Domaine de Chevalier 2017

Here too, maturation has added more polish: with great freshness, elegance and refinement, it charms not through power but through balance, breed and elegance.

Closed on the nose to begin, the Domaine de Chevalier 2017 Blanc (composed of 70% Sauvignon Blanc and 30% Sémillon) opens to aromas of ripe pears, Golden Delicious apples and white peaches with notions of straw, honeysuckle and chalk. Medium-bodied, the palate is seriously intense and racy with loads of mineral sparks on the finish. It was aged for 16 months in French oak, 35% new.

This shows a gently buttered frame around a core bristling with white peach, gooseberry, tangerine and verbena notes. Exhibits weight, tension and detail, with tarragon, chamomile and fleur de sel accents skittering through the finish. Seriously long and built to age. Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon. Best from 2021 through 2032.

Slightly reticent on the nose, with subtle creaminess and savoury spice. Full-bodied and opulent in style with vibrant acidity.

This is really powerful and structured with superb muscle and phenolic tension. Yet, it’s formed and polished, layered and dense. Full-bodied, but energetic and focused. Vibrant acidity. Goes on for minutes. Citrus, stone, straw, salt and chalk. Incredible. Try after 2023.

It’s that extra burst of freshness, with all those crushed-rock notes, that takes this to another level. Concentrated, lush, silky and vibrant, with layer upon layer of sweet, crisp, juicy, assorted citrus fruits that just keep coming. The wine can age and evolve for decades!

The grand vin, the 2017 Domaine De Chevalier Blanc, is a more serious, concentrated, medium- to full-bodied effort that has awesome notes of crushed citrus, white peach, lemon zest, and obvious minerality. With a touch of background oak, a great mid-palate, and stunning balance, give bottles 3–5 years and enjoy over the following two decades.

Kunz barrel sample 18: (70% Sauvignon Blanc, 30% Sémillon, 46 hl/ha, 13.5% vol. alcohol) Fresh, silky, powerful bouquet, grapefruit, lemon cream, vanilla powder, pomelo, mint leaves. Balanced, dense, elegant palate with delicate fruit, very well-integrated acidity, powerful aromatics, long, full finish.

Dense, elegant, fresh, powerful bouquet, bergamot, rambutan, fresh herbs. Balanced, elegant, concentrated and finely textured palate with fine fruit, well-integrated acidity, powerful, refined aromatics, long, fresh finish. 18/20 2024 - 2045

The white Domaine de Chevalier 2017 wafts out of the glass with alluring notes of mandarin peel, lemon meringue pie, and lime blossoms, plus hints of chalk dust, white pepper, and fresh ginger. Medium-bodied, the palate has electric intensity with lots of mineral sparks and a very long, multi-layered finish. Wow! So youthful... it should age beautifully.

A great wine asserts a beautiful volume, richness, and above all an elongated, complete spectrum of flavors.

A racy, taut, fresh, juicy wine with citrus notes and great length.

Intense, complex bouquet with a refreshing character. Notes of lemon and linden blossom, with a hint of menthol. Saline, sapid attack. Very fine aromatic intensity on the palate, with a good symbiosis between the creamy side and the breed of the structure. A characterful wine that reveals itself slowly and is ideally supported by its acidity. Fruity, persistent finish. A great success. Patience will be rewarded.

Pale yellow colour with green highlights. Intense nose with ripe, subtle fruit. A fresh hint of mint. Soft on the attack, then very smooth at mid-palate, fragrant, juicy and flavourful, the wine finishes complex with great length. Plenty of immediate pleasure.

This wine is dense, with concentrated spice plus rich white and kiwi fruits. Acidity is prominent, giving the wine impressive fruitiness and aging potential as suggested by the texture and wood flavors. Drink this beautifully ripe wine from 2022.