| Region | |
|---|---|
| Subregion | France > Bordeaux > Left Bank > Pessac-Léognan |
| Colour | Red |
| Type | Still |
This much respected property in Pessac-Léognan is run with great care by Olivier Bernard whose family took it over from Claude Ricard in 1983. During the 1980s and 1990s there was a major programme of replanting here and since the early 2000s, with the vines reaching maturity, the quality here has returned to that of the great vintages of the 1940s and 1950s. Without doubt, the best vintages of Chevalier are the most recent ones. Domaine de Chevalier performs brilliantly every year now and is a regular star of our blind tastings. It wins its flight at the blind "Southwold" tasting with impressive regularity. However, prices have remained reasonable. This is always one of our best-selling wines en primeur.
The 2025 is Olivier Bernard's 43rd vintage at Chevalier. Picked from September 11th to 26th. The yield was 34 hl/ha and the alcohol is a modest 12.5%. Made from 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot. 170,000 bottles of grand vin and 100,000 of the second label - Esprit de Chevalier.
The 2025 Domaine de Chevalier was picked from 11 to 26 September at 38 hl/ha with an alcohol level of 12.5%. This is perfumed on the nose with raspberry, cassis and light iris flower scents, just a touch of truffle in the background. You need to wait because this "grows" in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with granular tannins. Very harmonious, quintessentially Pessac, gravel-tinged black fruit, almost pillowy in texture, yet there is certainly decent structure here with just the right amount of grip towards the finish. It will require less bottle age than, say, the 2020 or 2022, yet it is endowed with real complexity and classicism. It is Domaine de Chevalier, after all. Drink 2030 - 2060.
Deep ruby-purple in the glass, the nose here is robust and spicy, with powerful cherry fruit, hot asphalt and cassis. The palate is plump and round, buoyed by bright acidity and framed by ripe, plentiful tannins. Ther result is an honest yet polished Pessac, one with guts and poise all at once. The mid palate has a sheen few manage this year, yet the finish maintains the textbook acid freshness that makes these wines so moreish and enticing.
The 2025 Domaine de Chevalier, a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot, was harvested between September 11 and 26—an unusually early finish—with yields of 35 hectoliters per hectare. It reveals a bouquet marked by oak, with notes of spice, dark berries, lead pencil and licorice. Medium- to full-bodied, dense and deep, it’s built around a substantial chassis of tannins and framed by powdery, youthful structure, concluding with a long, firm and structured finish, reflecting the wine’s inherent density.
The depth of fruit comes through clearly, with a medium body and plenty of berry, chocolate, walnut and bark aromas. Creamy and polished, with a lovely texture and a long and rather endless finish. Soft and precise. 65% cabernet sauvignon, 30% merlot and 5% petit verdot.
Beautiful depths, precision and clarity on the aromatics, delivers juice and depth with clarity of cassis and blackcurrant flavour. There is still the grip of the vintage in terms of its structure, but this is an estate where you can feel totally confident that things will widen and deepen over ageing. 3.71pH. Harvest September 3 to 29. 30% new oak. In organic conversion. Derenoncourt Consultants, Olivier Bernard owner working with his sons Adrien and Hugo. Tasted twice. 2030-2040.
The 2025 Domaine de Chevalier is a total stunner. The oak imprint is a bit strong, but the 2025 possesses notable richness and textural depth to handle it all. Signature red-toned fruit and floral overtones soar through the layered, expansive close. 2035 - 2075
