Domaine de Chevalier Rouge, Grand Cru Classé, 2023
Olivier Bernard's wonderful Domaine de Chevalier 2023 is drop dead gorgeous. As ever, Olivier favours a genteel, natural style with a calm delivery. Beautiful aromatics of spiced berried, creme de mûre, violets, cigar wrappers and loamy earth emanate from the glass. There's plenty of volume to the core of creamy, dark, mulberry fruit with hints of dried raspberry that leads to charming, creamy tannins, which give the impression of a gentle hand on the tiller. This is a really lovely, fluid and cohesive Domaine de Chevalier. Glorious. 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot and 5% Cabernet Franc
critic reviews
The 2023 Domaine de Chevalier has a deep garnet-purple color. It is a little broody and oaky to start, needing coaxing to bring out a gorgeous core of black cherries, redcurrants, and cassis, with underlying hints of violets and forest floor. The medium to full-bodied palate has a solid frame of firm, grainy tannins and bright acidity supporting the muscular fruit, finishing long and minerally. The blend is 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot, and 5% Cabernet Franc.
Always one of the benchmark wines of a vintage, and here showcasing the quality of Cabernet Sauvignon in 2023 (as well as the potential for varying yields, as they are down at 30hl/h here). Well balanced, great depth of ink, cassis, bilberry and damson fruits, rises through the palate, with tannic grip and plenty of grilled but carefully judged oak. A great Chevalier, not perhaps at the very top of recent vintages here, but one that will give huge amounts of pleasure, and captures the great classicsm of the year. 35% new oak for ageing, Bernard family owners.
The 2023 Domaine de Chevalier was picked from September 7 to 30 and contains 13% alcohol. This is quintessential "DdC" on the nose: black fruit, sous-bois and hints of black olive at first, subtle marine notes emerging with time in the glass. There’s wonderful focus and delineation. The palate is medium-bodied with pencil-shaving-tinged black fruit on the entry. Perhaps a bit grippier with more spine than one would expect (especially following the more sensual 2022), this is very traditional in style, with a tremendously long and satisfying saline finish. Superb.
The 2023 Domaine de Chevalier reveals a perfumed, incipiently complex bouquet of dark wild berries, cassis, rose petals, spices and licorice. Medium to full-bodied, concentrated and rich, with a fleshy core of fruit framed by powdery tannins and bright acids, it concludes with a long, saline, gently oak-inflected finish. This blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot and 5% Cabernet Franc is maturing in 40% new barrels.