Domaine de Chevalier 1993

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. This is a frightfully lean, austere, ferociously tannic wine that is nearly devoid of fruit and charm. There is some spice and new oak in the nose, but there is very little flavor and flesh to what is, in essence, a wine of all structure—acidity, alcohol, and wood tannin. 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.

A very delicate style for this estate. Elegant, fresh and lively, offering plum and black cherry notes, fine tannins and a crisp finish. Better in 1997.

Gravy, smoked bacon and a meaty nose. Bright cherry, strawberry and raspberry, nicely balanced acidity mingles with fine tannins that give a mineral grip to the palate—dark chocolate, liquorice but dark and sticky, with cola and blue fruits. Feels cool and crisp. Nicely weighted with texture to the tannins; this grips and holds interest. Great intensity of fruit, tannins are massy; this almost has a chew, nicely round and gently full in the mouth. Not that persistent, but it’s delivering a tasty glass of wine, still with lots of life and a gentle density. I like this. Elegant charm.

65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc. Harvested 25 September to 5 October. Colour a bit more youthful than the 1992. Dark core with brick at the rim. Sous-bois notes but still with a notion of fruit. A bit more volume compared with the earlier wines in this flight. And some semblance of structure but short on the finish. (JL)

The 1993 Domaine de Chevalier was poured from a gargantuan Nebuchadnezzar (1,500cl). To the best of my recollection, 1993 is a vintage I had not tasted before. Showing just slight aging on the rim, the bouquet is very attractive, without the greenness that blights quite a few Left Bank wines in this vintage. No, it is not powerful, yet it offers light red fruit interwoven with tobacco and bell peppers, with a tincture of seaweed emerging over time. The palate is well balanced with slightly rustic tannins, yet it remains certainly fresh after three decades, doubtless aided by the large format. The 1993 is saline on the palate with a short yet focused, leafy finish. It is a delightful off-vintage Pessac-Léognan, and I suspect that more regular formats will still give pleasure.

94: Barrel sample (17/20): extremely red-berry bouquet, slender but showing depth, a fine marzipan note from the barrique. Juicy structure, lovely charm, again very red-berry, velvety, good length, aiming for elegance. 96: Drunk at the domaine at a business lunch: it has slimmed down a bit since the barrique tasting. For the moment one point lower and later certainly a tight “seventeen.” 03: The nose shows fine green, grassy notes, a floral touch. Slim palate that tends a bit toward superficiality, very soft acidity. The fruit comes across a bit withered. A short decant does it good. (16/20). 09: Still astonishingly much fruit, red sour cherries and light coffee. Juicy and elegant, it has developed well and, as a ’93, gives a lot of pleasure today. (16/20). 12: Medium color density, few maturity tones, brick-red rim. The nose shows rather unripe fruit, red bell pepper, somehow also vegetal. On the palate, juicy, again showing the lightness of the vintage, baking-chocolate notes, a fine earthy sheen; thanks to its balance it is still very well preserved, and the finely dominant acidity somehow helps with this pleasant state. Won’t get any better and never was much better. Simply OK—and that after almost 20 years. Kudos.

Silky, elegant, fresh bouquet with red berries, café au lait, red cherries. Fine, delicate palate with a subtle structure, gentle bitterness, and sweet aromatics. Long, refined finish. 17/20 to drink

Bordeaux-red color. Evolved. Nose of medium intensity. Very pleasant. This is an evolved bouquet. Notes of leather and ripe fruit. Pleasant and flavorful, this is a wine ready to drink, perfect for summer since it isn’t heavy in tannin. Already mellow, fairly aromatic and of normal body, it finishes pleasant and nuanced but without complexity.