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Domaine de Chevalier 2015

RegionBordeaux
Subregion France > Bordeaux > Left Bank > Pessac-Léognan
ColourRed
TypeStill
Grape VarietyCabernet Sauvignon/Merlot

View all vintages of this wine | View all wines by Domaine de Chevalier

Label

Tasting Notes

The 2015 Domaine de Chevalier has a perfumed, quite floral bouquet with rose petals and cedar infusing the red berry fruit, nicely detailed with blacker fruit uncovered by aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, sweet and rounded, very plush in style with a caressing, femme fatale of a finish. I have actually encountered better bottles than this, though it remains a class act. Tasted blind at the Southwold 2015 Bordeaux tasting.

93
Neal Martin, vinous.com, July 2019

This shows class and finesse with ultra-fine tannins and succulent fruit. Full body yet elegant and long. Gorgeous wine. Such length. Vibrant and focused.

96/97
James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com, March 2016

Deep garnet in color, the 2015 Domaine de Chevalier Rouge needs a little coaxing to reveal notes of baked black cherries, redcurrant jelly, and plum preserves with suggestions of unsmoked cigars, tapenade, and rosehip tea. The medium-bodied palate has intense red and black berry preserves layers with a firm structure of grainy tannins and seamless freshness, finishing long and perfumed.

96
Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, The Wine Independent, November 2022

Tasted blind. Neat and luscious and sweet. Very slightly tarty. But it beguiles. Much richer than most previous vintages.
Drink 2024-2040

17
Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com, February 2019

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 programme of replanting and it is only since the early 2000's, with the vines reaching maturity, that the quality here has returned to that of the great vintages of the 1960s and before. Without doubt, the best vintages of Chevalier are the most recent ones. Domaine de Chevalier performs brilliantly every year now, but prices have remained reasonable. Also one of our best-selling wines en primeur. The blend of the 2015 is 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot. Deep ruby colour with a fresh blackcurrant and graphite nose with a hint of black truffle and tobacco. The palate is smooth, refined and elegant with classic Graves cedar and blackcurrant. The tannins are refined and smooth but firm enough to frame the palate. The sweet vanilla and nutmeg from new oak adds a layer of complexity and gives a touch of sweetness to the long finish.

93+
Farr Vintners, March 2016

I was able to taste the 2015 Domaine de Chevalier twice and it showed sensationally both times. A blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot that was harvested between October 1st and October 15th, this deep ruby/purple-colored effort has soaring aromatics of caramelized black cherries, cassis, lead pencil shavings, and forest floor. Deep, full-bodied, intense and beautifully pure, with fine tannin and moderate acidity, it’s a gorgeous Pessac-Leognan that needs 4-5 years of cellaring and will evolve for three decades. 2022 - 2052

97
Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com, November 2017

Bright and fresh the nose has fragrance and bright black fruits the start of the palate a mix of bilberry and bramble. Rich and ripe in the middle the fruit underpinned by fine tannins but it fills out at the back supple and ripe with sweet fruit giving depth on the finish.

91/95
Derek Smedley MW, DerekSmedleyMW.co.uk, April 2016

Outperformed (only just) by some of its neighbours in 2015, but Domaine de Chevalier is still
hard to beat for value and consistency. Firm and smoky with a carapace of tannin concealing
the plummy, fruitcake-like flavours beneath. The acidity brings freshness to the finish.
Drink: 2022-35

92
Tim Atkin MW, timatkin.com, April 2016

Dense, briary and full, there is an extra dimension of power and extraction here which is impressive and very well
handled because it leads with fruit and not oak and the tannins are juicy and mouth-watering and not dry or astringent.
Gentle handling is the key here and even though this is a big wine is it still impeccably balanced.

18+
Matthew Jukes, Matthew Jukes' Blog, April 2016
Read more tasting notes...

The 2015 Domaine de Chevalier has an enticing bouquet with very pure redcurrant, raspberry and blackberry notes, briary and cedar emerging later. This is wonderful and very seductive for anyone with a penchant for classic Pessac-Léognan. The palate is smooth and fleshy on the opening with silky tannin, plush red berry fruit with supremely well-integrated new oak. You could almost broach this now, such is its approachability, but it will surely improve over the next 20 or 30 years because its structure is discretely hidden at present. Anticipated maturity: 2020 - 2050.

95
Neal Martin, March 2018

The 2015 Domaine de Chevalier is a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot picked from 23 September until 15 October at just 35 hl/ha, matured in 35% new oak. It has a sophisticated bouquet that is more reserved than its peers. It possesses one of the most precise, detailed aromatic profiles that I have encountered from this estate, wonderfully poised with black fruit, incense and cold stone. It has wonderful focus and class. The palate is medium-bodied with very fine tannin, very complex with lightly peppered black fruit. What marks this Domaine de Chevalier is the reserve and precision on the finish, a wine that is holding something back for its secondary evolution, a salinity that beckons you back for another sip. What a fabulous, intellectual wine from Olivier Bernard. Expect four decades of drinking pleasure - probably more - given my experience of ancient vintages. Tasted three times with consistent notes. Drink 2022-2055.

95/97
Neal Martin, Wine Advocate (224), April 2016

The 2015 Domaine de Chevalier is composed of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot. It went through malolactic and aging on its lees during three months in 35% new, 35% one-year-old and 30% two-year-old barrels, with a total aging of 18 months. Medium to deep garnet-purple in color, it has lovely spiciness on the nose—Chinese five spice and black pepper—with a core of red and black cherries and smoked meats. Medium-bodied, finely crafted and refreshing, it's quite minerally in the mouth and persistent on the finish. 2022 - 2042

95
Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Wine Advocate (Interim Fe), February 2018

Great tension and subtlety. Extremely savoury - almost salty - with freshness and ripeness. Not one of the deepest colours. Lovely appetising low-key classicism. Bravissimo à tous!
Drink 2024-2045

18
Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com, April 2016
Please note that these tasting notes/scores are not intended to be exhaustive and in some cases they may not be the most recently published figures. However, we always do our best to add latest scores and reviews when these come to our attention. We advise customers who wish to purchase wines based simply on critical reviews to carry out further research into the latest reports.