2009 Domaine de Chevalier, Pessac-Léognan, Bordeaux

66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot. Harvested 24 September to 14 October.

Crimson hue. Subtle dark fruit and smoky notes. Juicy and fresh on the palate, the tannins are extremely fine. Hint of blackcurrant. Harmonious. Joyful and appealing now but will hold. 

Drink 2018 - 2038

Inky purple. Fresh, clean, rather delicate aromas of blackcurrant, violet, damp moss, leather and minerals are sweetened by a red cherry note. Smooth and soft, with very ripe strawberry syrup and blackberry flavours. Offers a fleshy quality that's supported by the stoniness typical of Chevalier. Nicely balanced, minerally and long, leaving behind a note of gunflint. I would not be at all surprised if this evolves in bottle to merit a score at the high end of my projected range.

Bright, medium ruby-red. A nuanced, expressive nose combines dark cherry, redcurrant, mocha, graphite, cedar and hot bricks. Plush on entry, then sweet but firm in the middle, with a solid mineral spine giving shape to the fine-grained dark berry and cedar flavours. This wonderfully glossy wine boasts excellent structure on the subtly long back end, with its ripe cabernet sauvignon component much more apparent today than its merlot.

Tasted blind at the Domaine de Chevalier vertical at the property.

The 2009 Domaine de Chevalier has a vivacious, almost exotic bouquet with lavish black fruit, mint, oregano and cedar that all gain intensity with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, a fine bead of acidity, ripe black fruit laced with white pepper and even a faint touch of Szechuan pepper. This displays exquisite balance and the finish feels deep and satisfying, clearly born in a great vintage.

Drink 2021 - 2050

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.

Drink 2012 - 2037

This is very tight and rich with dried apple, mango and papaya, yet it's bright and floral. Full body, dense fruit and a long, powerful finish. Really open already but complex and beautiful with a richness and intensity that is very, very impressive.

Remains deep damson in colour even at nearly 10 years old, and on the attack you find full and true blackberry cassis and bilberry notes, we are really building up layers and complexity on the nose. Gorgeous wine, just beautiful balance and juiciness, and a silken texture to the fruit, tannins that support without ever being intrusive, no question this can age. Tannins are deceptive because they build over the palate. Tobacco and walnut on the finish, I look forward to watching this develop further over the next few years.

Drink 2019 - 2035

The blend of the 2009 is 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, and 6% Petit Verdot.

Drinking nicely, with some maturity yet still youthful, the 2009 Domaine De Chevalier offers gorgeous red and black currant fruits, smoked tobacco, damp earth, and cedary spice. Full-bodied, opulent, and undeniably sexy on the palate, with a great mid-palate and sweet tannins. Displaying good balance as well as ripe tannins, its dense, opulent profile is going to continue to evolve for another 30 years or more. Don't be afraid to open bottles, though – it's sensational today.

Drink 2020 - 2052

Not so expressive on the nose right now; dark chocolate, cedar, tobacco nuances, and some savoury edges with a touch of iodine. Balanced, calm, gentle, quiet, powerful no doubt but not shouting like the 2005 is right now. Smooth, supple, excellent tannins really integrated and supportive giving a wide but soft feel. So delicious, crunchy, ripe, chalky, and salty, so much beautiful power and perseverance here. 

I love this, not trying too hard, effortless almost. Really incredible wine and stands out for its balance and harmony and just giving so much togetherness. Everything works and this remains calm despite the richness.

Drink 2023 - 2050