2018 Domaine de Chevalier

Community Tasting Note

MicklethePickle Likes this wine:

91 Points

Thursday, April 21, 2022 - After reading some of the CT reviews, my expectations were pretty high. Alas, they were not met. Don't get me wrong, this is a good wine, but it doesn't hold a candle to the '18 Calon Segur I had a few days ago. I left it open overnight in the cellar hoping that might help, but it did not really make that much difference. The color is an impressive dark, dark red with red stains on the glass, and the nose shows off gravelly, minerally red currant fruit, but the palate is still less than forthcoming. Smooth as silk, but mostly closed. I'm sure this will shine brightly in time, but not at the moment. 5-12-15-9: 91/100 now, with a brighter future.

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Comment posted by Purple Tooth:

4/21/2022 5:50:00 PM - Concerning, considering you have a great nose for Bordeaux. This is on my buy list...But now, less optimistic.
Comment posted by Everything Ahead:

4/21/2022 7:05:00 PM - I found this vintage of DDC to be quite overrated (a bit hot, and a bit too CDP-like), but given their track record (I loved the '14 and '16 vintages recently) I rated it on potential similarly to you. Let's hope for the best.
Comment posted by dunroaming:

4/22/2022 1:01:00 AM - Give it 12 years
Comment posted by MicklethePickle:

4/22/2022 1:18:00 AM - James, I fully intend to, and indeed I ordered two more bottles because I think this has a future, but I suspect that the future lies, as you suggest, more years down the road. Thanks for the insight.
Comment posted by dunroaming:

4/22/2022 9:08:00 AM - Mickle, I'm finding that the old advice - judge at 10 years to establish when Bordeaux may be ready - is often true and that a lot of earlier predictions as to drinking window is often way off the mark. I brought up a case of Labegorce-Zede 2005 - a modest wine - and found it still fairly dumb 15 years on. J&B produce an advice for when to drink age worthy wines and it makes sobering reading. Many Bordeaux wines from the 90s can be drunk now but top vintages like 2000, don't even think about it. Thank goodness for Burgundy!
Comment posted by MicklethePickle:

4/22/2022 7:35:00 PM - James, J&B? Not registering. Also, I know what you mean. Some of my 2000s have seemed much younger than I thought they would. But I hope it applies to '89s too, since that was my daughter's birth year and I'm still holding them. I also have a couple '86s I am not touching for the time being, but I'm getting old, so I worry.
Comment posted by dunroaming:

4/22/2022 10:32:00 PM - Justerini & Brooks of London. I think the 09s will make your daughter very happy in the future.
Comment posted by Motz:

5/30/2022 7:52:00 AM - Great call, MtP! Decidedly Napa-like. Over-extracted, heavily oaked, and lacking the lift and precision for which the house is (has been?) known. The '17 was disappointing as well. Is Rolland, or someone of his ilk, consulting at DdC now?