Coravin fun - Domaine de Chevalier

The annual Domaine de Chevalier tasting comes quite late this year. Frank, Phil and Tim joined me to help apply the Coravins to quite a few vintages (though not nearly enough) of my historic favourite producer from Graves/Pessac Leognan.

I decided, again, to do this based on vintage quality from the James Lawther's tasting (thanks again Frank) as it was such fun last time - I have applied the adjustments that Frank and I observed (introduction of a fifth flight 'powerful' and movement of a few wines to other brackets based on their palate weight etc)

Recommended vintages 1984, 1987, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1997, 2002, 2006 (my sub for 2007), 2013

I mean, JL & DdC say delicate but, fundamentally, at least half of these are considered duds. A good opening salvo to calibrate the palate

• 1994 Domaine de Chevalier

  France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

  From Coravin. Red berry fruit, leather, slight raspberry, earth, umami, a little cedar, sweet spice. Sourly juicy, slightly tart, plenty of textured grip, alcohol warmth, red hued fruits, slight leathery, hmm, drink up on this tasting.

  Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No

• 2006 Domaine de Chevalier

  France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

  From Coravin. Biscuit, toast, red over black hued fruits, slight blood, leather, a little berry, slight alcohol prickle lends a spiced note, touch of dusty spice. That biscuit note translates to the palate, savoury red over black fruits that are non delineated, grippy drying tannins, a slightly creamy lactic note on the finish. Hmm.

  Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No

• 2013 Domaine de Chevalier

  France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

  From Coravin. Plummy, sweet spice, a little green herbaceous underpin, cream, slight red and blackcurrant. Juicy acid, quite hard and, on the palate, tannins are tight, drying and a little green, fruit a touch muted. Hmm.

  Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No

Recommended 1985, 1986, 1995, 1999, 2004, 2008, 2011, 2012, 2017, 2021

four of my (okay, many) favourite vintages here...

• 2004 Domaine de Chevalier

  France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

  From Coravin. Medium minus intensity aromas of brambles, blood, slight blackcurrant, sweet spice, cedar, red berry underpin, slightly meaty notes, pretty nose. Juicy, fleshy, still fresh that fruit beginning to dry out, woody tannins, slight non intrusive alcohol warmth on the finish which also proves a little savoury. Nice though.

  Post a Comment / 2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No

• 2008 Domaine de Chevalier

  France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

  From Coravin. Umami, savoury, meaty nose, almost a little yeast extract, dark hued fruits offer brambles, blackcurrant, plum, sweet oak spice, fruit gets more jubey with time in the glass. Juicy medium plus intensity acidity, savoury, meaty, again quite woody tannins, fruit slightly muted, very slightly tart, long. Hmm.

  Post a Comment / 3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No

• 2011 Domaine de Chevalier

  France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

  From Coravin. Touch of black and fruit tea initially, blackcurrant, brambles, plum, a little violet, sweet spice. Juicy, medium plus intensity acidity, black hued fruits, drying woody tannins re coarse flour textured, non intrusive alcohol warmth on the finish. Long. Hmm.

  Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No

• 2012 Domaine de Chevalier

  France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

  From Coravin. Medium minus intensity aromas are slightly savoury and meat, blue and red fruits over a little blackcurrant, plums, cream, touch of fruit lozenge, pretty nose. A touch of dusty spice here as well. Juicy, fleshy, slight my into notes join the black and blue berry, a little cedar, tannins are powdery, all persist long, yum.

  Post a Comment / 5 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No

• 2017 Domaine de Chevalier

  France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

  From Coravin. Jubey, fresh berries, slight herbaceous underpin, cedar, quite black over red fruit compote, very pretty nose. Juicy, flesh but that herbaceous notes is slightly more in the ascendancy here, similar fruit and flavour profile to the nose, tannins are woody but silky. Nice.

  Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No

Recommended vintages are 1983, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2007 (my sub for 2006), 2014

And this is the another place of happiness for me...

• 1983 Domaine de Chevalier

  France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

  From Coravin. Wet stone implies very slight damp cellar, red berried fruits, leather, earth, a little spice, umami and, with time, a little menthol. Juicy, slightly tart, juicy, fleshy, tangy red hued fruits, silky tannins are leather and near resolved, very slightly out of whack.

  Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No

• 1988 Domaine de Chevalier

  France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

  From Coravin. Warm brick, baked earth, touch of baking spice, leather, slight charcuterie notes, orange peel, porcini, red hued fruits, slight lactic notes. Juicy tends to medium plus intensity acidity, very slight tart, that orange peel notes lends a little bitterness here, tannins are dying, chalky and slightly coarse. Hmm.

  Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No

• 2000 Domaine de Chevalier

  France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

  From Coravin. A little Ribena quality to the black currant fruit, oak spice, a little creamy note, cedar, fruit gets a touch more jubey with time. Nice nose. More of the same on the palate, fresh and fleshy, long, balanced, lovely.

  Post a Comment / 2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No

• 2001 Domaine de Chevalier

  France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

  From Coravin. Meaty, touch of menthol, slightly metallic notes, over brambly black fruits, leather, a little funky, fruit tea, in the mouth that savoury note is in charge of the brambly fruit which becomes slightly dried out, tannins are also drying, talc textured. This probably belongs in the previous bracket.

  Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No

• 2007 Domaine de Chevalier

  France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

  From Coravin. Blackcurrant, brambles, slight red plum, sweet spice, very slight herbaceous notes. Juicy, fleshy, freshly fruited, integrated tannins are in time with the fruit, sill feels quite primary, tiny lack note on the finish. Yum.

  Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No

• 2014 Domaine de Chevalier

  France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

  From Coravin. Medium minus intensity aromas of brambles, blackcurrant, an almost rhubarb note, very slightly jubey underpin, a little violet, toast, biscuit. Slight alcohol prickle. Juicy, quite bold on the palate but with a savoury underpin, plenty of woody tannins need time to settle but are integrated, touch of cherry on the finish which has a little bitter cherry stone undertone.

  Post a Comment / 3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No

Recommended vintages are 2005, 2010, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022; 2003 & 2009 were removed to a new bracket.

When I think of iconic left bank vintages i'd probably be including 86, 90 & 96 as well...that 2015 is soooo approachable...

• 2005 Domaine de Chevalier

  France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

  From Coravin. Slightly savoury, meaty underpin to the dark hued berry and blackcurrant fruit, touches of cedar and sweet spice, a little forest floor and a tiny menthol note. Medium plus intensity acidity, very slightly sour, muted black fruits, slight alcohol warmth, feels a little warmer than the stated 13%, coarse flour textured tannins in support, just beginning to pick up some tertiary notes.

  Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No

• 2010 Domaine de Chevalier

  France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

  From Coravin. Medium minus intensity aromas of muted dark fruits, sweet spice, the nose says closed for business today, a little black hued fruit with time. The palate is a different thing all together, mor dark hued fruits, cedar, still with fresh acidity, all on show and saying "look at me". Time though.

  Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No

• 2015 Domaine de Chevalier

  France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

  From Coravin. That pretty jubey note I've experienced here before backed by sweet spice with more of the same on the palate, long, lovely, difficult to spit.

  Post a Comment / 6 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No

2003, 2009 new bracket that me and my monumental ego have introduced for the warmer vintages - if I get 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2022 in my cellar they may well end up here.

• 2003 Domaine de Chevalier

  France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

  From Coravin. Slightly baked black fruits with a touch of tomato leaf, savoury spice, a little umami with time. An oddly hard greenness to the initial palate, a touch overwrought and overdone, silky tannins are integrated though. Hmm.

  Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No

• 2009 Domaine de Chevalier

  France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

  From Coravin. Quite closed on the nose, slightly baked black fruits, sweet spice, thick and chewy fruit and tannins on the palate, plenty of alcohol warmth on the finish Not for me but still needs more time anyway.

  Post a Comment / 6 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No

A la the Bordelaise I decided to do the whites after the reds starting with the older wines. These brackets were not arranged by vintage quality but purely by age.

• 1986 Domaine de Chevalier Blanc

  France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

  From Coravin. Cork started to slip into the bottle so this was put to one side for later consumption

  Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No

• 1995 Domaine de Chevalier Blanc

  France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

  From Coravin. Honey, almond meal, touch of sweet spice, cedar, very slight bruised apple. Medium plus intensity acidity, a touch of green apple, almost a toasted crème caramel note, honey, butter, waxy, touch of pineapple.

  Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No

• 2001 Domaine de Chevalier Blanc

  France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

  From Coravin. Medium minus intensity aromas show a touch of almond meal, apple, slight honey, fresh cut grass, very slight meaty underpin,. Tartly juicy acidity shows slightly unripe toasted pineapple, grassy notes, again a little crème caramel, a little woody texture, long. Nice.

  Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No

• 2002 Domaine de Chevalier Blanc

  France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

  From Coravin. Quite a herbaceous, grassy note accompanies honey, green almond skin, green apple, cereal. Juicy tends to medium plus intensity acidity, honey, bruised apple, a little apple skin bitterness, textured burr, slight hoppy herbaceousness. Long, a little leathery note.

  Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No

And a near vertical to finish...

With the price of white burgundy so prohibitive these wines certainly offer a slightly different option...

• 2010 Domaine de Chevalier Blanc

  France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

  From Coravin. A little gooseberry, green grass, a touch of seasoned oak, very slight honey. Juicy, a sense of power, favours as per nose, non intrusive alcohol warmth on the finish. Woof.

  Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No

• 2011 Domaine de Chevalier Blanc

  France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

  From Coravin. Smidge of farty funkiness, almost a rubbery reductive note over gooseberry, green gages and slight green apple, touch of wet grass. That funkiness translates to the palate, silky textured, fruit a little muted on the palate, slightly herbaceous. Hmm.

  Post a Comment / 2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No

• 2013 Domaine de Chevalier Blanc

  France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

  From Coravin. Gooseberry, green apple, a little herbaceous underpin, a little sweaty note as well as a touch of unripe pineapple. Juicy, tangy, fresh, unripe pineapple, a touch of woody texture, lovely.

  Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No

• 2014 Domaine de Chevalier Blanc

  France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

  From Coravin. Medium minus intensity aromas show touch of gooseberry, slightly dusty notes. Medium plus intensity acidity, a little green touch of woody texture, this feels quite closed, Hmm today but this should come together nicely with time and air.

  Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No

It's taken quite a bit of work, time and a little money to pull together all of these wines but, fortunately, it's been absolutely worth every single dollar and/or pound and/or euro.

So pleasing.