2020 Domaine de Chevalier
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Tasting Notes
Could this be the best Domaine de Chevalier yet? This is beautiful. It’s fresh and pure, with remarkable concentration – with a firm and solid core of dark blackcurrant fruit. The palate offers crystal clear blackberry fruit in waves, a vibrant crunch of red fruit, with an almost sour cherry note. There’s so much going on – with layers of herbs, cedar, toasty spice all adding complexity. There’s a lovely chalky texture to the tannins, which are fine and ripe, softly melded but with a velveteen grip. There’s a creaminess to the finish that makes this feels quite voluptuous. Aristocratic.
Critic Scores
Average Score
James Suckling
James Lawther MW, jancisrobinson.com
More reviews and scores
Concentrated ruby red colour, a little subdued on the nose, built with structure and power, concentrated and should age well. Classical, powerful, not exuberant, an impressive Chevalier that has tannins and fruit and freshness, nothing shouting too loud. As it opens, you see a peony floral edge that is very attractive. Easily among the best in Pessac. A yield of 38hl/ha.
The 2020 Domaine de Chevalier is going to need a number of years to unwind. Rich, heady and super-concentrated, the 2020 is so impressive, right out of the gate. Crushed rocks, rose petal, cedar, pomegranate and mint all build as the 2020 shows off its vibrant, layered personality. Domaine de Chevalier remains one of the most under the radar wines in all of Bordeaux. The 2020 is an absolutely brilliant effort from Olivier Bernard and his team. Tasted two times.
The 2020 Domaine de Chevalier, which was cropped at 38hl/ha, is deep purple with glints of blue. The bouquet is very clean, precise and focused, not dissimilar to the impressive Malartic Lagravière that I tasted alongside, touches of wet granite and truffle emerging with time. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-grained tannins. This Domaine de Chevalier has a deeply impressive structure counterbalanced by equally impressive freshness and elegance, fanning out wonderfully on the finish, which is very persistent. Just a shade off the outstanding 2019... perhaps.
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About the producer
Since buying the property in 1983, the Bernard family has cemented Domaine de Chevalier’s reputation as one of the Graves’s finest red and white wine producers, known for their sophisticated and elegant wines.