| Region | |
|---|---|
| Subregion | France > Bordeaux > Left Bank > Pessac-Léognan |
| Colour | Red |
| Type | Still |
View all vintages of this wine | View all wines by Domaine de Chevalier
This is one of my all-time favorite wines from Domaine de Chevalier, a silky, rather classic Pessac-Leognan with notes of scorched earth, tobacco leaf and black and red currants, but no hard edges. Fragrant, complex aromatics are followed by a savory, expansively flavored wine made from a final blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot. The wine hit 13.5% natural alcohol, which must certainly be among the highest they have ever achieved, even eclipsing the 2009. An opulent, precocious style of wine that seems much more developed, complex and delicious than I thought from barrel, this beauty can be drunk in 5-6 years or cellared for 20 or more.
The 2010 Domaine de Chevalier shows a little more amplitude compared to the Malartic-Lagravière, red and black fruit, undergrowth, pressed rose petals and a touch of crushed stone all beautifully defined. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins but demonstrating great depth. This feels saline, slightly marine-influenced in the mouth, with outstanding precision on the slightly peppery finish. Oliver Bernard oversaw a magnificent Grand Vin. 2023 - 2050
This shows beautiful aromas of flowers, raspberries and blackberries that follow through to a full body with ultra silky tannins and a long, long finish. It lasts for minutes. Best in 2018 or later.
Deep garnet colored, the 2010 Domaine de Chevalier charges out of the gate with bold expressions of cassis, warm blackberries and boysenberries plus touches of menthol, chocolate box and cloves. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is finely crafted with bags of freshness and a finely grained texture, finishing long and with impressive energy. 2020 - 2039.
Dark crimson. So racy and inky, mineral and sinewy. Chewy. SO youthful! Racy and sinewy. Lively, fragrant. Mouth filling and vibrant though it has yet to evolve much character but the balance seems promising. Acid dominates tannin here.
This much respected property in Léognan is run with great care by Olivier Bernard whose family took it over from Claude Ricard in 1983. During the 1980's and 1990's there was a massive programme of replanting and it is only in the last few years, with the vines reaching maturity, that the quality here has returned to that of the great vintages of the 1960's and before. Without doubt, the best vintages of Chevalier are the most recent ones. Domaine de Chevalier performed an amazing treble at our annual Southwold blind tasting, winning the Graves flight in 2003, 2004 and 2005. Prices, however, have remained reasonable. Monsieur Bernard has recently engaged the talented winemaker Stéphane Derenoncourt (of La Mondotte, Canon la Gaffelière and Pavie Macquin fame) and the wine has benefited greatly from his input. Not only is Domaine de Chevalier the best value wine in Pessac-Léognan these days, it is now becoming one of the best of all. A property on the rise - one to watch. Olivier believes that this is the greatest wine that he has ever made. It certainly has the deepest colour ever. 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 7% Petit Verdot. An attractive nose of forward exotic fruit, cedar and smoky spiciness. On the palate there is sweet, rich, opulent cassis fruit with touches of vanilla and Asian spices. Immensely concentrated but fresh and bright. Intense, long and harmonious. Great wine!
The fruit on the nose feels ripe and this sweetness gives flesh on the palate. There are layers of flavour with more black fruits in evidence than red but the sweetness is well balanced by freshness. Fruit power enriches the finish.
Masses of beautifully concentrated fruit, nose already very expressive of vineyard class and perfect ripeness, already richly smooth and the tannins will ensure a long and elegant life ahead. Drink 2015-30.
2010: Consultant Stephane Derenoncourt along with owner Olivier Bernard have done a fabulous job over recent years, but the tannic, backward 2010 Domaine de Chevalier seemed primary and difficult to assess when I tasted it on three separate occasions. The natural alcohol is 13.5% from a blend of 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and the rest Petit Verdot. A youthful inky/blue/purple color is opaque to the rim and the nose offers elegant aromas of crushed rocks, acacia flowers, boysenberries, black currants and subtle toast as well as oak. This thick, rich, tannic, backward wine will require patience. I would guess 7-10 years of cellaring will be essential, but this is a 30- to 40- year wine.
Tasted at the Union de Grand Cru and at the chateau. The Domaine de Chevalier has a well-defined bouquet that demands coaxing from the glass. It is a shy little thing, most likely due to bottling, but it unfurls in the glass to offer intense dark cherry, bilberry, cedar and melted tar. It is extremely well defined as if you could pick out the thread of each scent one by one. The palate is medium-bodied with blackberry, tapenade and cedar. It is crisp and nicely focused on the finish, compact and tensile, certainly a Domaine de Chevalier that will require far more bottle age than the 2009. Excellent. Tasted November 2012.
Tasted at the Union de Grand Cru in London. The Domaine de Chevalier has a very fine bouquet with ripe blackberry, dark plum and cassis with good definition. The alcohol is just kept in check. The palate is medium-bodied with saturated smooth tannins. It caresses the mouth with its sleek, black fruit with just a smudge of alcohol lending roundness on the finish. For Domaine de Chevalier this is a relatively decadent wine, but well crafted and demonstrates great persistency in the mouth. Tasted October 2011.
Tasted three times, the Domaine de Chevalier has great precision on the nose with pure dark blackberry, dark plum, black olive compote and crushed flowers. The palate is just superb, mainly because of the crispness and tension in the tannic structure, framing a very precise, very focused Domaine de Chevalier that should age beautifully. It is almost understated but with great mineralité on the finish and superb persistency. Watch it blossom in bottle. Tasted April 2011.
This is the most structured and powerful DC in a long, long time. Full bodied, with polished and rich tannins and a long finish. Tasted twice.The rising star of Bordeaux
