Domaine de Chevalier Birthday lunch
McLeay Street Bistro, Potts Point
Tasted February 25, 2018 by chatters with 303 views
Introduction
As I'm getting old I have decided to celebrate this years solid half century with a number of lunches/dinners/tastings pulling stuff out of the cellar. The first of these is Domaine de Chevalier - a massive personal favourite of mine - so I got a bunch of friends together and we went to lunch with the following (except the 2010 blanc) plundered from my cellar
Flight 1 - Bracket one - white (5 notes)
clumsy idiot that I am I dropped the 72 which meant I could only salvage a glass from the whole bottle. The 2010 and 2012 were both very good though. The 2002 a little too tired. I also opened a 2013 and 2014 though didn't get an opportunity to taste them.
White
1972 Domaine de Chevalier Blanc
France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
Ooh, lots of fruit! Apricots, peaches, lemons backed by honey, cream and a moderate oxidative note. On the palate, though, it's sharply acidic. So sharp that it rather dominates proceedings.
White
2002 Domaine de Chevalier Blanc
France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
Oxidised and maderised though still drinkable. Apple and honey, slight stone fruit, juicy tangy, slight lemon and apple. Nice despite it's forwardness.
White
2010 Domaine de Chevalier Blanc
France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
Gooseberries and cream, slight herbaceous note, touches of green apple Juicy but quite rich, a little spice and fruit tang. Long. Nice
Flight 2 - Bracket two - red (15 notes)
What an embarrassment of riches. It was such a pleasure to see these wines at a single sitting. Too many highlights to mention. I uncorked everything about 90 minutes before consumption and only decanted the 1990 (because of a crumbling cork).
Red
1984 Domaine de Chevalier
France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
Red berry, very red fruit, leathery, almost red plums, overall the impression is quite ethereal. Very Pinotesque and very nice. Still fresh and juicy.
Red
1989 Domaine de Chevalier
France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
Earthy, autumnal, savoury, black berries and currants, tannins are still present. Easy. Good
Red
1990 Domaine de Chevalier
France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
Happiness in a glass. Earlier notes apples, all about farmyard, horses, brambly and blackcurrant fruit, the acidity is a little sharper on this particular bottle.
Red
1992 L'Esprit de Chevalier
France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
Soft and gamey with mushrooms and berries. Fully mature. Quaffable Lovely.
Red
1994 Domaine de Chevalier
France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
Gamey, savoury, meaty, leathery and brambly. Moving to a different place now - this is quite rich with some sour blackcurrant and a little, fading, front of mouth tannic grip and meaty spiciness on the finish.
Red
1995 Domaine de Chevalier
France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
Earthy, leathery, tight with red and black currant, sweet spice. Juicy with firm tannins, better than from the Coravin earlier in the week - this has opened up - more fruit and more generosity.
Red
1998 Domaine de Chevalier
France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
A slow ascent to the vibrancy of the fruit; blackberry and currant come to the fore - all wild fruits though - with leathery tannins backing. Broad and rather lovely.
Red
2002 Domaine de Chevalier
France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
First obvious oak here, slight vanilla backed by cream, slightly unripe black and red currant, leather. Juicy, fleshy, tannins quite resolved though it's still surprisingly broad. Impressive considering the vintage.
Red
2006 Domaine de Chevalier
France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
Dusty then slight cork taint. Nah. It's very flat on the palate as well. I call FLAW today
Red
2007 Domaine de Chevalier
France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
Plummy but, alas, a little anonymous in this line-up. Touches of green capsicum as well. Hmm.
Red
2010 Domaine de Chevalier
France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
Ripe rich, plentiful fruit, gloriously rambunctious, still a puppy but this is a bit smart.
Red
2011 Domaine de Chevalier
France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
Soft berries and a little dusty Asian spice. Dry tannic grip but with some juicy freshness as well. Nice.
Red
2013 Domaine de Chevalier
France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
cloves, cedar, savoury spice, touches of soft berries and cherry with a herbaceous note. Juicy, fleshy, wet, perhaps a little skinny but very soft and drinkable at the moment.
Red
2014 Domaine de Chevalier
France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
Polished cedar, blackcurrant and plums, cream and vanilla, still very tannic. Vinfanticide. Too young.
Closing
The paucity of my note taking is more based on the space and convivial company than the impact of the wines……scrawled between courses and conversations…It was a lovely messy lunch and most of these wines were superb. It was a pleasure to see chums do a double take comparing the aging process in the wines, especially the reds...
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