Domaine de Chevalier
Primeur Rouge 2018
Revue de Presse
Wow. I can’t get over the pureness of fruit in this wine with so much currant, tar and wet-earth character. Flowers, too. So aromatic. Full body, yet pureness and brightness of fruit. Layered. Incredible depth and beauty. Greatest ever? 99-100
This is flashy, with mesquite, licorice, black tea and fruitcake aromatics leading the way to a frankly ripe core of steeped raspberry and plum flavors. Seems pretty liberal with the toast, but this has what it needs to come together in the end.—J.M. 94-97
These guys clearly know what they are doing, and they keep doing it. This wine is consistent even in difficult years but in years like this, where they have the room to manoeuvre, it really shines. This is great stuff, with lovely freshness to the deep fruit flavours. There is persistency and plenty of slate and freshly cut herbs to stack up against the juicy, concentrated fruit. It's a powerful, well handled and confident wine but doesn't push too hard. One-third new oak. 96
Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2018 Domaine de Chevalier starts a little closed before bounding out of the glass with bold expressions of fresh blackcurrants, kirsch, black raspberries and fragrant earth plus nuances of lilacs, Sichuan pepper and menthol. Medium to full-bodied, the palate maintains elegance and sophistication, with a lovely ripe, finely grained frame and plenty of freshness to back up the floral and black fruit layers, finishing long and perfumed. (94-96)+
World Class :Droit et de grande finesse, impeccable stature racée, délicatesse tannique, grand millésime. 96/97 [18 /18,5]
Black core, cherry rim. Subtle and scented on the nose, even though it looks like a big wine. When I tasted this two days later, it was more open and rich on first impression. Plenty of oak on the nose, as you might expect at this stage. Crushed stones entwined with black, black fruit. Relative to the vintage, this has real tenderness on the palate, the finest of dry tannins and a finish that leaves your mouth clean, as 75% chocolate does. Very impressive. (JH) 17,5 +
The 2018 Domaine de Chevalier is magnificent. Bright, lifted and wonderfully nuanced, the 2018 has so much to offer. Olivier Bernard turned out a dazzling Domaine de Chevalier in 2018 that speaks to precision and nuance above all else. Rose petal, mint, savory herbs and crushed rocks add striking aromatic top notes to this stunning, breathtakingly beautiful wine. The tannins need time to soften, but I doubt readers will be in a rush. The 2018 is simply majestic - that's all there is to it. The blend is 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 2% Petit Verdot. Tasted three times. 94-97
Possibly one of the finest wines ever to come from the Bernard family’s flagship estate near Léognan, the 2018 Domaine de Chevalier checks in as a blend of 65% Cab Sauv., 30% Merlot, and 5% Petit Verdot that hit 13.5% alcohol and will spend 18 months in just 35% new French oak. Its saturated purple/plum color is followed by a mammoth bouquet of cassis, black currants, gravelly earth, smoked herbs, and tobacco. Full-bodied, deep, brilliantly balanced, and seriously concentrated, it has polished tannins, no hard edges, and a finish that won’t quit. It’s a heavenly Graves that will keep for 30+ years. 96-98
Le plus concentré et puissant des vins élaborés par le Domaine ne manque pourtant pas d'équilibre. On retouve l'esprit du cru et cette délicatesse de tanins qui le signe. Admirable finale juteuse. 17,5 / 18,5
95–97. Barrel Sample. The wine's tannins are impressive and solidly structured, with a firm concentration of ripe black fruits to round it out. The black plum flavor and bright acidity offer a juicy feel, allied with a mineral note on the finish.
La robe est grenat sombre avec un joli nez évoluant avec beaucoup de complexité vers le cassis, la cerise noire et les épices. Le vin est souple, élégant, raffiné, sans le corps habituel, mais bien construit avec de la fraîcheur et de la longueur et surtout une belle concentration. Sur le plan esthétique, il est différent de l'immense 2016, plus longiligne, plus frais mais moins corpulent.
It has a very sweet nose, of crushed black cherries and pressed damsons, but there are also some floral notes here, of red peonies and rose petals, and it shows a fresh style for the vintage. The palate feels taut, controlled, with a very sinewy and medium-bodied substance, and it rests on a current of grippy tannins which course beneath, finely polished and velvety. That floral elegance comes through here as well, the palate bursting with peony, cherry blossom and rose petal scents, fresh and pure. Rich, broad and rather athletic, with a taut grip in the finish, this clearly has great potential. 94-96
Bien que légèrement fermé, le nez recèle des notes pures et fraîches, de fumée et réglisse, un peu cassis et mûre. Bouche charnue et veloutée, une grosse densité doublée d'une charge tannique importante mais qui se fond dans un équilibre parfait. À la fois plein de potentiel et de puissance. Finale aérienne et fraîche. Un grand Domaine de Chevalier qui se dégustera dans les 10 à 20 prochaines années minimum. 96-97
when I visited this property on the last day of 2018 harvest in October, Olivier Bernard told me - "Izak, this is the best vintage of my life!". The barrel sample of 2018 simply confirmed his words - it's best red Domaine de Chevalier under his reign I've ever tasted. Lot of freshness, sweetness-filled ripe blackcurrants, silky tannin, Cabernet Sauvignon shines through with grilled bacon flavour, graphite and tobacco leaves. Very precise and focused. There's a lot of refinement and sophisticated touch here. Long finish. 97
- Jeff Leve:
- With a blast of crisp, zesty pomelo, floral scents and a full body loaded with crushed rocks, Mandarin oranges, mango and a background of pineapple, this is tasty now -- I could not stop drinking it. I can only imagine how good this is going to be with a decade or two of aging! 96
Couleur rouge, très sombre et intense. Nez très aromatique, fin, fruité, pur et noble. Minutieux à l'attaque, suave au développement, très aromatique en milieu de bouche, le vin fond sur une texture dense et un corps juteux. Finale longue, savoureuse, sur un grain fin. C'est très bon. 95 [17,5]
- Panos Kakaviatos:
Yet again terroir makes a difference in 2018, and the cooler microclimate served Domaine de Chevalier very well. The aromas exude some fresh mint and even touches of fresh eucalyptus. One of my favorite noses so far because not “obvious” and displaying “pedigree”. The tannins are refined and remind me a bit of the 2010, as there is power, here, too and quite pronounced indeed. I am not sure about the finish for the moment, as it comes across just a bit hard, but that is due to a need for aging, as the wine never seems hot or over-ripe. 94-96
- Le point:
Fruité, frais, net, cerise, cassis, élégant, bonne fraîcheur en bouche, tanins fins, onctueux, velouté et juteux, persistant. 17/20
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