2009 Domaine de Chevalier

Shows a super nose of crushed blueberry and blackberry, with hints of raspberry. Full-bodied, offering a fabulous core of fruit and ripe tannins that caress your palate for minutes. Love the chocolate and blueberry character. Wonderful texture

Tasted at the chateau. Dark garnet hue. The nose awakes slowly, imbued with a sense of control instead of the some of the more vivacious, immediate bouquets. There is very fine minerality and delineation, dark cherry fruit, Doris plum, just a hint of briary with a very faint hint of truffle. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, very fresh, not as much weight as some of the other Pessac/Graves, light on its feet, very feminine, wonderful definition on the finish. This looks like it will turn out to be a very pretty Domaine de Chevalier Rouge. Tasted April 2010.

In late 2011, I had the last bottle in my cellar of the 1970 Domaine de Chevalier. Much to my surprise, it was still holding on to life and remained gorgeously complex in that ethereal Graves style. The 2009, one of the finest Domaine de Chevaliers yet produced, reveals a striking bouquet of burning embers, sweet cherry, black and red currant fruit, spice box, cedar and lead pencil shavings. The tannins are sweet in this fleshy, full-bodied offering. It is built on the notion of extraordinary harmony, elegance and complexity. While not the most concentrated or flamboyant 2009, its intense aromas are already reasonably evolved and its lusciousness and balance are terrific. Made from an interesting blend of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 6% Petit Verdot, its yields of 45 hectoliters per hectare were slightly higher than many of its neighbors achieved. Drink it over the next 25 years. Feb 2012, www.robertparker.com