2006 Domaine de Chevalier Blanc, Pessac-Léognan, Bordeaux

2006 Domaine de Chevalier Blanc, Pessac-Léognan, Bordeaux

Product: 20061173547
Prices start from £740.00 per case Buying options
2006 Domaine de Chevalier Blanc, Pessac-Léognan, Bordeaux

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Available by the case In Bond. Pricing excludes duty and VAT, which must be paid separately before delivery. Storage charges apply.
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12 x 75cl bottle
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Description

This just blew every other white we tasted out of the water. Made from 87% Sémillon and 13% Sauvignon Blanc, the perfect climate conditions have helped create an absolute gem. The wine is marked by a wonderful harmony and elegance; white peach, passion fruit, citrus and cream all combine in a glorious, pure, racy style, while the minerality is reminiscent of Burgundy's superstars Coche-Dury and Leflaive. The nose is creamy, pure and expressive while the sleek, exotic palate builds in the mouth to a stunning finish. This is the white wine of the vintage, without a shadow of doubt.
Simon Staples - Fine Wine Director

The price of this wine is such that I can't help thinking what sort of white Burgundy I could get for the same price: an unfair comparison perhaps but I can't help it.  That said, the 2006 delivers.  The concentration and weight are very impressive, with crisp acidity underlining a peachy nose.  An excellent wine that will age well for those with the patience to leave it in the cellar.
Stuart Rae, Fine Wine - Oct 2008

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Critics reviews

Wine Advocate94+/100
An absolutely textbook great white Graves made from 85% Sauvignon Blanc and 15% Semillon and aged nine months on its lees, this is a prodigious effort displaying notes of white flowers, currants, honeyed citrus, fig, and crushed rocks. The wine is very pure, with full body and high acidity, in a backward, almost tannic style. Give this wine at least 8-10 years of cellaring and drink it over the following 30 years.
Robert M. Parker, Jr. - 25/02/2009 Read more
Robert Parker94/100
An absolutely textbook great white Graves made from 85% Sauvignon Blanc and 15% Semillon and aged nine months on its lees, this is a prodigious effort displaying notes of white flowers, currants, honeyed citrus, fig, and crushed rocks. The wine is very pure, with full body and high acidity, in a backward, almost tannic style. Give this wine at least 8-10 years of cellaring and drink it over the following 30 years.
Robert Parker - Wine Advocate - Feb 09 Read more

About this WINE

Domaine de Chevalier

Domaine de Chevalier

Domaine de Chevalier is one of the few Graves estates to produce both first class reds and whites. The property was purchased by the Ricard family in 1865 and remained in their hands until it was bought by the Bernard distilling company in 1983. Domaine De Chevalier has 35 hectares of vines and red wine accounts for 80% of the production. Made from a blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, and 5% Cabernet Franc, the wine is fermented in temperature-controlled, stainless steel vats and then matured in oak barriques (50% new) for 18 months.

Domaine de Chevalier is fortunate to have such a fine team to run its affairs. Olivier, whose family business owns the estate, is the outgoing but canny administrator whilst Rémi Edange is hands-on, knowing every vine and every barrel. Whilst their white wines have always been amongst the very finest, the reds were simpler affairs. But from the 1995 vintage onwards greater flair and concentration was in evidence. The quality curve is now further accentuated by the team's bold move to appoint Stéphane Derenoncourt, of La Mondotte fame, as consultant winemaker. Domaine De Chevalier is classified as a Graves Cru Classé.

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Pessac-Leognan

Pessac-Leognan

In 1986 a new communal district was created within Graves, in Bordeaux,  based on the districts of Pessac and Léognan, the first of which lies within the suburbs of the city. Essentially this came about through pressure from Pessac-Léognan vignerons, who wished to disassociate themselves from growers with predominately sandy soils further south in Graves.

Pessac-Léognan has the best soils of the region, very similar to those of the Médoc, although the depth of gravel is more variable, and contains all the classed growths of the region. Some of its great names, including Ch. Haut-Brion, even sit serenely and resolutely in Bordeaux's southern urban sprawl.

The climate is milder than to the north of the city and the harvest can occur up to two weeks earlier. This gives the best wines a heady, rich and almost savoury character, laced with notes of tobacco, spice and leather. Further south, the soil is sandier with more clay, and the wines are lighter, fruity and suitable for earlier drinking.

Recommended Châteaux: Ch. Haut-Brion, Ch. la Mission Haut-Brion, Ch. Pape Clément, Ch Haut-Bailly, Domaine de Chevalier, Ch. Larrivet-Haut-Brion, Ch. Carmes Haut-Brion, Ch. La Garde, Villa Bel-Air.

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Sauvignon Blanc & Sémillon

Sauvignon Blanc & Sémillon

The blend used for White Graves and Sauternes and rarely encountered outside France. In the great dry whites of Graves, Sauvignon Blanc tends to predominate in the blend, although properties such as Smith Haut Lafite use 100% Sauvignon Blanc while others such as Laville Haut Brion have as much as 60% Sémillon in their final blends. Sauvignon Blanc wines can lose their freshness and fruit after a couple of years in bottle - if blended with Sémillon, then the latter bolsters the wine when the initial fruit from the Sauvignon fades. Ultimately Sauvignon Blanc gives the wine its aroma and raciness while Sémillon gives it backbone and longevity.

In Sauternes, Sémillon is dominant, with Sauvignon Blanc playing a supporting role - it is generally harvested about 10 days before Sémillon and the botrytis concentrates its sweetness and dampens Sauvignon Blanc`s naturally pungent aroma. It contributes acidity, zip and freshness to Sauternes and is an important component of the blend.

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