Domaine de Chevalier 2023

Deep, smoky, complex, dark fruit, tobacco, mocha, floral notes; dense palate that remains elegant, juicy fruit, marked yet fine tannins, impressive length; among the best the appellation has to offer in red this year.

Cool blue fruit and tobacco leaf denote this wine, which packs almost Pauillac-like power in 2023, not as overtly charming as it can be. The mid-palate depth seems a bit coiled, with some standoffish tannins, but overall it’s brisk and true to the estate’s style, if not a ‘sunny vintage’ on the palate. In short, a serious Domaine de Chevalier red that needs at least five years of cellaring to fully reward you.

The aromas of tobacco, thyme, black currant, and black berry with dark earth follow through to a medium body with creamy and polished tannins that caress your palate and deliver a beautiful young Pessac. So pretty and lively. 63% cabernet sauvignon, 30% merlot, 5% petit verdot and 2% cabernet franc. Better in a few years but already so beautiful and polished.

65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot. In conversion to organics. 18 months’ ageing. Very dark crimson. Inviting, pure Cabernet aroma of cassis and cassis leaf, nicely stony too. Lighter-bodied than I expected, focused more on elegance than power. Finely textured with excellent freshness. Early pleasure yet may still age well. Tannins build to a more chewy finish. (JH)

The 2023 Domaine de Chevalier is terrific. Silky, aromatic and elegant, the 2023 is a fine effort for the year. Crushed flowers, pomegranate, blood orange, cinnamon and dark raspberry all build in the glass. The 2023 does not quite reach the level of the very best vintages, and yet it has a lot to offer. Time brings out lovely minerality, energy and persistence. I loved it. Tasted three times.

Smoky black cherries, cigar wrappers, barbecue smoke, cedar, and smoked mint aromatics create the perfume. On the palate, the wine is fresh, full of finesse, smoky, elegant and complex. The finish is like eating peppery currants topped with Cuban cigar wrappers. Long, spicy, and intense, this is a vintage that will benefit from at least a few years of aging. The wine blends 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot and 5% Cabernet Franc. Drink from 2029-2055.

Score: 94–96. An intoxicating, indulgent nose wrapped in sumptuous fruit (ripe raspberry) and rich floral compositions, as if stepping into the dining room of a royal palace. On the palate, striking savoriness, with a feminine freshness that lingers on the saline finish.

The bouquet’s subtlety is immediately convincing, true to a classic Domaine de Chevalier style focused on fruity nuances and freshness, all with great finesse. From the very first sip, the palate perfectly echoes what the nose promises. The wine shows compact, powerful tannins that stand out for their precision. They are fine and fleshy, paired with a structuring, mouthwatering freshness. A truly fine success that will easily sail through the decades to come.

As good as it was En Primeur; perhaps a little more reticent at this point, with firm tannins and the depth and signature that is going to carry it through the years. Classically balanced, finessed, juicy, cassis and pomegranate with coiled promise, one of those wines that at at 8 to 10 year mark you are going to be so thrilled you own. 35% new oak for ageing, Bernard family owners. 30hl/h yield, in organic conversion. Tasted twice.

94-96. Barrel Sample. This is a dense wine with a solid structure combining with layers of black-currant fruits. It is a fine, rich wine. It is impressively textured and with juicy acidity. Smoky with great potential. Organic.

This is well-built, capturing generous flavors of black currant and cherry compote that marry nicely with mesquite, licorice root and savory details, while steady, percolating energy ripples underneath it all. A long, tarry streak adds a ground wire through the finish. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2027 through 2040. 9,500 cases made.

When I tasted it En Primeur, I described it as velvety; yet in two out of three bottles, I found the opposite: an unexpected harshness and a variable nose.

The 2023 Domaine de Chevalier has turned out beautifully in bottle, offering aromas of sweet cherries, dark wild berries, licorice, mulberries and peony. Medium- to full-bodied, it is rich yet supple, layered and textured, framed by powdery tannins and concluding with a long, precise and perfumed finish. A blend of 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc, it should gain an additional dimension of depth and complexity with time in the cellar.