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

[D@vid Bu3ker]

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

[Justin S]

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

[Rauno E (NZ)]

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 !

[Robert.A.Jr.]

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.

[D@vid Bu3ker]

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.

[Robert.A.Jr.]

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?

[D@vid Bu3ker]

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

[Howard Cooper]

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.

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.

[Ed Steinway]

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.

[Jürgen Steinke]

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.

[Brian G r a f s t r o m]

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

[YLee]

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

[Rudi Finkler]

... just the fruit is ripe (which is not, ipso facto, modern)...

That’s correct, Robert!

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

[Laurent Gibet]

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

Is the term "tannins present" enough to qualify a red Chevalier (not a white) ?

[Marcu$ Stanley]

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.

[D@vid Bu3ker]

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.

[Marcu$ Stanley]

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.

[Pat Martin]

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.

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

[M. Taylor]

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

[Pat Martin]

Gloss is the word here.

[Laurent Gibet]

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.

I generally also do except in Chavignol (and these fabulous hints of elderberry).

[Marcu$ Stanley]

Gloss is the word here.

Exactly.

[Rudi Finkler]

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.

I have drunk the 2006 and 2007 Domaine de Chevalier in recent times. Lovely wines! In general, I’m certainly not a fan of Derenoncourt’s style, but both wines are exceptionally elegant and more complex and satisfying than their wines from the eighties and nineties. Neither over-extracted, nor over-alcoholic, rich-fruited, and reasonably complemented by prominent oak. For me, as a dedicated lover of traditional red Bordeaux, absolutely nothing is wrong with ripe fruit, but only as long as the fruit does not lean toward diffuse, obtrusive jammyness.
Ripe fruit is fine, over-ripe, jammy fruit a disaster.

[Herwig Janssen]

We had the 2016 Chevalier yesterday ( with my wine club , we bought a barrel ) . Out of magnum and decanted 5 hours before serving . Initially tight and in some kind of metallic grip . But after 5 to 10 minutes in the glass , the wine turned around and became a lovely medium bodied silky wine with a long delicious aftertaste . I have no doubt this will drink beautifully in a year or 5 and for the next couple of decades . Classy wine .

[Howard Cooper]

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.

For me, the more important question is what happens to the wines as they age. How long has DdC been making wines in this style and what happens to the wines when they reach 10, 15 or 20 years old?

Interestingly enough, this description is how I would have described the original Jordan Cabernets that came out in the 70s. And, some of them aged pretty well.

[Mich@el Ch@ng]

I went long on these, it sounds like I’d really like the style.

[Jim Hartten]

I jumped on the DdC band wagon by purchasing a few bottles (750s/375s) of the 2018, which received strong reviews back in the spring - hoping these evolve nicely. Next up the 2019s...??

[Kent Comley]

Thought the 10 was stellar. No brett, sensitively oaked. Pure fruit with graphite minerality. If showing no brett is modern then count me in to the modernists camp.

[Alex Frank]

This thread inspired me to seek out a DDC to try. While I couldn't find the 2015, I did find a '14 which my wife and I drank last night. Beautiful fruit on the nose that the palate didn't quite deliver on, although it really opened up throughout the evening after a 2.5 hour decant plus another couple hours in open bottle. I'd say I really liked this wine, but fell just short of loving it, if that makes sense. Would love to try a DDC with some age on it to see if the oak mellows out a bit.