1985 Domaine de Chevalier
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Tasting notes
65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc. Harvested 27 September to 9 October. Brick red. Elegant and perfumed. Red-fruit notes with an edge of lanolin and herbs. Palate fresh but with a plummy sweetness as well. Fine tannins. Clean and harmonious. Holding up well. (JL)
Critic scores
Average Score
Robert Parker
Neal Martin
More reviews and scores
The 1985 Domaine de Chevalier has always been a good but not great example from the estate. Perhaps proprietor Olivier Bernard is still finding his feet after taking over in 1983. The best example was a magnum poured in 2009 and, in some ways, this bottle mirrored that showing. The bouquet is fully mature and still has the soft and loose-knit nose but is more loamy than previous examples and needs more cohesion. The palate is medium- rather than full-bodied these days. There is lovely balance here—nonchalant and unpretentious—with just a touch of truffle and a hint of black olive. My main criticism is that it flatlines on the last third, and as I have said before, it requires more length. Thoroughly enjoyable, yet as I remarked before, not profound. Tasted May 2017.
Looks quite a young, simple crimson. Not fully ripe. Rather ordinary. (JR)
The 1985's attractive bouquet is followed by sweet, ripe, rich fruit, and light tannins. It has matured more quickly than I thought and appears well-developed. It lacks the concentration one usually expects of wines from this property. Anticipated maturity: Now-2005. Last tasted, 6/93. Wine Advocate.August, 1993
About the producer
Since buying the property in 1983, the Bernard family has cemented Domaine de Chevalier’s reputation as one of the Graves’s finest red and white wine producers, known for their sophisticated and elegant wines.