is the most stunning cellar I have ever seen. A crypt? A center of worship? When the glass doors open, the visitor smells the scent of 100% new oak barrels in a room which is light, spacious, and a pleasure. It is silent. The barrels are posited in curves under the dangling lights. One wants to spend time here.
We walked through the barrels. Stephanie allowed for nearly a full 5 minutes of silence to take in this setting. At the elevator, she told us she was going to hop off to run some errands, and suggested we take a stroll on the roof. Afterwards, I understood why. Descending alone one goes from the holy cellar of soft lights and wood barrels, past the modern harvesting space, and then ends up…. on a beach sand dune?! Hang on? Yes. It's true. Cheval Blanc has designed a green roof on their sloping modern roof that mimics a sand dune. It is covered in soft, long grasses which whisper when the winds blow across the Pomerol and Saint Emilion appellation. A path constructed of planked wood (exactly like at the beach) leads you curving around the roof, taking in vistas all around. There are seats and couches for relaxing. There are trees. And there are all of the good neighbors chateaux visible in the distance. It's brilliant.
After hanging out for a while on the roof and feeling like the luckiest person in the world, I descended the ramp to the tasting room. Stephanie poured us a nice glass of their 2006 vintage. The 2006 is a 50/50 blend of Merlot and Cabernet Franc, and aged in 100% new oak like Cheval Blanc does. What a wine! What a pleasure! Swirling around my mouth, showing off to every single tastebud and nook and cranny, this wine seduced me. At first there were woody notes of mossy ground, porcini mushroom, and dark fruits. It was playful and full, and then it became sophisticated as long, dry, silky tannins coated the sides of the mouth. And once swallowed (because this wasn't going anywhere else), the finish was fantastic. Lengthy and very very sexy. Showing a fully potential to age, this wine was drinkable today due to the Cabernet Franc. In the mouth one could taste how both grapes were being combined to their maximum characteristics.
Maybe it's just me and I'm too persuadable, but this wine drank tasted just like the building looked and smelled: sophisticated, impressive, and sexy. I can't imagine a better space to drink Cheval Blanc than in it's very home.
Finishing my glass with pleasure, perhaps I committed a faux pas when I had to run back to grab the half-drunken glass of my companion (who was driving), as I could not have bared that thought of letting this go wasted. I sat myself outside under an oak tree, watching the vines, and savoring the last of this exceptional wine.
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| Marybeth Tamborra at Cheval Blanc |
