2005 Domaine de Chevalier
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Tasting notes
First bottle: musty nose, with orange-peel and preserved lemon. Full, concentrated and balanced on the palate, and even though the fruit is definitely going towards the oxidised end of the spectrum, there is still interest. Second bottle is fresher and much more defined, although vexingly less interesting as a result – the ideal mix might be 50:50 of each. (RH)
Critic scores
Average Score
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Robert Parker
More reviews and scores
As to the red, the 2005 Domaine De Chevalier is 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. This rich, full-bodied Graves reveals a lively ruby/plum hue with almost no bricking and offers classic notes of smoked tobacco, gravelly earth, currants, roasted herbs, and blackberries. I love its overall balance and it has ripe, integrated tannins, and beautiful length on the finish. You can safely drink this beauty any time over the coming 10-15+ years.
55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot, 4% Cabernet Franc. Harvested 29 September to 12 October. Youthful aspect. Fresh, smoky and refined. Nicely poised and elegant, the fruit present and tannins firm but well-integrated. Line of acidity for freshness. Grip on the finish. Understated but a lovely wine. (JL)
Firm plum in colour, this grabs you straight off the bat. A beautifully rich nose, still young with a relatively closed tannic frame, will open further over the next few years, but the silky depths to the texture are clear. Packed with liqourice, black cherry, cassis, cooling mint freshness that reallly draws out the palate, this is pure class, up there with the all time greatest Chevaliers. A clear buy - and if you already own it, get ready to enjoy. Harvest September 26 to October 12.
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.