December 17, 2021 - Pristine bottle. The wine showed very well against a highly diverse group of younger wines. For me, this is à point and unlike some reviews, I don't see it falling off for a long time. 1999 maybe not a top vintage, but I've had these back to 40 years old and they just seem to get better.
June 22, 2021 - Good level, great cork and in excellent condition. A point or perhaps slightly past its best, but still with balance, length and interest.
January 25, 2020 - Halenberg / Chevalier tasting-cum-lunch (Wine Bar 4850, Amsterdam, NL): More evolved aromas than the 1998 but still fresh, rich and well balanced, lovely oak, real depth and intensity, better than the more evolved bottle tasted last week.
January 25, 2020 - Domaine de Chevalier Blanc tasting. Suffered next to the most excellent 1998 Domaine de Chevalier Blanc, this was less fit and vital.
January 21, 2020 - Rich but lively colour, correct for age; initially the nose has an oxidative note, but this clears with some oxygen, salty oak, flowers, gently candied fruit, lemon, flowers; the energetic palate is rich and slightly austere at the same time; the oak sticks out a bit on the finish, but there is also good fruit with a tropical edge.
June 2, 2019 - This is still drinking surprisingly young and requires half an hour to show its tropical pineapple, lime blossom, lanolin, mineral nose at its best. More expressive yet on the palate, which is quite unctuous but surely with enough acidic zip to keep it fresh and engaging. Drinking now but I'd actually be curious to see where this will go with another few years.
August 10, 2018 - Wines at Sasi's (East Ledang, Johore): I have always been partial to DDC whites. This was a tad advanced, but very nice nonetheless. The nose had the typical melange of seashell mineral, almond skin, chalk and white fruit, with just a shaving of lemon zest. Nice. The palate was at a nice place. Juicy lemony acidity, slakey minerality, chalky depth, a bite of white fruit, a twist of citrus, leading into a nice, saline finish, all this put together in a pretty well integrated whole. Maybe just a hint of fatness on it, but otherwise very pleasurable.
May 22, 2018 - 1999 Bordeaux @ Piccolino (Piccolino, Liverpool Street Stn, London): 2 halves, consistent notes. Well, who’d have thought it, an advanced/poxed DDC Blanc. Ho hum. Deep gold. Quite rich, waxy lanolin nose with a slightly bruised apple note. Quite broad on the attack. Evolved. Broadness leads through to a short finish. Falls apart in glass. ***87 to ** 82 with air. I’ll split the difference.
November 27, 2016 - Rich but lively colour, correct for age, fullish yellow, with a golden sheen; completely fresh on the harmonious nose, intense and layered, lemon and cream, hints of flowers (lily, orange blossom) and vegetables, an initial note of oaky salinity integrates completely after a few hours in the decanter, whiff of white almond, deep; the palate is silky and harmonious, intense but elegant, medium body (13% ABV), retains a good stuffing of fruit; the complete finish starts out ever so slightly oaky, but then fans out beautifully, and length is very good. When I last tasted this 7 years ago at 10 years of age, it was uncommunicative and hiding its potential. Since then, it has developed beautifully, found its voice as an understated Domaine de Chevalier of great finesse, and is now well on its plateau of maturity. Completely intact on the second day, so it should still have a good future - until 2024 or thereabouts?
June 12, 2016 - Medium deep yellow. Nice texture with a bit of oiliness. Floral, Almonds. Eventually yielding to sherry like oxidative flours with salinity.