Domaine de Chevalier 2016

Superb, though still restrained, wood-driven aromatics; of stunning class, great density, breathtaking minerality, never-ending length... once again ranks among the world’s great whites.

This flirts with a tropical hint, as peach and nectarine details peek in on the core of meringue, lemon peel, shortbread, melon and yellow apple fruit flavors. Heather and macadamia nut notes gild the finish, which is rounded along the edges but still racy through the middle. This needs a little time to settle in fully. Best from 2021 through 2030. 1,800 cases made.

Intense and focused. 75% Sauvignon Blanc and 25% Semillon. Oak imparts extra complexity to this wonderfully concentrated wine. Restrained and refined yet powerful. A great vintage and benchmark Pessac-Léognan white.

A white that has aged beautifully, showing subtle aromas of dried peaches and lemons with a touch of hazelnuts. Medium- to full-bodied, chiseled yet round, with beautiful, vibrant fruit and exceptional concentration. Open and accessible. Drink now or hold. 10 Years On retrospective.

Pungent and racy and still very youthful. Pure. Sleek and really gorgeous. (JR)

Bright, floral, fruity, and fresh, with a wealth of sweet lemons, honeysuckle, white peach, orange rind, and green apples from start to finish, leaving you with lusciously textured, sweet fruits with a hit of sea salt on the endnote. This is really drinking great. It’s even better straight from the cellar at a cooler temperature. Drink from 2024–2036.

Light yellow-green with silver reflexes. Subtle yellow tropical fruit notes, a hint of orange zest and grapefruit notes. Compact on the palate, taut texture, delicate wood influence, ripe stone fruit note, elegant and long. Showing good development and will continue to age well.

Very fine and layered, precise and mineral nose, barely ripe stone fruit, fine-tuned oak; dense palate, fresh and zesty with confit de citron, yellow fruit, very fine extract and a long, pure finish. Still youthful and unresolved but with much more to give.

The white of the vintage is the 2016 Domaine de Chevalier Blanc, which comes from a high-density planting of 30-year-old vines located west and south of the town of Léognan. A blend of 75% Sauvignon and 25% Sémillon aged in 35% new barrels, it offers a massive bouquet of crushed citrus, salty minerality, white flowers, and grapefruit. Racy, full-bodied, concentrated, and beautifully textured, it’s a brilliant wine that has more flesh and texture than the 2015 and will keep for two decades or more. Hats off to the team at Domaine de Chevalier for this brilliant, brilliant white!

Delicate bouquet of mirabelle plum and grapefruit, followed by lemon essence, mint and lime. On the mid-palate, a very straight-lined structure, almost turning steely. Impresses with its brilliant balance. Powerful finish with vineyard peach and lemon balm. What a seductive Domaine de Chevalier!

Kunz barrel sample 17: fresh, powerful, finely grassy bouquet, lemon cream, green herbs, green olives, mint, grapefruit. Elegant, full and fresh palate with powerful, precise fruit, very well-integrated acidity, good aromatics, and a long, refined finish.

Fresh, powerful, subtly grassy bouquet with lemon cream, green herbs, green olives, mint and grapefruit. Elegant, full and fresh palate with powerful, refined fruit, very well-integrated acidity, good aromatics and a long, delicate finish. 18/20 2022 - 2036

Sumptuous nose with incredibly pure fruit, minerality, smoky and floral notes. Magnificent palate, expansive, melting, suave, with superbly refined, full-bodied substance, lively and long on the finish. True to form, it reaches for the heights!

The 2016 white stands out as one of the very best of the appellation, with a sumptuous definition and notes of fruit, tea, and flowers that linger for a long time, giving it tremendous potential.

Fresh yellow fruits, pear, boxwood, a lovely honeyed bitterness, sapid, saline and moreish.

Tasted during a meal at Domaine de Chevalier with Rémi Edange, the 2016 convinces with its freshness. It reveals nuances of citrus, anise and white flowers, along with smoky notes. On the palate, the wine stands out as much for its finesse as for its freshness and harmony. Power and tension go hand in hand and have all the elements needed to carry this wine over time, yet it can also be enjoyed right now. The choice is yours!

Light yellow color. Moderately intense nose with hints of pineapple and passion fruit. Soft on entry, then juicy as it develops, very fruity, flavorful; the wine caresses the palate, taking on a slightly peppery note. Noble in its overall expression and aromas, it ends on a complex, sappy finish with, at the very end of the palate, a mix of pine wood and lemon peel. It's superb and impossible to spit out!

This luscious wine from old-vine Sauvignon Blanc is filled out even further by the 30% Sémillon in the blend. It is rich in feel and intense in a white fruit flavor, with touches of spice from the wood aging. It is fresh and textured on the finish. Drink from 2024.

The 2016 Domaine de Chevalier Blanc offers quite a bit of upfront intensity and attack, but then loses persistence through the mid-palate and finish, which makes it come across as rather monolithic. I don't see the focus, tension or energy that are such signatures of the Blanc. Perhaps time in bottle will help to some degree, but I am not too optimistic that will happen.