Domaine de Chevalier Rouge, Grand Cru Classé, 2018
If Olivier Bernard's Domaine de Chevalier Rouge has been pushed into third place by Smith Haut Lafitte and Haut Bailly in 2009 and 2010, it has turned the tables in 2011. This definitely has the edge over its rivals, with more juicy fruit and better extraction. Produced from 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot, notes of herbs, bramble and sweet red berries bound from the glass. There is an old fashioned classism here, but it really is so charming and one falls in love with the juicy, enticing character and the grippy tannins. Solidly made and will enthral people who like proper Claret.
critic reviews
Domaine de Chevalier 2018 is deep garnet purple in color. It is a little closed to begin with emerging scents of warm cassis, blackberry preserves, and Morello cherries, plus hints of menthol, spice cake, and cedar. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has a velvety texture and plenty of freshness supporting the generous fruit, finishing with a minty kick.
A blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot, aged for approximately 18 months in oak barriques, 35% new, the 2018 Domaine de Chevalier has a deep garnet-purple color, pouncing out of the glass with energetic scents of crushed blackcurrants, fresh, juicy blackberries and ripe plums, with suggestions of crushed rocks, bay leaves, unsmoked cigars and lavender. The medium to full-bodied palate is packed with muscular black fruits, framed by firm, ripe, grainy tannins and great tension, finishing long and mineral laced. Give it another 4 years in bottle to flesh out and drink it over the next 25+ years.
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.