News from Domaine de Chevalier

Domaine de Chevalier in the Wine Spectator Top 100 of 2019

Le célèbre magazine américain Wine Spectator vient de révéler son classement annuel : il a placé le Domaine de Chevalier 2016 à la 23ème place de sa sélection parmi l'ensemble des vins de la planète dégustés au cours de l'année.

Domaine de Chevalier 2016 in the World "Top 100" by Wine Spectator:
The famous American magazine has just revealed its annual ranking: Domaine de Chevalier 2016 is in the 23rd place of its selection among all the wines of the planet tasted during the year.

"About the List:
We’ve revealed the Top 100 of 2019! Each year, Wine Spectator editors survey the wines reviewed over the previous 12 months and select our Top 100, based on quality, value, availability and excitement. This annual list honors successful wineries, regions and vintages around the world." (Wine Spectator)

 

Domaine de Chevalier 2016: The core of fruit flavor here is sappy and dense, with lots of kirsch, raspberry pâte de fruit and plum reduction notes, yet this stays fresh and racy overall, with a bright iron spine, flashes of tea and tobacco and a long finish that shows a wonderful infusion of alder and tobacco flavors. Offers a lovely combination of prodigious fruit details, with a tug of earth. Best from 2024 through 2038_ JM 96

James Suckling: "2014 vintage is one of the biggest surprises of my carreer..."

"Bordeaux’s 2014 vintage is one of the biggest surprises of my 34-year career" writes James SUCKLING in his report:

BORDEAUX ROARS BACK TO RELEVANCE (AND EXCELLENCE) WITH THE 2014 VINTAGE

Monday, February 13, 2017

" The reds show harmony and finesse with solid cores of fruit and extremely polished tannins. There are no cabernet and merlot-based wines in the world with similar refinement and tension.."

• DOMAINE DE CHEVALIER  BLANC 2014:

98 "This is so solid and structured. It’s bigger and better than most 2014s! What a wine. Full body with flavors of stones, dried apples and pears. Goes on for minutes. Yes man!"

• DOMAINE DE CHEVALIER 2014:

94 "Anyone who says that the 2014s aren’t elegant needs to taste this beautifully balanced wine. Ripe redcurrant and delicate herbal aromas with just a hint of spicy oak on the nose precede a fresh, medium-bodied palate with underplayed power and a lot of subtle nuances on the long finish."

Domaine de Chevalier 2014: new tasting comment and score by Antonio Galloni

BY ANTONIO GALLONI | FEBRUARY 2, 2017

I was deeply impressed with these wines from Domaine de Chevalier. The red has a slight upper hand in 2014, but both wines are distinctive and full of character. Olivier Bernard owns one of the crown jewels of Bordeaux, as these wines clearly make evident.

Domaine de Chevalier rouge 2014:

The 2014 Domaine de Chevalier is a total knockout. Precise, brilliant and finely sculpted, the 2014 possesses superb intensity. Freshly cut flowers, mint and sweet red berries, along with finessed but persistent tannins, give the wine its regal personality. The 2014 needs a number of years to shed some baby fat and develop the full breadth of its aromatics, but it is a fabulous wine by any measure. The 2014 is 65 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 30 % Merlot and 5 % Petit Verdot that spent approximately 35 days on the skins. Olivier Bernard noted that the Merlots were brought in between October 10 and 17, which is quite late by the domaine's standards. Tasted two times. 96  (2024-2044) (Feb. 2017) [Note En Primeur April 2015: 92-95]

Domaine de Chevalier blanc 2014:

The 2014 Domaine de Chevalier Blanc comes across as very young and in need of cellaring. Then again, that's the way it is in most vintages with the Blanc. White flowers, mint and orchard fruit are some of the signatures. In 2014, the Blanc is a wine of power, texture and depth, some of which is found in place of the brighter, more citrus-driven character found in other vintages. In 2014, the blend is 70 % Sauvignon Blanc and 30 % Sémillon. Tasted two times. 94 94 [Note En Primeur April 2015: 91-94]

Li Demei: The origin of his love of wine ? 1941 Domaine de Chevalier white...

 The famous Chinese enologist Li Demei, evokes the origin of his love of wine with the journalist Natalie Wang for the Drinks Business Magazine : It came from a blind tasting in 2002, a real shock...:

Natalie Wang : What bottle sparked your love of wine?

Li Demei *  :1941 Domaine de Chevalier white. I drank the wine in April, 2002 at a blind tasting. The wine’s lively acidity still makes the wine very much alive, and when I learned it was a 61-year-old wine at the time, I was so shocked. It sparked my love for white wines. (photo © Drinks Business)

* He is, inter alia, associate professor of Wine Tasting and Enology in Beijing Agriculture College  and Engineer for Viti-Oeno-Economie (ENITA de Bordeaux)  

Read online

ESPRIT de CHEVALIER Blanc 2013, Wine rating by The Wine Gang *

ESPRIT de CHEVALIER Blanc 2013
Wine rating by The Wine Gang *

90

Domaine de Chevalier Esprit de Chevalier Blanc 2013
Pessac-Léognan, Bordeaux, France, Dry White (Cork), 13.0% abv

Made from equal parts of Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon by one of Bordeaux' best exponents of the Pessac-Léognan style, this second wine from Domaine de Chevalier is sumptuously aromatic and fruity showing a lively grapefuity zestiness and a deliciously nutty oak-derived dry finish that twists around and teasingly snaps and bites at your tongue.

Goes with: ChickenFish and seafood Salads and vegetable dishes Smoked fish

http://thewinegang.com/

* :  Joanna Simon, Jane Parkinson, Anthony Rose, Tom Cannavan, David Williams 

Domaine de Chevalier blanc in the Top 10 Picks of 2008 Bordeaux, by James Suckling

"Cold, wet weather meant the 2008 growing season was a challenge in Bordeaux. A spell of warm, dry conditions in July and an Indian summer in September saved the season from being a write-off, and some outstanding wines were made. James Suckling attended a small tasting of the 2008 Bordeaux vintage during Vinexpo Hong Kong in May organized by wine merchants Farr Vintners.

Here are his top 10, including two exciting whites." 

The article first appeared in Asia Tatler.

DOMAINE de CHEVALIER Blanc 2008: 

"Very attractive aromas of grapefruit, sliced apple and lemon. Some lanolin. Full body, intense dried fruit and hints of vanilla bean. Crazy finish. This a unique white that shows incredible depth and power. Drink or hold.
95 points."

The other wines:

• Château La Conseillante
• Château Montrose
• Château Smith Haut Lafitte rouge
• château Léoville Barton
• Château Pontet-Canet
• Château Canon
• Château Smith Haut Lafitte blanc
• Château Cos d'Estournel
• Château Pichon Longueville Baron

Téléchargement James Suckling - Top 10 - Millésime 2008 - Domaine de Chevalier 95

Domaine de Chevalier Primeur 2015 - Press Review

• James SUCKLING :

Domaine de Chevalier Blanc 2015 : Incredible depth of fruit and density. Full and powerful with so much fruit and richness yet remains fresh and clean. Purity. Massive yet vibrant and electric. Minerality length. Love the to taste this. 97-98

Domaine de Chevalier Rouge 2015 This shows class and finesse with ultra-fine tannins and succulent fruit. Full body yet elegant and long. Gorgeous wine. Such length. Vibrant and focused. 96-97

 

• WINE SPECTATOR / James Molesworth

Domaine de Chevalier Pessac-Léognan White 2015 Score: 93—96 
A distinctive style, with a rich core of tangerine, peach and Jonagold apple flavors that stretch out through the long finish, picking up salted butter, honeysuckle and mineral accents. Somewhat Burgundian in style, with more than enough stuffing to cellar once bottled.—J.M.

DOMAINE DE CHEVALIER Pessac-Léognan Red 2015 Score: 91—94 
Offers an open, easy feel. The creamy structure lets juicy plum and raspberry notes flow along and linger on the finish. Almost languid in character, and very suave.—J.M.

• Jean-Marc QUARIN

Domaine de Chevalier Blanc :                16,75/20                      93/100

Domaine de Chevalier Rouge :               17/20                          94/100

• DECANTER – Jane ANSON

Domaine de Chevalier Blanc 2015

Clearly working in a reductive environment during ageing, emphasising a lovely sense of precision...

Points: 95

Domaine de Chevalier  Rouge 2015

Sexy burnish of charcoal-grilled rich black cherry fruit with firmly held tannins. A lovely wine – fairly high powered compared to some; this is one to cellar for a while.…

Points: 95

• Tim ATKIN

Domaine de Chevalier blanc : 93

Domaine de Chevalier rouge 92

 

• REVUE DU VIN DE FRANCE – Philippe MAURANGE

Domaine de Chevalier Rouge 2015

Assemblage un rien atypique avec 5% de petit verdot. Un vin ultra parfumé alliant la douceur des épices du cabernet sauvignon (65%) et le charme d’une maturité atteinte parfaitement. Dans l'esprit frais et distingué du millésime. Très belle réussite par sa finesse et immédiatement séducteur, ce qui est rare. 18-19 /20

 

• JANCIS ROBINSON

Domaine de Chevalier Blanc 2015 Pessac-Léognan

Smoky, stony nose - obviously 'serious'. Very distinctive. Very mineral. Bone dry. Juicy. An absolutely model dry-white-bordeaux-style wine. Oakiness not an issue. All vineyard. 18

Drink 2019-2030

Domaine de Chevalier Rouge 2015 Pessac-Léognan

Great tension and subtlety. Extremely savoury - almost salty - with freshness and ripeness. Not one of the deepest colours. Lovely appetising low-key classicism. Bravissimo à tous! 18

Drink 2024-2045

 

• FARR VINTNERS

Domaine de Chevalier - Pessac-Léognan 2015 Blanc :  Pale lemon colour with a very zesty citrus fruit nose. Hints of passion flower and struck flint add to the tension and complexity. The palate is rich in texture but mineral in flavour with clean green apples and lemons giving real vivacity to the wine. Smoky notes with hints of vanilla on the finish give a touch of roundness, but this wine is pure and refined.

Score: 16+       Farr Vintners, March 2016

Domaine de Chevalier - Pessac-Léognan 2015 Rouge : The blend of the 2015 is 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot. Deep ruby colour with a fresh blackcurrant and graphite nose with a hint of black truffle and tobacco. The palate is smooth, refined and elegant with classic Graves cedar and blackcurrant. The tannins are refined and smooth but firm enough to frame the palate. The sweet vanilla and nutmeg from new oak adds a layer of complexity and gives a touch of sweetness to the long finish.    

Score: 16.5+    Farr Vintners, March 2016    

• Matthew JUKES

Domaine de Chevalier - Pessac-Léognan 2015 Blanc : Smooth, honed, well-knit and classy this is already looking like a nice with and the texture is delicious. I am slightly surprised that this wine seems so approachable give its reputation, but I am sure there is enough tension here to allow it to age, too.

Score: 17.5      Matthew Jukes, Matthew Jukes' Blog, April 2016 

Domaine de Chevalier - Pessac-Léognan 2015 Rouge : Dense, briary and full, there is an extra dimension of power and extraction here which is impressive and very well handled because it leads with fruit and not oak and the tannins are juicy and mouth-watering and not dry or astringent. Gentle handling is the key here and even though this is a big wine is it still impeccably balanced.

Score: 18+       Matthew Jukes, Matthew Jukes' Blog, April 2016

• Chris KISSACK – the WINE DOCTOR

Domaine de Chevalier Blanc (Pessac-Léognan) 2015: Picked by successive tries, with élevage in new, one-year and two-year old oak. Fresh, very pure, creamed-citrus fruit character, with pithy white-peach notes, pure and very bright. The palate has a really elegant and yet intense concentration, with fresh white peach and white pear, very pure like the nose, with a finely poised substance and a fine, perfectly honed midpalate. This has purity, minerality, a gravelly freshness, with a bitter, pithy finish that appeals. A nicely judged wine, underpinned by some rather gentle acidity, but it is there. Very good. From my Bordeaux 2015 primeurs assessment. 17-18/20 (April 2016) 

Domaine de Chevalier Rouge (Pessac-Léognan) 2015: A really smoky concentration on the nose here, all crushed black cherries and perfumed wild black plums, with a little touch of liquorice, but above all it has great purity. The palate is fresh, poised, showing a supple texture of creamed black plum fruit, over a very ripe bed of tannins, svelte but interlaced beautifully with the substance of the wine. Such poised concentration, the palate elegant and yet brimming with fruit and structure. Delightfully fresh and grippy in the finish, all ultimately very ripe. From my Bordeaux 2015 primeurs assessment. 17.5-18.5/20 (April 2016) 

• Jeff LEVE – WINE CELLAR INSIDER

2015 Domaine de Chevalier Blanc – Bright and lively with an open, grapefruit, lemon zest, green apple and honeysuckle character, this wine is fresh, refreshing and long with a crisp, sweet, citrus-filled finish. – 96 Pts

2015 Domaine de Chevalier Rouge – Cigar box, smoke, chocolate covered plums, earth and freshly rolled cigars on the nose, this wine is fleshy, ripe and rich with a good depth of flavor and length in the finish. Produced from a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot and reaching 13.5% alcohol, the wine represents 50% of the harvest, which took place from September 26 to October 16. The wine is being aged in 33% new French, oak barrels. 94 – 96 Pts

• Jacques DUPONT – Le POINT

Domaine de Chevalier Blanc 2015 

17. Floral, poire, ananas, bouche fraîche, élégante, tendue, vive, belle acidité, plein, pêche blanche en finale. O = 2018 G = 15 ans

Domaine de Chevalier Rouge 2015

17. Fruits noirs, cassis, mûre, sucrosité, bouche ample, sensation de grande fraîcheur en milieu de bouche, bonne longueur, large et long, complet. O = 2022 G= 20 ans

• Antonio GALLONI – VINOUS

Domaine de Chevalier Blanc 2015 : 93-96

One of the clear wines of the vintage, the 2015 Domaine de Chevalier Blanc is a stunner. Rich and intense, yet also finely cut, the 2015 dazzles from the very first taste. A host of lemon confit, white peach and slate notes race across the palate. Remarkably fresh and vivid, the 2015 offers an alluring interplay of textural creaminess and energy. I imagine the 2015 will age effortlessly for decades, as these wines do. The 2015 is 70% Sauvignon Blanc and 30% Sémillon, fermented in barrel, with blocked malo. Domaine de Chevalier's Blanc remains a reference point, perhaps the reference point, for dry white wine in Bordeaux. Don't miss it!

 Domaine de Chevalier Rouge 2015 : 93-96

The 2015 Domaine de Chevalier is one of the most striking wines of the year. Weightless, powerful and intense, the 2015 possesses crystalline delineation and precision from the very first taste. Bright red stone fruit, pomegranate, chalk and mint are some of the signatures. In the last of my four tastings, the Domaine de Chevalier showed tremendous richness and intensity as well. It will be interesting to see where the 2015 ends up. The future certainly looks bright. In 2015 the blend is 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot. The wine will see around 35% new oak. Stéphane Dernonourt and his team consult on the red. Tasted four times.

• Neal MARTIN – E-RobertParker.com

Domaine de Chevalier Blanc 2015 

The 2015 Domaine de Chevalier Blanc, which is matured in around 40% new oak, has a refined bouquet with gooseberry, lime, almond and grapefruit aromas, the oak neatly interwoven, gradually unfolding in the glass yet remaining focused. The palate has an almost flinty opening, very edgy but not shrill, a tensile and linear Domaine de Chevalier Blanc that is driven by the acidity, touches of crustacea coming through on the energetic finish. There is a twist of sour lemon and chalk popping up on the aftertaste. This is a great, intellectual, comparatively more reserved white from Olivier Bernard. 92-94

 Domaine de Chevalier Rouge 2015

The 2015 Domaine de Chevalier is a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot picked from 23 September until 15 October at just 35 hl/ha, matured in 35% new oak. It has a sophisticated bouquet that is more reserved than its peers. It possesses one of the most precise, detailed aromatic profiles that I have encountered from this estate, wonderfully poised with black fruit, incense and cold stone. It has wonderful focus and class. The palate is medium-bodied with very fine tannin, very complex with lightly peppered black fruit. What marks this Domaine de Chevalier is the reserve and precision on the finish, a wine that is holding something back for its secondary evolution, a salinity that beckons you back for another sip. What a fabulous, intellectual wine from Olivier Bernard. Expect four decades of drinking pleasure - probably more - given my experience of ancient vintages. Tasted three times with consistent notes. 95-97

• Michel BETTANE

Domaine de Chevalier Rouge 2015 

 [18-18,5/20] Très racé, sur la fraîcheur. Remarquablement raffiné sur le plan aromatique et élégant dans sa texture et sa suite en bouche, un vin de haute civilisation, pour amateur qui aime avant tout la finesse. Au moins aussi intéressant que 2009 ou 2010.

• Bernard BURTSCHY – Le FIGARO

Domaine de Chevalier Blanc 2015 

Un Chevalier de belle maturité avec une matière dense, ample et bien équilibrée, dominée par la pomme verte et les arômes citronnés du sauvignon cueilli à parfaite maturité. Comme toujours, le sémillon se fait plus discret à ce stade. D’une grande élégance, le vin est parti pour un grand avenir, mais il ne faudra pas être trop pressé pour le déguster. Ce type de millésime ne sera vraiment à son apogée que dans une dizaine d’années. Si les grands bourgognes blancs étaient élaborés avec cette maîtrise technique, ils domineraient le monde des blancs comme le fait depuis de nombreuses années le Domaine de Chevalier. 5-20 ans. 18/20

Domaine de Chevalier Rouge 2015 

La robe est grenat sombre. Chevalier se présente avec un beau nez de grande noblesse composé de notes fumées et de cèdre sur fond de cassis. Le vin est dense, élégant, il possède de la classe et de la complexité avec une finale éblouissante. Le grand vin représente 50% de la récolte. 65% cabernet-sauvignon, 30% merlot, 5% petit-verdot. 3-20 ans. 18,5 /20

• Yves BECK - BECKUSTATOR

Domaine de Chevalier Blanc 2015 

Domaine de Chevalier 2015 Jaune doré. Bouquet élégant et fruité avec des note d'agrumes, fleurs de sureau. En bouche, le vin a du fruit, de l'intensité et de la structure. Bonne intensité aromatique. Un vin bien racé et persistant en finale. Attendre. 2018-2030 92-94/100

Domaine de Chevalier Rouge 2015 

Domaine de Chevalier 2015 Rouge rubis violacé. Bouquet très expressif, avec une belle intensité fruitée et des épices. Notes de thé noir, framboise, cassis, cannelle et cacao. La mise en bouche est également marquée par le fruit et la fraîcheur. Le vin a du corps, du gras et des tannins puissants qui se révèlent lentement. Ils sont en accord avec la structure acide et, surtout, parés pour porter le vin pendant quelques décennies. Le vin a de la race, du jus et une belle intensité fruitée en finale. Il faudra savoir patienter. 2023-2048 94-96/100

• Izak LITWAR – GREAT BORDEAUX WINES

Domaine de Chevalier Blanc 2015 :       As always refined and sophisticated, excellent acidity, complexity and structure. Slightly under 2014 vintage in quality. 96p

Domaine de Chevalier Rouge 2015 :      Splendid fruit and acidity, silky fruit and tannin, great complexity and long finish. 95+p.

 

• TERRE DE VINS – Laure GOY

Domaine de Chevalier Blanc 2015 : 18 /20

La rencontre entre la douceur et la puissance. La chair de pêche blanche et de vivacité très granny-smith s’éveille tout de suite au nez, suivie par des notes florales tous azimuts. La bouche est grande, le volume et la vivacité enrobent le palais, la salinité se déploie, soutenue par une amertume maîtrisée. Un vrai « chibaley », chevalier en gascon, cher à la propriété.

Domaine de Chevalier Rouge 2015 : 18,5 /20

Ce cru classé de Graves monte sur le podium. Flatteur, très gelée de framboise, jus de cassis, chair de cerise noire, soutenu par des touches épicées. Le fruit semble intact en bouche, la matière ciselée. Une allure de marathonien, qui ne craint ni le temps ni la distance, bien au contraire.

• Roger VOSS – WINE ENTHUSIAST

Domaine de Chevalier Blanc 2015 : 93–95. Barrel Sample. While it is a little subdued at this stage, it is obvious that this will be an opulent, rich and generous wine. Hints of pear and yellow fruits are cut with tight citrus at the end. 94 Points

Domaine de Chevalier Rouge 2015 : 94–96. Barrel Sample. This wine is ripe and smooth, with a concentrated blueberry character. It is a powerful wine with excellent rich fruitiness sustained by dense tannins. 95 Points

 

• René GABRIEL

Domaine de Chevalier blanc 2015 :

Domaine de Chevalier rouge : 18/20

• Jacques PERRIN – VINIFERA

Domaine de Chevalier blanc 2015 * * * *

Nez cristallin, magnifique, notes minérales, balsamiques, menthe fraîche, fleurs blanches. Corps au diapason, avec une belle tension et de l’énergie. Élancé dans sa forme, très belle finale complexe

Domaine de Chevalier Rouge 2015 * * * *

Nez étincelant, d’une grande pureté d’expression. Corps aux articulations très fines et précises, sur une texture gracieuse et un tanin magistral. Bouquet très fin, subtil, sur des notes de pin, de fruits rouges. Corps mince, très élégant, profondément savoureux, à la très belle finale ciselée.

• BERRY BROS & Rud

Domaine de Chevalier blanc 2015 

This is a marvellously intense white wine. There is terrific depth and length on offer here. Lovely touches of butter and floral aromas dominate the nose. The palate is really flavoursome, but there is some quite obvious poise and elegance. It is multi-layered and very appealing indeed, some earthy notes are evident, followed by a long, clean finish. Rich, lovely, and classic white Bordeaux, I love the gravelly freshness. 17

Domaine de Chevalier Rouge 2015 

The creamy blackberry nose on offer here is wonderfully attractive. There is great harmony, structure, and a lovely concentration of pure, mineral cassis fruit. There is a cool stone character here on the palate which is lovely and fresh. A hallmark of the vintage. Harmony, ripe, fleshy fruit and gorgeous juice is all present. This is such a delicate wine. Classy, elegant. Utterly elegant in fact. This is really gentle, approachable and so, so pure. A fantastic wine, this is a must-buy from the vintage. 16,5

Domaine de Chevalier 2013, tasted by James SUCKLING: "phenomenal white" (98), "excellent" red (93)

Two years after En Primeur tasting, James Suckling has tasted the 2013 vintage now available.

February 10th, 2016:

DOMAINE DE CHEVALIER BLANC 2013  PESSAC-LÉOGNAN TASTING NOTE
Score 98
This is a phenomenal white with super density and energy. Full body, yet incredibly agile and intense. Fabulous character of salt, mineral and shells. Hints of tannin too. Dried white peach. Pear and apple. Super subtle character. 70% sauvignon blanc and 30% semillon. Great wine. A wine for the future but so great now.

DOMAINE DE CHEVALIER ROUGE 2013 PESSAC-LÉOGNAN TASTING NOTE
Score 93
This is excellent. Blueberry, black currant and stone aromas and flavors. Medium body, lovely density, fine tannins and a bright finish. A triumph for the vintage. Drink or hold.

 

All the notes (400 bordeaux wines tasted) on JamesSuckling.com

1985 Domaine de Chevalier white, by Bernard Burtschy

Bernard Burtschy currently tastes the "vintages in 5" (tasting organized by Maison Duclot). Here is his comment for white Domaine de Chevalier 1985:

"Always in the series in 5, organized by Duclot, dry whites are dominated by a huge Domaine de Chevalier 1985. There are not many wines in France, including Burgundy, and even in the world that are superior to this wine. "

 

Facebook  Bernard Burtschy

Le Figaro Vin

London: vertical tasting at Bonhams Restaurant (Chevalier 1929 to 1976)

Merci à Sara Guiducci et Corney & Barrow pour le récit de cette très belle dégustation verticale, à Londres au Bonhams Restaurant sur la cuisine de Tom Kemble.
Many thanks Sara for this report about a beatiful moment shared with great people ! O.B. :-)

DOMAINE de CHEVALIER Blanc 1976, 1975, 1967, 1966, 1964, 1962.

DOMAINE de CHEVALIER Rouge 1960, 1961, 1959, 1955, 1953, 1952, 1929

(Menu at the bottom of the page)

 

May 21, 2015

Domaine de Chevalier Vertical: Drinking history…

By Sara Guiducci

The place: Bonhams new restaurant (more about that later).
The wines: a vertical of Domaine de Chevalier.

Blanc – 1986, 1976, 1975, 1970, 1967, 1966, 1964 and 1962
Rouge – 1964, 1961, 1960, 1959, 1955, 1953, 1952, 1947, 1929

All the wines were generously donated by a private collector. This could easily have become a Bacchanalian celebration of labels, but instead this was a wine-lovers’ feast. Many in the group are loosely connected to the trade and passionate about sharing great bottles for the sheer enjoyment of drinking old wine.

I had been suffering from an unhealthy bout of food-poisoning and was still feeling slightly unwell, but nothing was going to stop me attending this tasting. Without doubt it was the most comprehensible tasting of Domaine de Chevalier that I will ever attend and the setting was all about enjoyment and learning rather than label drinking.

Olivier Bernard, owner of Domaine de Chevalier and president of the Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux, joined us for the evening.

Olivier, who arrived at the Domaine in 1983, has a wonderful Burgundian-esque approach to life and this is reflected in his vision for his wines. Not only has he retained the word ‘Domaine’ rather than ‘Chateau’, but his personal cellar contains a large selection of non-Bordeaux. He lacks the slick marketing touch of many Bordelais. Direct and down-to earth, he happily acknowledges what he can do better and his enjoyment of wine is infectious.

Olivier describes the Graves as being divided in two: those near the river and those near the (pine) forest.

Those near the forest, like Domaine de Chevalier, are on sandy soil deprived of nutrients and with high acid levels from the pine-trees. The forest also changes the temperature and even in the height of summer it is usually cold at night. This recipe of deprived soil, high acidity and diurnal differences makes it an unique terroir for white wine.

It can be more difficult for red wine. The combination of high acid and cool weather means that Olivier always risks harvesting late – already budbreak is 15 days ahead at Haut-Brion. The high acidity and poor soil are also responsible for producing tiny berries, with naturally intense flavours adding to complexity of flavor.

Bonhams has just opened a new restaurant on the aptly named ‘Haunch of Venison Yard’ (just behind Bond Street). The setting is very minimalist, but the food is outstanding and definitely worth a visit (open Mon-Friday breakfast and lunch). The chef Tom Kemble has arrived with experience at Hedone.

We tasted a vertical of the white: 1976, 1975, 1967, 1966, 1964 and 1962 followed by a starter of Cornish Crab with advocado, fennel, blood orange and dashi jelly accompanied by 1986 and 1970 Domaine de Chevalier Blanc (both en magnum). Then a break with a tasting of Domaine de Chevalier Rouge 1960, 1961, 1959, 1955, 1953, 1952, 1929 followed by a main course of roast squab pigeon with crapaudine beetroot, baby turnip, picked cherry and offal sauce accompanied by 1964 Domaine de Chevalier Rouge and a magnum of 1947.

The roast squab pigeon is among the best dishes that I have had in recent times and I would heartily recommend it.

Favourite whites: 1975, 1964 and 1986
Favourite Reds: 1960, 1959, 1952, 1947, 1929

Domaine de Chevalier Blanc Tasting…

1976 DOMAINE DE CHEVALIER BLANC

The only wine in a green bottle (rest in brown glass). The nose showed oxidative notes and was very developed with notes of green samphire. On the palate there is a lift of something sweet on the front with noticeable tannins and a drying finish. Very developed and verging on the oxidative. The dark colour is due to the heat of the vintage.

1975 DOMAINE DE CHEVALIER BLANC

A total contrast to 1975 and fresh as if bottled only a few weeks ago. There is a flowery lift on the nose with sweet rounded almond notes and fresh hay on the palate and a rush of energy on the mid-palate. Great freshness and great vigour. Wow.

1967 DOMAINE DE CHEVALIER BLANC

A Berry Bros & Rudd label. Pale colour, good freshness. Sadly cork taint.

1966 DOMAINE DE CHEVALIER BLANC

A slight dustiness on the nose with white pepper and white orchid notes. It opens in the glass with white blossom and a touch of parmesan cheese dipper in honey. Good freshness. A hint of taint.

1964 DOMAINE DE CHEVALIER BLANC

An extra-ordinary white. On the nose there are note of hay and fresh grass, hints of soft brie. On the palate there is restraint and elegance with a subtle perfume of honeydew, lilies, almonds verging on the spice. Textural with a feathery weight.

1962 DOMAINE DE CHEVALIER BLANC

Very developed. The darkest of all the wines (except 1976).

With starters…

1986 DOMAINE DE CHEVALIER BLANC EN MAGNUM

Totally fresh, with spritely green notes and white almond aromas. It seems impossible that this is almost 30 years old. Gorgeous texture, exhilarating freshness giving spine and structure to the wine.

1970 DOMAINE DE CHEVALIER BLANC EN MAGNUM

Darker than the 1986 with a smoky nutty nose. It has the freshness and energy of Domaine Chevalier, but feels a little clumsy compared to the 1986.

Domaine de Chevalier Rouge Tasting

1960 DOMAINE DE CHEVALIER ROUGE

A Grierson Oldham and Adams bottling, that I have never seen before. Pale ruby in the glass with an exceptional clarity This was made with pure Cabernet and was described by many as the Burgundy of the night. A Burgundian nose of undergrowth, heather, leather with dried herbs and a sweet texture. With old wine, people speak in bottles and this was an exceptional bottle of 1960.

1961 DOMAINE DE CHEVALIER ROUGE

A famous vintage as May frost reduced the crop naturally concentrating yields. Unlike many of the great vintages of the 20th century, this does not have the notes of a hot vintage. There is sweet fruit, with a fragility and lace-like texture and gorgeous duvet cosines.

1959 DOMAINE DE CHEVALIER ROUGE

The warmth of the vintage is abundantly noticeable on the nose with sweet ripe soft fruit notes and roasted figs. The colour was very pale, but the palate was intense and fleshy and kept evolving. Layers of savoury earthy, intertwined with bramle leaf, raspberry fruit and almost liquid liquorice. No rush to drink and possibly wine of the night considering how it keeps evolving.

1955 DOMAINE DE CHEVALIER ROUGE

A Barton & Guestier bottling. On the nose this was slightly oxidsed and a more distinct brown colour than the others. On the palate there was a surprising sweetness with notes of caramel and bouquet garni with only hints of the mushrooms so obvious on the nose. With silky tannins this showed more charm than the 1953.

1953 DOMAINE DE CHEVALIER ROUGE

Pale garnet, this was quite similar to the 1955 but with a more noticeable tannin structure. This continued to open in the glass and develop and though it picked up weight, the slightly drying tannins added a rusticity to the wine.

1952 DOMAINE DE CHEVALIER ROUGE

The surprise of the night! The cork had fallen into the bottle and my expectations may have been a little low. Fallen in love with this was wine a surprise. It was very pale with a browning at the rim but vibrancy to the colour. Layers of sweet fruit with a voluptuous texture and savoury richness, hints of tobacco with a velvety structure and huge intensity that just grows and grows. In Oliver Bernard’s words ‘a great bottle of 1952…it is all about the individual bottle….’

1929 DOMAINE DE CHEVALIER ROUGE

I confess to being a wine romantic and love the quote from Clifton Fadiman ‘To take wine into our mouths is to savor a droplet of the river of human history’. 1929 captures the heat of the vintage, but also captures history. A time between two great wars; it heralds the end of the roaring 20s and the time of the first banking collapse. In colour it is not dissimilar to 1959. On the nose wonderfully soft sweet notes, with savoury spice, tobacco and richness on the palate, framed by a chalky tannic structure that seem surprisingly firm for its age. A good bottle in a great vintage.

With main course…

(Did I mention the roast squab pigeon? It was amazing… I just wish I had had more appetite.)

1964 DOMAINE DE CHEVALIER ROUGE

Very closed on the nose with rich glycerol on the palate and a distinct cabernet mintiness. The Graves missed the heavy rain of the Medoc and this is a great vintage for late-pickers in Graves. It is a powerful, almost new world-like. The second bottle opened had a more open and perfumed nose and the palate was more playful, with medium intensity and firm tannins. A more complete bottle.

1947 DOMAINE DE CHEVALIER ROUGE EN MAGNUM

A rarity to find this vintage, even rarer to find this in magnum. A real treat. Despite its age, this kept evolving over the two hours. It was sweet, powerful with a magnificent intensity. Notes of white spice, savoury spice, sous bois yet also fresh menthol, a core of raspberry fruit all were weaving in and out of the glass. There is a gorgeous indulgence to the texture, but with an underlying elegance and persistent length. As my neighbor at the table said ‘our language is not subtle enough to convey’.