2010 Domaine de Chevalier

The deep ruby 2010 Domaine de Chevalier is made in a very soft velvety style typical of Stephane Derenoncourt, the consultant here since 2002. In the past, his style was soft yet precise but recently I have found his wines lacking this precision and this is the case with the 2010 Domaine de Chevalier. While there are lovely plum and blackberry notes, supported by with supple tannins, the wine lacks any excitement on the palate. Having said that, this remains a medium-bodied Pessac Leognan wine with charm and grace, but missing the power of the 2009. asianpalate.com

Domaine de Chevalier From an assemblage of 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc, the wine shows a deep ruby color. With little effort, complex aromas of smoke, truffle, cassis, black cherry, earth and oak scents are easy to find. The wine is rich, concentrated and offers dark, earthy, black fruit that ends with a long, pure, blackberry and cassis filled finish. winecellarinsider.com

The owner, Olivier Bernard, provided valuable information about the styles and vintages of his wine. He described the 2010 as being similar in style to the 2008 and 2009, with cold vintages like 2006 and 2004, not hot but warm. 1961, 1982 and 1945 were all warm vintages and in the 1980s it is amazing to hear that sugar was added to make the alcohol up to 12.3%. The natural alcohol of the 2010 is 13.5%+. The acidity is 4.5: ‘The night fixes the acidity when the grapes contract and during the day they expand’. The deep darkness of the wine hardly released a scent of heather and hawthorn flower. But there was no doubt about its grand infrastructure holding red- and blackcurrant, mango, black cherry, apricot and almond on a damp forest floor of tannins and acids. It was possible to compare it with the 2008, an elegant, light but powerful natural product with underlying voluptuousness. The 2010 will be palatable in 15 years but noble by the 2040s.