Domaine de Chevalier 2014

Focused, with a graphite edge that runs from start to finish alongside the dark plum and blackberry purée flavors. Reveals a pretty echo of anise through the finish, which has latent depth. Solid. Best from 2018 through 2026. 10,000 cases made.

The wine is powered both by its tannins and by its great fruit. Dark and dense both in the structure and the black-plum flavors, it is very fine wine– juicy and ripe. This is a serious wine with a great future. Drink from 2026.

Perfumed and highly charged aromatics on the nose. Juicy and high toned, just shy of tart but nicely tangy and upfront before settling quite quickly with stony, almost lean tannins that give a mineral grip to the palate and some tension with them. Just misses a beat in terms of continuing the fruit-forwardness, softening just a bit before the finish, but this has grace and detail to its aspects.

Anyone who says that the 2014s aren’t elegant needs to taste this beautifully balanced wine. Ripe redcurrant and delicate herbal aromas with just a hint of spicy oak on the nose precede a fresh, medium-bodied palate with underplayed power and a lot of subtle nuances on the long finish.

The 2014 Domaine de Chevalier is a total knockout. Precise, brilliant and finely sculpted, the 2014 possesses superb intensity. Freshly cut flowers, mint and sweet red berries, along with finessed but persistent tannins, give the wine its regal personality. The 2014 needs a number of years to shed some baby fat and develop the full breadth of its aromatics, but it is a fabulous wine by any measure. The 2014 is 65 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 30 % Merlot and 5 % Petit Verdot that spent approximately 35 days on the skins. Olivier Bernard noted that the Merlots were brought in between October 10 and 17, which is quite late by the domaine's standards. Tasted two times.

Elegance and purity is the best way to describe this young, fresh, vibrant, smoke filled wine. The refined, finish, lingers and feels great, with all its juicy, sweet, pure, black cherries.

A blend of 65 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 30 % Merlot and 5 % Petit Verdot, harvest quite late, the 2014 Domaine de Chevalier is more refined and understated than the 2015 yet still offers more opulence, texture, and mid-palate depth than most in the vintage. Revealing a deep ruby, opaque color and a gorgeous array of blackberries, black cherries, smoked earth, forest floor, and tobacco leaf, this beauty offers full-bodied richness, a layered, silky texture, perfect balance and a great finish. It has the class and balance to offer incredible pleasure today, yet will keep for another two decades.

Deep purple, dense at the core, with a garnet rim. Brilliant bouquet, compact on entry, finely detailed and enlivened by many layers: plenty of red berries with a very ripe expression, coconut and a hint of caramel, with a delicate floral touch in the background as well. Elegant palate, rather light-bodied, with sour cherry notes in the extract, and a pleasant finish. A very good Chevalier, but unfortunately it only just lines up with the 2012 and 2013 vintages. Meaning: the 2011 was slightly better—indeed outstanding!

Deep purple, rich at the core, with a garnet shimmer at the rim. Brilliant bouquet: dense on entry, finely structured, lively with many layers—plenty of red berries, yet with a very ripe expression, coconut and a hint of caramel, and behind that a subtle floral note as well. Elegant palate, on the lighter side; sour-cherry notes in the extract and a pleasant finish. A very good Chevalier, but unfortunately it only just lines up with the 2012 and 2013 vintages. Meaning: the 2011 was slightly better. Or, put another way: very good indeed!

Silky, finely detailed, elegant bouquet: red berries, raspberries, raspberry canes, tobacco, precious woods. Medium-bodied, austere palate with good fruit, medium, finely sandy tannins, pronounced acidity, spicy aromatics, austere finish. 17/20 2020 - 2035

Dark fruits, stony ground, crushed rocks, serious Left Bank feel, with Cabernet Sauvignon dominant, well structured, plenty of life ahead, not the most geneous of Chevaliers but brilliant quality, restrained, confident, a consistently impressive wine that I have enjoyed on several occasions since En Primeur and that is clearly still at the beginning of its life.

Medium to deep garnet-brick in color, the 2014 Domaine de Chevalier Rouge offers subtle notes of dried plums and figs, with hints of unsmoked cigars, wild sage, dried leaves, and damp soil. The medium-bodied palate is lively and chewy, with just enough mature black fruit and herbal flavors, finishing savoury. Tasted blind with the Southwold Group in London in February 2024.

Dense, rich, great chewiness, rounded tannins, minty, great length, savoury.

Deep garnet-red color. The bouquet shows good intensity, with notes of cocoa, hazelnuts, and licorice, enhanced by elegant oak after a little aeration. Fresh and refined, the wine offers a lovely balance between its tannins and its acidity, while the finish stands out for its fruity expression.

The nose is refined, with notes of dark berries, toasty nuances and subtle oak. The palate is fruity, generous, balanced and relatively smooth. On the palate, the wine shows blackberry, blackcurrant and fresh black cherry notes, complemented by a discreet touch of Zan, a hint of tobacco and delicate, understated oak. The tannins are fine. Good length and persistence on fruit notes, a touch of Zan and a subtle note of Ceylon tea.

Logo on the cork: GP Dark, intense colour, slightly evolved. Moderately aromatic nose with ripe fruit notes. A hint of animal character. Delicate on the attack, flavoursome through the mid-palate, with a classy texture; the wine melts away subtly and fragrantly, with a medium finish. Enjoyable already.

The 2014 Domaine de Chevalier has a wonderful bouquet with pure blackberry, raspberry coulis and iodine-tinged aromas that seem to envelop the senses. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, superb acidity and a sense of symmetry that is uncommon in the 2014 vintage. This is a sophisticated, precise wine from Olivier Bernard that could be one of top wines of the vintage. There is an approachability to this Domaine de Chevalier, which you do not always find, however I would be inclined to give this 3-4 years in bottle.