2012 Domaine de Chevalier, Rouge Cru Classe, Pessac-Leognan

Plenty of sliced apple and lemon character to this fresh wine. Full body, layered fruit and a tangy, almond and fruit aftertaste. Intense finish of stones, chalk and salt. Oyster shell, too. Needs time to come together. Tingling finish. Better in 2018. – jamessuckling.com, Feb 2016

A beautifully elegant and complex wine, with subtle notions of citrus, honeysuckle and tropical fruits, this medium-bodied, fresh, super-pure 2012 from Domaine de Chevalier should drink well for 30 or more years. The color is light straw with a greenish hue to it.


Robert Parker (Wine Advocate #218, April 2015)

Very floral and elegant with raspberry and blackcurrant fruit mixed with toasty oak/vanillin, followed by a medium to full-bodied, stylish, polished wine that is the quintessentially refined style of Pessac-Léognan. Nevertheless, the complexity and nuance has yet to fully emerge. This medium to full-bodied Domaine de Chevalier is poised for a bright future. It is tight and backward now, as well as restrained aromatically, but everything is there for the future. Forget it for 5-7 years and drink it over the following 30 years.

This sports lovely, enticing plum sauce, melted black licorice, blackberry pâte de fruit and cherry compote notes, along with fruitcake and graphite accents that fill in the background. The solid structure is fully absorbed into the fruit, and this should cellar well. A solid effort for the vintage. Best from 2017 through 2025. 8,333 cases made. – James Molesworth (WineSpectator.com, March 2015)

Tasted blind at the Southwold 2012 tasting. The 2012 Domaine de Chevalier Blanc has an intriguing marine influence nose that nods towards Muscadet - well defined with white flower and chalky scents following suit. The palate is fresh and vibrant, well balanced and quite rounded in the mouth, easing down with a chalky, more linear finish. I suspect this has gone into its shell, ergo my parsimonious score vis-a-vis out of barrel, but in my experience, Domaine de Chevalier rewards long-term bottle age and I expect that score to float upwards with time. Tasted January 2016.

– eRobertParker.com, Oct 2016

Good Pessac nose of gravel and ripe plum. Palate initially quite round, dense and satisfying but shows more complexity and layers of minerality as it develops in the mouth. Quite refined and with considerable charm. Good.

[CS/M/PV] Ripe black fruit and mineral nose; medium full, appealing; juicy, supple yet lively balance with a lightly firm tannin; ripe, fleshy, flatteringly textured wine with a real complexity, nice length across the palate, and a fine aromatic finish. Particularly successful. 2020-30+ [M.Schuster, Bordeaux Mar/Apr 2013]

76% Sauvignon Blanc, 24% Sémillon. Morning harvest only. Fermentation in barrel. No malolactic. Aged in barrel for 18 months on lees, bâtonnage (35% new oak). This is beautifully made because it has full flavour but is still elegant. Sour-citrus intensity of fruit and lovely rich, creamy texture with some toasty flavour but that’s toast without the implication of sweetness. Long, fresh, generous and refined at the same time. (JH)

(16.5++) Very dark crimson. Very concentrated and interesting on the nose. Sweet and voluptuous. Perhaps lacking a teensy amount of energy and drive. And the tannins are a little drying on the end. Acidity and grip are marked. Very much work in progress. As usual.
Drink 2018-2030

65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot. Harvested 9 to 18 October. Crimson hue. Very much on the fruit. Sweet mid palate with freshness as well, the acidity creeping in behind. Lighter weight but accessible. Probably not for the long haul. (JL)