Domaine de Chevalier Blanc 2018

This has a complex nose of dried apple, green mango, grapefruit zest, dried honeysuckle and crushed almonds. It’s full-bodied with bright acidity and a dense, phenolic texture. Vivid and layered with fantastic precision. Very, very long. This needs time. Better from 2026.

The Domaine de Chevalier 2018 Blanc, a blend of 75% Sauvignon Blanc and 30% Semillon, offers up a gorgeous perfume of ripe Bosc pears, grapefruit oil, mandarin peel and lemongrass, leading to wafts of sea spray, lime blossom and beeswax. The medium to full-bodied palate has a seducing opulence, delivering layers of citrus, pear and floral-inspired flavors with a satiny texture and seamless freshness, finishing long with a spicy kick. It makes for a complex, decadently delicious wine right now, but give it 4-5 years in bottle to see it take on even more savory/toasty layers, and drink it for the next 10-12 years or more. 2025 - 2037

What this white does that not everyone has achieved in 2018 is hold your attention. It's not a 2017 or 2011 at Chevalier, but it has grip and personality and a whoosh of citrus and fleshy pear flavours that are highly enjoyable. Touches of spice run through the finish, together with a sweetness that speaks of the ripeness of the fruit. You could drink it today of course, but this is a white that can go two decades without blinking, so I wouldn't worry too much.

Drinking Window 2020 - 2030

Barrel sample. Smells classy at the outset, even though it is introvert because so young: just has hints of everything, fresh citrus, oak spice and leesy depths. On the palate, an incipient quality: cool, fresh, well structured and deeper than most in this vintage. Lightly chewy, lots of fruit and a hint of spice on the finish. Powerful and long. Impressive. (JH)
Drink 2024-2035

Bright and ripe with a saline edge reminiscent of preserved lemons on the nose. The palate is riper, with hints of topical fruit and lemon curd that adds weight. This is cut through by vibrant acidity and a flinty, smoky undertone that is subtle but significant. Complex and intense, there is real drive on the finish that adds to the tension and power.

One of the whites of the vintage is the 2018 Domaine de Chevalier Blanc, which is both powerful and fresh in the vintage. Crushed citrus, tart melon, lemon curd, and crushed rock-like minerality all give way to a pure, full-bodied dry white that has integrated acidity and a great, great finish. A blend of 75% Sauvignon Blanc and 25% Sémillon that will spend 18 months in 35% new French oak, it’s going to be relatively accessible in its youth (unlike the 2015) yet should age beautifully.

(75 Sauvignon Blanc, 25 Semillon) This is one of the most balanced white wines of the vintage and it is neither too oaky, nor is it too oily. There is depth of fruit here but it is calm, smooth, layered and there is lovely acidity on the finish.

The 2018 Domaine de Chevalier Blanc has opened up since I tasted it from barrel; this half-bottle was allowed 30–45 minutes to open. It has a little more zip on the nose, the orchard fruit and touches of black currant and orange pith bursting from the glass. The palate is finely tuned with a superb bead of acidity, and more citric than the nose, still with that energy and tension and a light tang of marmalade and lemongrass toward the finish. While I maintain that it is not the best Domaine de Chevalier Blanc that I have ever encountered, it has gained more personality during its maturation and it should drink well for 20-plus years. 2023 - 2040