News from Domaine de Chevalier

The Domaine de Chevalier chooses technological cork

10 years ago, we started experimenting technological cork. 

At first we implemented this solution with rosés, then l’Esprit de Chevalier, Domaine de La Solitude, Château Lespault Martillac, Clos des Lunes, Château Suau (2nd Cru Classé Barsac…).

A few thousand bottles in the first place, and then due to the success, the number quickly increased. 

In the past 10 years, we did not receive any negative feedback on this corking system.

Through all the comparative wine tasting, results have always been in favor of technological cork :

• excellent organoleptic regularity

•  T.C.A taint free ("cork taint"), no sensorial deviations
• absence of premature oxidation phenomenon that may affect white wines

 

So, we decided to extend technological cork to our “Grands Vins”.

We did so, last year, with 100 % of the Domaine de Chevalier Blanc for the 2015 vintage. And this year with with the Domaine de Chevalier Rouge and Blanc 2016 (Diam 30)

Olivier BERNARD

2016 Harvests: Video Release by Olivier BERNARD

2016: a historical and generous vintage, here is why...

Harvests seen from the sky at CLOS des LUNES - 4K video

Harvest at CLOS des LUNES - Land of Sauternes seen from the sky...

Dry white harvests at CLOS des LUNES our vineyard in the "Sauternais". The team shot by drone, at work picking in a beautiful day, the weather conditions that prevailed during all those 2016 harvests.

Many thanks to the harvesters led by Hugo Bernard with Thomas Meilhan and Jonathan Fléchard.

Footages: Frédéric Lot and Bruno Casadebaig (Yes my deer - drone) _ Editing and Directing: F. Lot

First Juice 2015 !

A first wave of picking this morning in the Sauvignon plots. The pickers harvested 64 crates of beautiful, perfectly ripe white grapes, between 8 and 9:45.

Analysis of this first selection: 13.5 °. PH 3.
Thomas Stonestreet (technical director) Nicolas Gougelet (cellar master) and Olivier Bernard taste the juices that flow from our first press of the 2015 vintage.

 

Devatting...

Picking is far now: Fall colours in the vineyard, and already the time of devatting...      

Drone: Domaine de Chevalier seen from the sky, full version - and now, Fly!

Last week, You've discovered the clip and the making-Of.

Here is the full version of those beautiful pictures made by a drone during 2012 harvests (Mid-October).

We invite you to fly over the Domaine, and the pickers, into the cellar, through the vats, and the tasting room.

Domaine de Chevalier seen from the sky: Drone Video Clip

Yesterday we were talking about an "unusual machine" flying over Domaine de Chevalier, it's time to discover our property as you've never seen it. 

(Video drone Air Vision 33 - Video Editing : Frédéric Lot)

Flying over the pickers, and then into the cellars...

In less than 15 days will start Vinexpo, the great World Wine Week in Bordeaux. During this period we will welcome many friends from all over the world.

With the proximity of this international event, we are pleased to introduce to all our friends and followers on social media some views shot by an "unusual machine" during the last harvest. After flying over the pickers, it came into the cellars…

Here is a “making-of” in our cellars captured with a smartphone by a rather amazed spectator...

 

Very good surprise with 2012 vintage - S.C. Domaine de Chevalier

VERY GOOD SURPRISE WITH 2012 VINTAGE

Great Dry White.  Very good Red

A rainy spring was welcome after two years of strong drought. Risks of diseases (mildew ….) have been checked with preventive works by a very good technique strategy. A long period of flowering created a serious heterogeneity which was homogenized by precise green works all along July and August.

Finally we had a wonderful summer after an hesitant July but lightly rainy (in terms of quantity). Growing cycle stopped early August. Ripening period (August-October) was fully sunny without any drop of rain.

Such conditions have been excellent to clean the vineyard. We observed high sugar potential and very good acidity (quality of gravely and clayey soils) together with high level of tannins in red skins.

Our 40 ha white vineyard (All properties) have all been handpicked and selected by lots between 12/09 and 5/10. Climatic conditions were perfect and we get sumptuous different lots. Alcoholic fermentation was mainly in barrels. No malolactic. These several sortings gave more than 65 lots. They are all characterized by: aromatic intensity, roundness, freshness, power an vivacity.  Fine lees maturation will increase elegance and complexity. The quantity of different lots permitted us to blend on each property with great precision. Now we are sure of a great dry white vintage 2012.

Our 80 ha red vineyard (all properties) was also handpicked in a short time between 9/10 and 18/10. The difficulty  in 2012 was the lack of homogeneity between technic maturity(sugar-acid) and phenolic maturity(skins): Quality of aromas and tannins are fundamental to success a vintage. We had to be able to wait for optimal ripening to get soft skins. High risk of this late date was grey rot but our vineyards were very clean because of summer preparation work. Finally we have picked rich and ripe fruits with very fine tannins.

We have made two wonderful wines: Pulpy, fruity, fresh, rich, tasty, structured and very fine. In late December the malos were almost completed, another qualitative sign of high-quality red vintage red.The result is more than we could expect.     R.E.

Yields :

50 hl/ha en blanc sec Pessac-Léognan

41 hl/ha en Bordeaux blanc sec

38.5hl/ha en rouge Pessac-Léognan

骑士酒庄，蛋形酿酒桶（Taransaud橡木桶公司出品）与黄金分割率

蛋形酿酒桶是由Taransaud木桶公司按照黄金分割比例制造的，该比例为((1+√5)/2)，其数值约为1,618。

这一比例我们可在桶上的那些圆的直径间的关系比例上找到（为了建造这一蛋形酿酒桶，需要用三个圆来设计它的制造方案）。

为了配合这一蛋形酿酒桶，使之能够与周围的环境和谐一致，我们依据这一神奇比例，专门为它建造了一个五边形的基座。

这一形状可以促进发酵过程中液体的自然对流，以及酒脚的自然混合，并使之能够沿着酒桶内壁不断的流动。

在骑士酒庄内诞生了世界上第一款由蛋形酿酒桶生产的葡萄酒--2011年白葡萄酒，该款葡萄酒是在蛋形酿酒桶内发酵，并在其内进行了带酒脚陈酿。

我们将会向您及时通告该款酒的最新消息。

影像资料