| 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 7 hectares of vines are planted with 70% Sauvignon Blanc and 30% Sémillon. Recently the wine has been bottled under DIAM to remove the risk of cork taint and aid stable maturation in bottle.
Adrien Bernard told us that they believe the 2023 to be one of the best ever vintages here for the white wine. Picked 28th August to 6th September. 45 hl/ha, 40% new oak. 14% alcohol.
The 2023 Domaine de Chevalier Blanc was picked from August 28 to September 6 at 45hL/ha. It’s a blend of 70% Sauvignon Blanc and 30% Sémillon. This has wonderful purity on the nose, revealing scents of lime, green apple and crushed stone—one of the most precise I have encountered at this early stage. The palate is well balanced with a fine bead of acidity that lends this white Pessac-Léognan superb focus. There’s real intensity here, building with a sense of nascent confidence toward the mineral, almost slate-like finish. Very long and tender, this is a white Domaine de Chevalier from the top drawer.
A perfumed, complex bouquet of pear, white peach, hazelnuts, lime tree leaves and spring flowers prefaces the 2023 Domaine de Chevalier Blanc, a medium to full-bodied, fleshy and concentrated wine with racy acids, chalky, structuring dry extract, and a bright, vibrant profile that's rare in this vintage. This is a blend of 70% Sauvignon Blanc and 30% Sémillon.
Arguably the white wine of the vintage in 2023, this is a brilliant Domaine de Chevalier Blanc. The nose is initially tight and saline, with flinty reduction, preserved lemon and lime blossom. With air, notes of baking spices, beeswax and poached pears also come through. The palate is a feat of highwire balance, steely in acidity, layered in leesy textures, waxy with Semillon and tangy with Sauvignon. The oak is perfectly judged, adding sheen to the wine without making it too glossy. Unfurling with air, this is an expansive, intense and complex wine. A brilliant effort, one that is serious and sumptuous in equal measure.
This is layered and complex with an impressive mineral tension and depth. Medium- to full-bodied, very long and persistent. It has oyster shell, crushed stone and citrus peel character with racy acidity coming through, adding to its length and tension. Very long and firm at the end with a backbone of fine tannins for a white. 70% sauvignon blanc and 30% semillon.
The white 2023 Domaine de Chevalier soars from the glass, after a swirl or two, with vivacious notes of white peaches, fresh pineapple, and juicy pears, leading to suggestions of coriander seed, honeysuckle, and candle wax. The medium-bodied palate is tight-knit and vibrant, with well-knit acidity and a long, chalky finish. The blend is 70% Sauvignon Blanc and 30% Sémillon.
Got to be the most consisent of all Pessac Léognan whites, sets out its stall immediately with fresh acidities and fennel spice, giving a kick and lift, classically nuanced and structured. White pear, sage, liqourice root, savoury as all hell, and so moriesh. Working with Stéphane Derenocourt since 2018 on the whites (longer on the reds).
The 2023 Domaine de Chevalier Blanc is one of the best dry whites of the year. Creamy and expansive, with terrific brightness, this exudes balance. Citrus, white pepper, mint, almond, pear and crushed rocks are some of the notes that build as the 2023 shows off its pedigree. I expect it will offer exceptional drinking for the next several decades. What else is new? 2030 - 2053
70% Sauvignon Blanc, 30% Sémillon. Cask sample.
Sauvignon character evident on the nose. Certain depth of fruit on the palate but a little more forward than usual. Less éclat at the moment but Chevalier often surprises with a bit of bottle age. (JL) 14%
Drink 2026 – 2032
