Domaine de CHEVALIER 2021

Description

Georgina Hindle 94 points  www.decanter.com (at Primeur week tastings in Bordeaux, 01 Apr 2022)
Aromatic nose, perfumed black fruits, bramble tones and a touch of sweet spice. Round and mouthfilling, this has good density and depth for the vintage, tannins are on the juicy plump side with a dry grippy texture though satisfying not austere with the fruit powering through giving cherry and blackcurrant flavours. This has good persistency and doesn’t let up – it’s not a showstopper at this point but I love the quality of the fruit and the tannins and the lifted acidity as well as the darker more savoury elements of liquorice, black chocolate, graphite and smoked cedar that come in towards the end. Lots going on here with good potential. You get the impression nothing is hiding and I love that. Really the grapes and the terroir on show. A good success and will be interesting to taste in bottle. 2% Cabernet Franc completes the blend. Drinking Window : 2026 – 2035

Yves Beck 93-95 points www.yvesbeck.wine
80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, 5% Petit Verdot
Domaine de Chevalier commence par révéler son élevage mais celui-ci est rapidement relayé par de rafraîchissantes notes mentholées et d’invitants parfums de baies noires et de cerises. Le vin se révèle avec délicatesse et est doté de tannins veloutés aux grains fins, en phase avec la fraîcheur de l’acidité. Seule la finale est en retrait au niveau aromatique, mais au vu de la matière présente elle ne saurait tarder à se révéler.  2026-2046

Jean-Marc Quarin 93 points www.quarin.com
Belle couleur sombre et pourpre. Nez intense, au fruité mûr, pur et suave. Délicat en entrée de bouche, parfumé au milieu, caressant dans son déroulé, le vin s’étire en finale raffiné et aromatique, sans marquer le tannin. Bonne longueur. Assemblage : 80 % cabernet sauvignon, 10 % merlot, 5 % petit verdot, 5 % cabernet franc. Degré d’alcool : 13° – pH : 3,62. Vin non saigné. Rendement : 30 hl/ha.

Antonio Galloni 93-95 www.vinous.com
The 2021 Domaine de Chevalier was terrific both times I tasted it. Potent and driving, the 2021 dazzles with Cabernet Sauvignon intensity in its aromas, flavors and overall structure. Graphite, spice, menthol, spice, rose petals, mocha and flowers run through a core of red/purplish fruit. The Blanc gets most of the attention at Domaine de Chevalier, but these days I find the red more complete and more interesting.

William Kelley 93-95 points www.erobertparker.com
The 2021 Domaine de Chevalier is full of promise, bursting with aromas of dark berries and plums mingled with loamy soil, bay leaf, licorice, potpourri and spices. Medium to full-bodied, seamless and complete, its velvety attack segues into a lively, layered core, concluding with a long, nicely defined finish. Olivier Bernard doesn’t think that this will surpass his 2018, but I tend to disagree. The 2021 is a blend of fully 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.

Neal Martin 92-94 www.vinous.com
The 2021 Domaine de Chevalier was picked from September 28 until October 15 at 30hL/ha. Tobacco- and sous-bois-infused black fruit unfurl with a sense of assuredness on the nose, the best example, a third bottle toward the end of my tastings, being the most delineated. This has energy rather than horsepower. The palate is medium-bodied with pencil-lead-infused black fruit and a slightly powdery texture, certainly the most saline in recent years, leading to an almost Pauillac-inspired finish. Stylish and classic Domaine de Chevalier.