The producer
Owned by the Bernard family since 1983, the beautiful Domaine de Chevalier is one of the finest Bordeaux Crus Classes. The estate, located in the heart of the Pessac-Leognan appellation to the south of Bordeaux, is surrounded by a green haven.
The vineyard
Domaine de Chevalier watches over a vineyard which comprises over 40 hectares of vines destined for the production of red wine. The vineyard is planted on a gravelly soil with a clay and gravel subsoil. The grape varieties grown at Domaine de Chevalier are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc.
A disturbing pattern appears to be emerging with recent offerings from this chateau. After bottling, the wines are fruitless, ferociously tannic, and completely out of balance. Even the white Domaine de Chevalier seems to be missing the great intensity of flavor and ripeness that one expects from this renowned estate in Pessac-Leognan. A medium to dark ruby color is deceptive in view of the charmless, hollow, aggressively tannic wine that has emerged since bottling. The sweet, ripe fruit present in cask has turned into a charmless wine of dubious balance. I cannot see it ever turning itself around. It reminds me of the 1975. Given the number of marvelous Domaine de Chevaliers I have tasted as well as purchased over the years, I hope my tasting notes for the 1993-95 prove to be terribly inaccurate.