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An incredibly beautiful 2010 that is silky, refined with polished, ripe tannins and underlying lift. Flavours of roasted coffee, chocolate and sweet blackcurrant further flesh out the core. A very successful 2010 that is the epitome of restraint in a muscular, intense vintage. RK
An incredibly beautiful 2010 that is silky, refined with polished, ripe tannins and underlying lift. Flavours of roasted coffee, chocolate and sweet blackcurrant further flesh out the core. A very successful 2010 that is the epitome of restraint in a muscular, intense vintage. RK
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. Tasted from an ex-château bottle at the BI Wines Spirits 10-Year On tasting. 2023-2050
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.
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.Drink: 2018-2038
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.
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?
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.
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. Drink 2018-2032
This is loaded, with layers of gorgeous plum sauce, linzer torte and blackberry fruit melding beautifully with charcoal, spice and anise. The long, dark finish has some power in reserve, but it's rounded and enticing. -J.M.
Bold fruit, but tart and boxy structure. Potent, pushy tannins. Very youthful indeed – made with no concession to approachability. (RH) Score 16.5/20 Drink Dates 2018-2028
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.
Stretching from the rather unglamorous southern suburbs of Bordeaux, for 50 km along the left bank of the river Garonne, lies Graves. Named for its gravelly soil, a relic of Ice Age glaciers, this is the birthplace of claret, despatched from the Middle Ages onwards from the nearby quayside to England in vast quantities. It can feel as though Bordeaux is just about red wines, but some sensational white wines are produced in this area from a blend of sauvignon blanc, Semillon and, occasionally, muscadelle grapes, often fermented and aged in barrel. In particular, Domaine de Chevalier is renowned for its superbly complex whites, which continue to develop in bottle over decades. A premium appellation, Pessac-Leognan, was created in 1987 for the most prestigious terroirs within Graves. These are soils with exceptional drainage, made up of gravel terraces built up in layers over many millennia, and consequently thrive in mediocre vintages but are less likely to perform well in hotter years. These wines were appraised and graded in their own classification system in 1953 and updated in 1959, but, like the 1855 classification system, this should be regarded with caution and the wines must absolutely be assessed on their own current merits.
