TN: 2015 Domaine de Chevalier (France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan)

2015 Domaine de Chevalier - France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan (11/6/2019)
Traditionalists, cover your eyes. This is not for you. It’s not full modern, with gobs of oak, and over the top richness, but damn it’s sexy wine. The fruit is ripe and suave, tannins present, but holding back, and the finish is long, and complex. Young Bordeaux is not supposed to be this inviting, while also being this balanced. Delicious.

Posted from CellarTracker

Sounds like the type of wine you could serve at a dinner party and have people actually enjoy it. :stuck_out_tongue: I have purchased a few different recent vintages, but have yet to try it.

LOL - I’ve started buying only in recent vintages and have not tried those yet, but did so on a couple of old vintage examples. Sounds like the style has changed and I won’t get what I thought… but it will still be delicious :slight_smile:!

Interesting counter-point to Levenberg’s notes on 15 and 16. I’ve always thought this estate was hedging slightly more modern, which your excellent note suggests, but his note suggests the structure remains classic just the fruit is ripe (which is not, ipso facto, modern). I have not pulled the trigger yet on 15 and 16, did grab quite a bit of 14, but sounds like I should grab some to satisfy my own curiosity, and I certainly enjoy delicious young wine, too. This is an interesting wine and vintage where there appears to be consensus among the various palate preferences that this is an excellent wine.

Robert - this bottle felt slightly modern to me. Not full on. I actually read Keith’s note after I posted my own, and overall I agree with him. There just seems to be a little bit of gloss.

Given your suggestions of approachability, and thoughts - and yea I know we all guess here - on the drinking window?

Probably quite long given the depth and the balance. It’s still drinking well now. I would assume it will shut down soon.

I went to a Union des Grand Crus de Bordeaux tasting of 2015 Bordeauxs a couple of years ago and was very impressed with the Domaine de Chevalier. I found many of the wines there were a bit soft. But, the DdC was one of my favorite wines (if not my favorite wine) at the tasting. Wines change a whole lot over time from that very early stage and I have not tasted it since, but I was impressed.

Howard Cooper wrote:
I went to a Union des Grand Crus de Bordeaux tasting of 2015 Bordeauxs a couple of years ago and was very impressed with the Domaine de Chevalier. I found many of the wines there were a bit soft. But, the DdC was one of my favorite wines (if not my favorite wine) at the tasting. Wines change a whole lot over time from that very early stage and I have not tasted it since, but I was impressed.

+1, the DDC was one of my favorites at the San Francisco UGC tasting in January, 2018. I also liked the 2014 and 2016 vintages of DDC.

I sat next to Mr. Bernard at a dinner in Bordeaux a while ago and we talked about his wines. I learned that he is more on the traditional side. I would be more than stunned if he changed his mind dramatically the last 10 years. I frankly can not imagine that. 2015 was a ripe year so I guess it is more the vintage than the wine style. And btw: it is nice that vintages are different. Why should all wines taste the same?

I buy DDC often and have a sixpack of the 2015 in my cellar. I look forward to open the first bottle in 2025.

I had essenti6y the same impression of this wine. I bet it will age amazingly well.

I wonder how '18 is if it is supposedly best DDC ever.

That’s correct, Robert!

Seems to be an excellent wine. Thanks for the note, David!

Is the term “tannins present” enough to qualify a red Chevalier (not a white) ? :slight_smile:

I tried this wine after reading Levenberg’s note, expecting it to be fantastic, and I was disappointed. I would completely agree with David that it is modern – very modern, hyper-modern. It isn’t the clumsy over-extracted type of “modern” but instead was incredibly smooth, polished, slick, and suave to a degree that I thought made it almost boring. Yes, it has very deep fruit, and if that is your criteria for “deliciousness” then more power to you, but to be frank I found it somewhat bland. It is extremely “well made” but to me lacked complexity and a sense of place.

Of course it is very young Bordeaux so it could evolve in all kinds of ways.

I would disagree with very and/or hyper, but that’s why I said what I did about traditionalists.

And for Laurent, sorry. Yes it was the red. I despise Sauvignon Blanc.

It was a new kind of modern, but one I’m experiencing more and more. Not over-alcoholic, ostentatiously oaky, or over-extracted but instead a very smooth, polished international style. Wish I knew what winemaking techniques were being used to create that effect.

This sums up how I felt about the 2016 of this wine. Maybe not gobs of oak, but definitely leaning into its modernity.

I will add that they are very nice people. Visited there in April and had a great tour and tasting

Gloss is the word here.