Domaine de Chevalier 2015

This has a solid core of gently steeped plum and blackberry fruit, liberally inlaid with warm ganache and roasted vanilla notes. Warm, dark earth details pervade the finish, along with hints of tobacco and espresso, though this remains suave and perfumy overall. Best from 2021 through 2031. 9,167 cases made.

Hedonistic and ripe nose—blackcurrants, strawberries and plums, with lots of floral fragrance, sticky black liquorice and tobacco. Sweet, succulent and juicy, so pleasing and easy to enjoy from the first sip. Juicy but not too much, with a really mineral, salty, liquorice and flinty undertone from the very beginning. Lean and straight, with a lovely sense of direction and persistence from start to finish. Tannins are firm and filling, yet there’s an almost understated element to it—the 2015 isn’t trying too hard; it’s sleek and smooth. Tannins are perfectly integrated and this carries a lovely weight on the palate. So generous and easy to drink, more round and playful than the 2016 at this point. Bright, fresh, pure, gentle, charming, with great estate signature. 5% Petit Verdot completes the blend.

Suave, spicy oak and warm, stony aromas, making immediate interest and giving way to vivid and fresh dark cherries, blackberries and cassis. The palate adds graphite-like, savory cherry-stone flavors amid smooth, velvety tannins. Tangy blackberries through the finish. Impressive. Try from 2020.

One of the stars of the vintage, the 2015 Domaine de Chevalier has turned out even better than I expected. Bright floral notes give striking aromatic lift to the rich, sumptuous fruit. A marvelously complete wine, the 2015 is racy and silky on the palate, yet also has tremendous freshness. Bright red cherry, blood orange, white pepper, spice and dried flowers build into the super-expressive finish. The 2015 has been nothing less than stunning the three times I have tasted it so far. This is a tremendous showing from proprietor Olivier Bernard and his team. The blend is 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot. Tasted three times.

This beautiful wine is elegant, fresh, refined, and effortlessly showcases vibrant, earthy red berries. The tannins are silky. The nose, with its smoke, pipe tobacco, and earthy accents atop deep red fruits, makes its presence known with ease. This is a contender for one of the best wines ever produced here.

I was able to taste the 2015 Domaine de Chevalier twice and it showed sensationally both times. A blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot harvested between October 1st and October 15th, this deep ruby/purple-colored effort has soaring aromatics of caramelized black cherries, cassis, lead pencil shavings, and forest floor. Deep, full-bodied, intense and beautifully pure, with fine tannins and moderate acidity, it’s a gorgeous Pessac-Leognan that needs 4–5 years of cellaring and will evolve for three decades.

Dark garnet, fairly dense at the core, ruby rim. Dense red-berry bouquet with a beautiful sign of maturity: Amarena cherries, mulberries; the nose feels profoundly deep. The palate is fleshy with great concentration, the extract shows a seductive sweetness, all with velvety tannins. This is a very Burgundian style with a not insignificant seductive potential. Early maturity and a long life. What more could one want. Unfortunately, this estate still does not find the necessary acceptance in the market. Good for buyers!

Dark garnet, quite dense at the core, ruby rim. Dense red-berry bouquet with a beautiful sign of maturity. Amarena cherries, mulberries, showing wonderful spicy depth. The palate is full-bodied with great concentration; the extract displays a seductive sweetness, all on velvety tannins. This is a highly Burgundian style with a not insignificant seduction potential. Early maturity and a long life. What more could one want.

(65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot, 35 hl/ha) Dense, velvety, complex, fresh bouquet, damson plums, pralines, mocha cream, cedar. Densely knit, balanced, elegant palate with fine fruit, good tannin, dark aromatics, velvety texture, long, aromatic finish with sweet echoes. 18/20 2022 - 2040

At a perfect moment to start drinking, plenty of grip, slate, crayon and liquorice bud, graphite and cassis, black tea and peppercorns, very Left Bank, very Chevalier, very delicious. Olivier Bernard owner.

Deep garnet in color, the 2015 Domaine de Chevalier Rouge needs a little coaxing to reveal notes of baked black cherries, redcurrant jelly, and plum preserves with suggestions of unsmoked cigars, tapenade, and rosehip tea. The medium-bodied palate has intense red and black berry preserves layers with a firm structure of grainy tannins and seamless freshness, finishing long and perfumed.

With its explosive nose of fully ripe fruit, the 2015 leaps from the glass. The palate is just as charming, full-bodied, finely spiced and above all silky-smooth and very fruity. A truly great, flamboyant wine.

Garnet red with violet highlights. What beautiful aromatic intensity! Lovely harmony between the barrel aging and the fruity notes. I detect blackberry and raspberry notes with a peppery touch. Lots of delicacy on the palate, a slight suave hint, and a good balance between all the components. The tannins are well integrated with a fine grain. I also appreciate the wine’s juicy, fruity side. A wine with breadth, finesse, and a few good years ahead of it.

A complete wine with a velvety texture, finishing long and sappy, with a fine grain. It's very good.

This wine is ripe, rich and generous. It brings out the almost-sweet character of the fruit in this vintage. At the same time, the tannins are firm and support all this fruitiness. The wine will develop well. Drink from 2024.