Het is in het laatste decennium dat we de grootste wijnen van Domaine de Chevalier hebben mogen aanschouwen. Diep robijnrood, frisse zwarte bessen en potlood in de neus met schilfertjes van zwarte truffel en tabak. Zacht, verfijnd en elegant met hinten naar ceder en zwarte bessen in de mond. De tannine is hemels zacht maar intens genoeg om het geheel een perfecte structuur te geven. Zoete vanilla en muscaat voegen daar nog complexiteit en zachtheid aan toe. Dit is Grand Vin. In stijl wordt 2015 een combinatie van de structuur van 2005 en de opulentie van 2009. Prachtige wijn dus! 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot en 5% Petit Verdot. 13,5%vol. Bravo!
IN DE PERS
95 Neal Martin - The Wine Advocate - robertparker.com (Maart 2018)
The 2015 Domaine de Chevalier has an enticing bouquet with very pure redcurrant, raspberry and blackberry notes, briary and cedar emerging later. This is wonderful and very seductive for anyone with a penchant for classic Pessac-Léognan. The palate is smooth and fleshy on the opening with silky tannin, plush red berry fruit with supremely well-integrated new oak. You could almost broach this now, such is its approachability, but it will surely improve over the next 20 or 30 years because its structure is discretely hidden at present. Anticipated maturity: 2020 - 2050.
95-97 Neal Martin – The Wine Advocate Issue #224 – robertparker.com (April 2016)
The 2015 Domaine de Chevalier is a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot picked from 23 September until 15 October at just 35 hl/ha, matured in 35% new oak. It has a sophisticated bouquet that is more reserved than its peers. It possesses one of the most precise, detailed aromatic profiles that I have encountered from this estate, wonderfully poised with black fruit, incense and cold stone. It has wonderful focus and class. The palate is medium-bodied with very fine tannin, very complex with lightly peppered black fruit. What marks this Domaine de Chevalier is the reserve and precision on the finish, a wine that is holding something back for its secondary evolution, a salinity that beckons you back for another sip. What a fabulous, intellectual wine from Olivier Bernard. Expect four decades of drinking pleasure - probably more - given my experience of ancient vintages. Tasted three times with consistent notes. Drink: 2022-2055.
96-97 James Suckling – jamessuckling.com (Maart 2016)
This shows class and finesse with ultra-fine tannins and succulent fruit. Full body yet elegant and long. Gorgeous wine. Such length. Vibrant and focused.
97 Antonio Galloni - vinous.com (Februari 2018)
One of the stars of the vintage, the 2015 Domaine de Chevalier has turned out even better than I expected. Bright floral notes give striking aromatic lift to the rich, sumptuous fruit. A marvelously complete wine, the 2015 is racy and silky on the palate, yet also has tremendous freshness. Bright red cherry, blood orange, white pepper, spice and dried flowers build into the super-expressive finish. The 2015 has been nothing less than stunning the three times I have tasted it so far. This is a tremendous showing from proprietor Olivier Bernard and his team. The blend is 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot. Tasted three times. Drink 2022-2045.
93-96 Antonio Galloni – Vinous - vinous.com (April 2016)
The 2015 Domaine de Chevalier is one of the most striking wines of the year. Weightless, powerful and intense, the 2015 possesses crystalline delineation and precision from the very first taste. Bright red stone fruit, pomegranate, chalk and mint are some of the signatures. In the last of my four tastings, the Domaine de Chevalier showed tremendous richness and intensity as well. It will be interesting to see where the 2015 ends up. The future certainly looks bright. In 2015 the blend is 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot. The wine will see around 35% new oak. Stéphane Dernonourt and his team consult on the red. Tasted four times.
95 Lisa Perrotti-Brown - The Wine Advocate - robertparker.com (Februari 2018)
The 2015 Domaine de Chevalier is composed of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot. It went through malolactic and aging on its lees during three months in 35% new, 35% one-year-old and 30% two-year-old barrels, with a total aging of 18 months. Medium to deep garnet-purple in color, it has lovely spiciness on the nose-Chinese five spice and black pepper-with a core of red and black cherries and smoked meats. Medium-bodied, finely crafted and refreshing, it's quite minerally in the mouth and persistent on the finish. Drink 2022-2042.
18/20 Jancis Robinson – jancisrobinson.com (April 2016)
Great tension and subtlety. Extremely savoury - almost salty - with freshness and ripeness. Not one of the deepest colours. Lovely appetising low-key classicism. Bravissimo à tous! Drink: 2024-2045.
91-94 James Molesworth - Wine Spectator – winespectator.com (Maart 2016)
Offers an open, easy feel. The creamy structure lets juicy plum and raspberry notes flow along and linger on the finish. Almost languid in character, and very suave.
96 Markus del Monego - tastingbook (April 2016)
95 Jane Anson - Decanter Magazine – decanter.com (April 2016)
Sexy burnish of charcoal-grilled rich black cherry fruit with firmly held tannins. A lovely wine – fairly high powered compared to some; this is one to cellar for a while. 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot, 2% Cabernet Franc, 33% new oak. Drink: 2025-2038.
18/20 René Gabriel – Wein Wisser (April 2016)
95 Roger Voss - Wine Enthusiast winemag.com (Februari 2018)
This wine is ripe, rich and generous. It brings out the almost-sweet character of the fruit in this vintage. At the same time, the tannins are firm and support all this fruitiness. The wine will develop well. Drink from 2024.
94-96 Roger Voss - Wine Enthusiast (April 2016)
18/20 Bettane & Desseauve (April 2016)
18-19/20 Revue des Vins de France (April 2016)
17/20 Le Point (April 2016)
17/20 Jean-Marc Quarin – quarin.com (April 2016)
92 Tim Atkin – timatkin.com (April 2016)
Outperformed (only just) by some of its neighbours in 2015, but Domaine de Chevalier is still hard to beat for value and consistency. Firm and smoky with a carapace of tannin concealing the plummy, fruitcake-like flavours beneath. The acidity brings freshness to the finish. Drink: 2022-2035.
Domaine de ChevalierIn 1983 kocht Olivier Bernard Domaine de Chevalier in Léognan van Claude Ricard. Hij runt het met zorg en inzicht. De witte wijn is een begrip in Bordeaux. Zijn bewaarpotentieel is geweldig. Vandaag bereikt ook de rode Domaine de Chevalier een kwaliteit ongezien sinds de jaren zestig. Laten we aannemen dat de laatste wijnjaren hun allerbeste zijn. Liefhebbers rekenen Domaine de Chevalier dan ook tot de voornaamste Châteaux van Pessac Léognan, samen met Haut Brion en La Mission Haut Brion, Haut Bailly, Smith Haut Lafitte, Pape Clément en Les Carmes Haut Brion. De prijs blijft bovendien redelijk. De getalenteerde Stéphane Derenoncourt is er consulent sinds 2002.
In de jaren 1980 en 1990 heeft hij de wijngaard heraangeplant op een densiteit van 10.000 wijnstokken per hectare. De gemiddelde leeftijd is nu 35 jaar en de wijnstokken komen op kruissnelheid. 55 hectare zijn beplant met rode variëteiten: 63-65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot aangevuld met Cabernet Franc en Petit Verdot. 7 hectare Graves op klei en een zanderige ondergrond net buiten Léognan is aangeplant met witte druiven op een densiteit van 10.000 wijnstokken per hectare: 75% Sauvignon en 25% Sémillon. De werkwijze in lutte raisonnée werd bio en biodynamisch.
BernardIn 1983 kocht Olivier Bernard Domaine de Chevalier in Léognan. De witte Domaine de Chevalier wordt al langer aanzien als één van de grootste droge witte wijnen van Bordeaux, en sinds 2002 herstelde hij ook het prestige van de rode wijn met de hulp van Stéphane Derenoncourt. Ondertussen werd hij mede-eigenaar van Château Guiraud in Sauternes samen met Stephan de Neipperg en de familie Peugeot, en vooral Matthieu Guflet. In 2011 startte hij een nieuw avontuur met Clos des Lunes in de Sauternais.
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