| Region | |
|---|---|
| Subregion | France > Bordeaux > Left Bank > Pessac-Léognan |
| Colour | White |
| Type | Still |
One of the truly great names of dry White Bordeaux. Chevalier Blanc has a loyal following and is a wine with an amazing ability to age despite being attractive in its youth. The 5 hectares of vines are planted with 70% Sauvignon Blanc and 30% Semillon.
Still very shy on the nose, but the candied citrus, fresh melon, pear and quince notes come through on the palate, together with discreet, toasty oak. Although this is really concentrated, the power is underplayed and the enormous, herbal and mineral depth steals up on you slowly and then whisks you away. You could enjoy it now, but there’s enormous aging potential. A blend of 70 per cent sauvignon and 30 per cent semillon. Try in 2021.
The 2016 Domaine de Chevalier Blanc has a well-defined bouquet of white peach, apricot and light candle wax aromas and nicely integrated oak. The well-balanced palate leads with quince and orange peel on the entry, revealing a pleasant bitter undertow and fanning out with confidence toward the saline finish. Excellent. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting. 2021 - 2040
The 2016 Domaine de Chevalier Blanc prances out with confident notions of lime cordial, orange blossoms, and grapefruit peel plus hints of struck flint, sea spray, and beeswax. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is wonderfully intense, with a satiny texture and oodles of freshness, finishing long with a compelling spiciness coming through.
This is clearly one of the more impressive whites on display here. They have teased out a sense of verticality, and you can feel the walls and scrape the flesh of the citrus. If it wasn't for the heights that we know Domaine de Chevalier can ascend to, you would be sighing over the structure of this wine. White peach and rich pear are seasoned with beautiful spicing, but it just lacks the grip and drama of the best vintages.
Drinking Window 2019 - 2035
17++
Light and so discreet one can understand why it never shows well in blind tastings. Edge of green. Succulent but so dry and low key… Wait a decade at least and it should please enormously…
Drink 2030-2050
One of the truly great names of dry White Bordeaux. Chevalier Blanc has a loyal following and is a wine with an amazing ability to age despite being attractive in its youth. The 5 hectares of vines are planted with 70% Sauvignon Blanc and 30% Semillon. Very spicy and slightly herbal on the nose, with flinty citrus fruit. The palate is taut and fresh, with compact purity on the palate carried by a line of zesty acidity. Still youthful and tight, this is one of the few 2016 white Bordeaux which may need a litle time in bottle before drinking. Fleshing out through the finish, more tropical pineapple fruit and ripe peach with a touch of beeswax are revealed on the finish.
The nose is light fragrant floral discreet the palate starts with citrus firmness bright but there is mid richness white peach and pear. The back palate has a citrus mix the finish light, fresh and very long. 2018-26
One of the tighter, more focused Pessac-Léognan whites in 2016, this is smoky, concentrated and almost coiled on the tongue, with plenty of toasty oak, pithy acidity and considerable underlying concentration. 2019-28
The 2016 Domaine de Chevalier Blanc has a clean, precise bouquet with a fine mineral vein that becomes more pronounced with aeration. The well-balanced palate is poised and harmonious, delivering a fine bead of acidity and real weight and penetration toward the lightly peppered finish. Superb. Drink 2020-2038
The Domaine de Chevalier 2016 Blanc has a somewhat delicate, nuanced bouquet this year, one that demanded gentle coaxing from the glass. It reveals delineated aromas of green apple, gooseberry and kiwi fruit, flintiness tucked just behind. The palate is well balanced and slightly Burgundy-like on the entry (strangely, not unlike a Nuits-Saint-Georges Blanc!). It opens nicely in the glass but never looses its head. The palate is well balanced with crisp acidity and fine delineation, with pretty lemongrass and shaved ginger notes judiciously sprinkled over the finish. It is a Domaine de Chevalier Blanc that I would be inclined to consume in its youth rather than cellar, but hey, you never know the longevity of these wines; they can always surprise you.
Drink Date 2019 - 2029
A white with sliced apple, pear and lemon character. Medium to full body, layered and so long. Tight and exciting. So salty and minerally. Structured. Phenolic intensity and all wound up. What a white!
The Domaine de Chevalier 2016 Blanc is a blend of 70% Sauvignon Blanc and 30% Sémillon. The nose reveals spiced pears, waxy lemons, honeysuckle and yuzu with wafts of lime juice and green guava. Medium-bodied with great intensity and elegance, it has a racy line cutting through the citrus and tropical layers, finishing long. 2019-2030.
