- Colour Red
- Producer Domaine de Chevalier
- Region Pessac-Léognan
- Grape Cabernet Sauvignon / Merlot / Cabernet Franc
- Drinking 2026 - 2040
- Case size 6x75cl
- Available Now
2018 - Domaine de Chevalier Grand Cru Classé Pessac-Léognan - 6x75cl
- Colour Red
- Producer Domaine de Chevalier
- Region Pessac-Léognan
- Grape Cabernet Sauvignon / Merlot / Cabernet Franc
- Drinking 2026 - 2040
- Case size 6x75cl
- Available Now
Select pricing type
Need help? Call +44 (0)20 7793 7900 or email wine@goedhuis.com.
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Goedhuis, April 2019, Score: 95-97
The moment we saw the smile on owner Olivier Bernard’s face as we arrived at his property, we knew we were in for a treat. We were not to be disappointed. This is not only one of the sweet spots for the appellation but also one of the highlights of the vintage. Full of dark bramble fruits, it is bright and lively with a lovely fresh fruit character that flows through the palate. It is completely at ease, composed and yet confident with its careful richness of fruit and svelte like tannic grip sitting just underneath. A wine which will give huge pleasure throughout its life, young and old. Olivier feels this may have pushed his previous favourite vintage 2010 off its pedestal and we will not argue with that.
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Neal Martin, March 2021, Score: 94
Here is another wine that needed aeration to really show its mettle, albeit not as much as others. The 2018 Domaine de Chevalier initially comes across a little ordinary. You ask yourself: What’s the fuss all about? But after 60–90 minutes it reveals an absolutely divine nose of raspberry, crushed rose petals, wild mint and Provençal herbs, beautifully defined and gaining intensity with each passing moment. The palate is very well balanced, the predominantly red fruit framed by fine tannins that provide the backbone to this Domaine de Chevalier, yet the overriding impression is one of elegance and finesse. An utterly sublime Pessac-Léognan that is going to give a lot of pleasure over the coming years. Drink 2023-2045
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Antonio Galloni, April 2019, Score: 94-97
The 2018 Domaine de Chevalier is magnificent. Bright, lifted and wonderfully nuanced, the 2018 has so much to offer. Olivier Bernard turned out a dazzling Domaine de Chevalier in 2018 that speaks to precision and nuance above all else. Rose petal, mint, savory herbs and crushed rocks add striking aromatic top notes to this stunning, breathtakingly beautiful wine. The tannins need time to soften, but I doubt readers will be in a rush. The 2018 is simply majestic - that's all there is to it. The blend is 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 2% Petit Verdot. Tasted three times.
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Wine Advocate, April 2019, Score: 94-96+
This wine is a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, and 5% Petit Verdot to be aged for approximately 18 months in oak barriques, 35% new. Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2018 Domaine de Chevalier starts a little closed before bounding out of the glass with bold expressions of fresh blackcurrants, kirsch, black raspberries and fragrant earth plus nuances of lilacs, Sichuan pepper and menthol. Medium to full-bodied, the palate maintains elegance and sophistication, with a lovely ripe, finely grained frame and plenty of freshness to back up the floral and black fruit layers, finishing long and perfumed.
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James Suckling, April 2019, Score: 99-100
Wow. I can’t get over the pureness of fruit in this wine with so much currant, tar and wet-earth character. Flowers, too. So aromatic. Full body, yet pureness and brightness of fruit. Layered. Incredible depth and beauty. 65 per cent cabernet sauvignon, 30 per cent merlot and 5 per cent petit verdot. Greatest ever?
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Decanter, April 2019, Score: 96
These guys clearly know what they are doing, and they keep doing it. This wine is consistent even in difficult years but in years like this, where they have the room to manoeuvre, it really shines. This is great stuff, with lovely freshness to the deep fruit flavours. There is persistency and plenty of slate and freshly cut herbs to stack up against the juicy, concentrated fruit. It's a powerful, well handled and confident wine but doesn't push too hard. One-third new oak. Drinking Window 2027 - 2040
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Matthew Jukes, April 2019, Score: 17.5+
There is no doubt that this is a classy wine and it is certainly well-structured, but there is a tender mulberry tone in the core which signals a degree of complexity to it and even though the tannins are fairly rustic, they are sure to calm, too.
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Wine Spectator, April 2019, Score: 94-97
This is flashy, with mesquite, licorice, black tea and fruitcake aromatics leading the way to a frankly ripe core of steeped raspberry and plum flavors. Seems pretty liberal with the toast, but this has what it needs to come together in the end.
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Julia Harding, April 2019, Score: 17.5+
Black core, cherry rim. Subtle and scented on the nose, even though it looks like a big wine. When I tasted this two days later, it was more open and rich on first impression. Plenty of oak on the nose, as you might expect at this stage. Crushed stones entwined with black, black fruit. Relative to the vintage, this has real tenderness on the palate, the finest of dry tannins and a finish that leaves your mouth clean, as 75% chocolate does. Very impressive. Drink 2025-2038
Producer
Domaine de Chevalier
Known for its exquisite Graves finesse, this property has been owned by Olivier Bernard since 1983. Consulting oenologist, Stéphane Dérononcourt was hired some years back which has contributed to the fresh and clean style. Meticulous parcel selection enables their grand vin to be the best representation of their impressive terroir.
Region
Pessac-Léognan
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.
