Thierry Garnaud, winemaker at Cheval Blanc for 38 vintages, wanted to try his hand at something different. A pure expression of a unique terroir, but more modern, without oak, and available as an everyday drinker, without breaking the bank. ‘8a’ is the identity in our chai of the cuve in which this wine is lovingly crafted. Made from specific parcels of slightly younger vines, it’s vinified & matured solely in concrete, and can be enjoyed sooner than it’s ‘grand vin’ sibling. Not a second wine, but very much a different cuvée. Delighted with the vintage, quantity & quality, one of the hottest, driest seasons ever in the region has produced sensational wines, with our terroirs doing an incredible job in protecting the vines from the extreme heat. We harvested relatively early, to avoid over ripeness. We like to conserve freshness & a minerality from our terroir, and don't want too high alcohols. As usual, we didn't over extract, and performed a twice daily remontage for 14 days, in and out of cuve alternating. Vinification & ageing in 44-153 HL cement cuves, assemblage and subsequent aging into our single Cuve 8a. The Cuve 8a 2022 is 99% Merlot and just 1% Malbec, no cabernet, it's lovely rich fresh merlot, juicy but complex. Drink now and for 15 years.
