2021 - 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 - 2042
Case size 6x75cl
Available En Primeur

Please note: These wines are lying abroad until shipping and can only be purchased In Bond. If you are an existing Private Reserves customer, the wine will be automatically transferred on arrival. Otherwise, you will be contacted on arrival in the UK to arrange delivery, In Bond storage in Private Reserves or another bonded warehouse.

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Neal Martin, April 2022, Score: 93-95

The 2021 Domaine de Chevalier was picked from September 28 until October 15 at 30hL/ha. Tobacco- and sous-bois-infused black fruit unfurl with a sense of assuredness on the nose, the best example, a third bottle toward the end of my tastings, being the most delineated. This has energy rather than horsepower. The palate is medium-bodied with pencil-lead-infused black fruit and a slightly powdery texture, certainly the most saline in recent years, leading to an almost Pauillac-inspired finish. Stylish and classic Domaine de Chevalier. Drink 2026 - 2055
Wine Advocate, April 2022, Score: 93-95

The 2021 Domaine de Chevalier is full of promise, bursting with aromas of dark berries and plums mingled with loamy soil, bay leaf, licorice, potpourri and spices. Medium to full-bodied, seamless and complete, its velvety attack segues into a lively, layered core, concluding with a long, nicely defined finish. Olivier Bernard doesn't think that this will surpass his 2018, but I tend to disagree. The 2021 is a blend of fully 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.
Antonio Galloni, April 2022, Score: 94-96

The 2021 Domaine de Chevalier was terrific both times I tasted it. Potent and driving, the 2021 dazzles with Cabernet Sauvignon intensity in its aromas, flavors and overall structure. Graphite, spice, menthol, spice, rose petals, mocha and flowers run through a core of red/purplish fruit. The Blanc gets most of the attention at Domaine de Chevalier, but these days I find the red more complete and more interesting. Drink 2031-2061
Goedhuis, April 2022, Score: 93-95

A compelling blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, this is a ripe and amply filled style. It has a crowd- pleasing richness of dark spices, vanilla pod, liquorice and dark fruits. Fleshy in the mid palate with plenty of substance. The tightly knit tannins give presence and distinction.
Wine Cellar Insider, April 2022, Score: 93-95

Deeply colored, initially you find flowers, black and dark red pit fruits, Indian spice, black pepper, cassis and black currants on the nose. On the palate, the wine is medium-bodied, sweet, fresh and round, as well as a bit chewy, with loads of ripe berries accented with espresso and cocoa in the endnote. The wine blends 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot and 5% Cabernet Franc, making this one of the highest percentages of Cabernet even used in the blend here. 13.% ABV. The harvest took place September 28 - October 15. Yields were low at only 30 hectoliters per hectare. The is the first vintage that was produced being 100% biodynamic in the vineyards. Drink from 2025-2048.
Matthew Jukes, April 2022, Score: 18

This is a superb 2021 with flamboyant fruit perfectly matched with careful oak and feisty tannins. I am very impressed because it shows more mid-palate integrity than many others in greater Graves. The notes are profound and accurate, and the length is uncommon. But, most importantly, the perfume is sensational, and it stands out from the crowd, not least because its grandeur and complexity are unmistakable.

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.