When it comes to stylish, world-famous wines, nothing can outrank Cheval Blanc. A Bordeaux wine of such quality and complexity, experts consider it a class apart. Neither typically St. Emilion nor Pomerol in character, as noted wine advocate Robert Parker puts it, “Cheval Blanc is Cheval Blanc".

This is a wine that makes headlines. 2010 saw an Imperial (6 litre) bottle of 1947 Cheval Blanc break the world record for the most expensive wine sold at auction for a staggering €267,255. A double magnum (3 litre) of the same vintage had sold previously in 2006 for €120,846. Today this means that not only is Cheval Blanc one of the world’s most glamorous wines, it offers exceptional investment opportunities.

The vineyard’s second wine, Le Petit Cheval, is recommended for those who want something more attainable, either to drink or invest in.

Cheval Blanc owes its success, in part at least, to its complex make-up. The 39-hectare vineyard is divided into 45 plots, with each plot being considered almost as a separate vineyard. This is due to the plethora of different aged vines, grapes, soils and subsoils. Yet the wine is so much more than a sum of its parts - the result is a multifaceted wine of superlative quality, and fully warrants its iconic status. Typical ageing is set at around 10 years, with better vintages not gaining full maturity for at least half a century.

The Cheval Blanc estate is owned by Bernard Arnault (of LVMH and Chateau d’Yquem fame) and Baron Albert Frère. Having remained in the same family for 150 years, the introduction of businessmen at the helm in 2009 signalled a new departure for the vineyard. LMVH’s cash injection brought about massive investments in equipment and staffing, and from the takeover a decade ago, 7 vintages are classed as excellent. Maintaining its Grand Cru Classe A status since 1954, as of 2012, it is one of only four wines to produce consistently at a superior level (the others being Château Angélus, Château Ausone, and Château Pavie).