2008 Domaine de Chevalier, Pessac-Léognan, Bordeaux
Critics reviews
Surprisingly shy on the nose, even at ten years of age - this can bed itself down for a few more years before really starting to open for business. Cabernet fruit dominates, dark in profile with layers of fine tannins, chewier and more classically styled than some. It clearly shows why Chevalier can still go full-throttle in its third and fourth decades. Again, the slight lack of persistency tells you that this was not the hottest vintage, but it is full of classic menthol, cassis and charred oak, those tannins bouncing up to the finish.
Drink 2020 - 2032
Jane Anson, Decanter.com (January 2018)
The 2008 Domaine de Chevalier is a vintage that I have tasted several times. Now at a decade old, it has retained a surprisingly deep colour. The bouquet is divine: pure blackberry and pomegranate aromas, cedar and cigar box, its floral element seeming to have receded in recent years. The palate is medium-bodied and appears to have softened since I last tasted it, the tannins now more melted (though not fully), delivering a mixture of red and black fruit tinged with burnt toast, tobacco and a touch of sous-bois and smoke towards the cohesive finish. You could begin opening bottles now although knowing the track record of this estate, I would leave them for another few years.
Drink 2018 - 2040
Neal Martin, Vinous.com (February 2018)
A blend of 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot and 9% Petit Verdot; 3.55 pH; 13.5% alcohol.
Deep purple-ruby. Slightly reticent, medicinal aromas of cassis, ink, minerals and fresh herbs. Pure, fresh and clean, with straightforward delivery but sneaky concentration to the blackberry and graphite flavours. Juicy acidity keeps the flavours light and lively, making for a classic, precise Bordeaux experience. Finishes firmly tannic and long. Very typical of the undervalued, cooler 2008 vintage, this lacks only a bit more flesh for a higher score, but it's a classic Pessac-Léognan.
Ian D'Agata, Vinous.com (April 2013)
One of the fabulous sleepers of the vintage and a wine for serious Bordeaux afficionados to consider buying, the 2008 is a blend of 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot and 9% Petit Verdot that achieved 13.5% natural alcohol. Surprisingly backward for a 2008, it is medium to full-bodied with moderate tannins, lots of purity and abundant charcoal, black currant and floral notes. The sweetness of the fruit, depth of flavor and textured, lush mouthfeel in this medium to full-bodied, ageworthy 2008 are impressive. Give it 3-4 years of cellaring and drink it over the following two decades. I would not be surprised if it turns out to be as impressive as the 2010.
Drink 2014 - 2034
Robert M. Parker Jr., Wine Advocate (May 2011)
Domaine de Chevalier's 2008 is one of the finest wines made at this estate over the last three decades, (60% Cab. Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot and Cab. Franc). The most noticeable thing is that consultant Stephane Derenoncourt has drastically cut back the influence of new oak, or at least its ability to intrude on the aromatics and flavors. This beautifully textured, dense purple-colored 2008 exhibits notes of graphite, spring flowers, and blue as well as red fruits in an elegant, full-bodied, flavorful, layered mouthfeel. The freshness of the vintage, combined with low yields has given this cuvee an atypical density and richness that is largely unprecedented.
Drink 2009 - 2034
(92-94/100) - Robert M. Parker Jr., Wine Advocate (April 2009)
66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 9% Petit Verdot. Harvested 6 to 25 October (latest harvest in Chevalier’s history).
Good, bright colour to the rim. Red- and dark-fruit aromas. Mid palate full but fresh. Minerally and stony as well. More in the ‘classic’ mould with plenty of Graves character. Clean finish.
Drink 2020 - 2035
James Lawther MW, JancisRobinson.com (September 2023)
It is just starting to open now, with bright fruit, light smoky, and meaty undertones. It has a medium to full body and a fresh finish.
Drink or hold
James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com (June 2016)
Beautifully textured and weighted on the palate, not so expressive on the nose, but this is scintillating on the palate, buzzy, clean, lean, focussed and straight. Doesn't really deviate and in that respect this has tension and a lot more to give. Feels like it's in hibernation at the moment, but still delivering purity and clarity of fruit with the terroir markers of liquorice and flint at the end. Blackcurrant and plum fruit. A lovely 2008 with succulence, cool blue fruit, herbal aspects, salty touches and such an ease to it. Delicious.
Drink 2023 - 2038
Georgina Hindle, Decanter.com (September 2023)
A gorgeous perfume of blackcurrants, chocolate, tobacco leaf, and gravelly minerality emerges from the 2008 Domaine de Chevalier, which is a blend of 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot and hit 13.5% natural alcohol. It’s broad, full-bodied, and seamless on the palate, and is a beautiful, beautiful wine that stretches out nicely on the finish. This is classic Graves! I love it today, and it has another 10-15 years of prime drinking (and I’m sure a gradual decline after that).
Drink 2019 - 2034
Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com (February 2019)
Good full medium ruby. Sexy, very pure aromas of crushed blueberry, minerals and liquorice lifted by a violet top note. Dense, ripe, seamless, with terrific energy and a light touch to the tightly coiled flavours of dark berries and graphite complemented by spicy oak. This savoury, dry, classic wine has the structure to ensure two decades or more of development in bottle. It finishes with real verve and grip.
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous.com (July 2011)
About this WINE
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.
Pessac-Léognan
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.
Cabernet Sauvignon blend
Cabernet Sauvignon lends itself particularly well in blends with Merlot. This is actually the archetypal Bordeaux blend, though in different proportions in the sub-regions and sometimes topped up with Cabernet Franc, Malbec, and Petit Verdot.
In the Médoc and Graves the percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend can range from 95% (Mouton-Rothschild) to as low as 40%. It is particularly suited to the dry, warm, free- draining, gravel-rich soils and is responsible for the redolent cassis characteristics as well as the depth of colour, tannic structure and pronounced acidity of Médoc wines. However 100% Cabernet Sauvignon wines can be slightly hollow-tasting in the middle palate and Merlot with its generous, fleshy fruit flavours acts as a perfect foil by filling in this cavity.
In St-Emilion and Pomerol, the blends are Merlot dominated as Cabernet Sauvignon can struggle to ripen there - when it is included, it adds structure and body to the wine. Sassicaia is the most famous Bordeaux blend in Italy and has spawned many imitations, whereby the blend is now firmly established in the New World and particularly in California and Australia.
When is a wine ready to drink?
We provide drinking windows for all our wines. Alongside the drinking windows there is a bottle icon and a maturity stage. Bear in mind that the best time to drink a wine does also depend on your taste.
Not ready
These wines are very young. Whilst they're likely to have lots of intense flavours, their acidity or tannins may make them feel austere. Although it isn't "wrong" to drink these wines now, you are likely to miss out on a lot of complexity by not waiting for them to mature.
Ready - youthful
These wines are likely to have plenty of fruit flavours still and, for red wines, the tannins may well be quite noticeable. For those who prefer younger, fruitier wines, or if serving alongside a robust meal, these will be very enjoyable. If you choose to hold onto these wines, the fruit flavours will evolve into more savoury complexity.
Ready - at best
These wines are likely to have a beautiful balance of fruit, spice and savoury flavours. The acidity and tannins will have softened somewhat, and the wines will show plenty of complexity. For many, this is seen as the ideal time to drink and enjoy these wines. If you choose to hold onto these wines, they will become more savoury but not necessarily more complex.
Ready - mature
These wines are likely to have plenty of complexity, but the fruit flavours will have been almost completely replaced by savoury and spice notes. These wines may have a beautiful texture at this stage of maturity. There is lots to enjoy when drinking wines at this stage. Most of these wines will hold in this window for a few years, though at the very end of this drinking window, wines start to lose complexity and decline.
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Description
Domaine de Chevalier always seems to know how to please. The 2008 has a fantastic, opulent nose of liquid blackcurrants and a concentrated, intense palate of dark cassis fruit but with that lovely freshness indicative of the vintage. This is a wine with plenty of flesh on its bones, but one which combines power with grace and balance. Ripe, grainy tannins and a savoury, mineral finish complete this very rewarding wine.
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