Domaine de Chevalier 2005

The Domaine de Chevalier 2005 has a powerful and quite burly bouquet with sumptous black fruit laced with truffle, cedar and a touch of juniper berry. The palate is medium-bodied with very fine tannins. This is an effortless Graves, beautifully proportioned with the oak seamlessly integrated. It builds in the mouth and fans out wonderfully with a kiss of black pepper on the structured, masculine finish. Clearly, this is one of Olivier Bernard's finest achievements under his reign.

Displays floral, blackberry and mineral aromas, with a hint of fresh tobacco. Full-bodied, with supersilky tannins and a long, caressing finish. Has a fine, polished texture. This is a class act--the best since 1998 for the red. Best after 2012. 10,000 cases made.

This is more about elegance than power, a fresh wine with sweet fruit, and so elegant. The tannins do promise some good aging, but this is not a long-term wine. Hold for 8–10 years, but it is already a pleasure to drink.

Warm bouillon herbs, black fruits, liquorice and toast on the nose. Smells ripe and heady. Smooth, succulent, filling and playful. This combines beautifully textured tannins (firm, but fine and filling) with ripe but also fresh fruit - blueberries, black cherries, plums, but fresh and lifted. I love the energy here, the texture is sublime, filling, round, opulent but controlled. Lots of playfulness here, seriously constructed, this has muscles and sinew, but also excellent acidity and purity. Refined but eminently pleasurable with the licks of wet stone, graphite, flint and tobacco at the end. Lots of life but drinking very well right now. More friendly than the 2006 for sure. More life, power and push than the 2007. Hold on to this or just tuck in. 4% Cabernet Franc completes the blend.

This is really pure and fruity with flowers and stones. Full and dense, but still a bit tight. Not really giving much at the moment, but beautifully balanced and silky, and opening up to a long, long finish. This is excellent. Pull the cork after 2015.

Ripe dark fruit and spice and a little leathery and minty. Smooth tannins finish dry and fresh. Attractive purity and lightness of touch as it lingers. (JH) One of 56 Pessac-Léognan reds that were tasted blind in London for Decanter magazine in July 2008.

Good red-ruby. Plum, flint, smoke, tobacco, menthol and nutty oak on the nose. Fat, sweet, plummy and rich; offers unusual volume for this property, not to mention terrific depth of flavor. A large-scaled, very supple Domaine de Chevalier that finishes with substantial ripe tannins. This should evolve slowly but should be less austere in its youth than the wines made here before Stephane Derenoncourt was brought in as consultant.

Clearly ready to go, the nose grabs you with its smoky, tobacco, herb, cigar wrapper, earth, and red berry-filled aromas. Medium to full-bodied, elegant, soft, refined, and silky on the palate, it offers ample freshness with ripe red fruits and promises to age for at least another 15–20 years.

As to the red, the 2005 Domaine De Chevalier is 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. This rich, full-bodied Graves reveals a lively ruby/plum hue with almost no bricking and offers classic notes of smoked tobacco, gravelly earth, currants, roasted herbs, and blackberries. I love its overall balance and it has ripe, integrated tannins, and beautiful length on the finish. You can safely drink this beauty any time over the coming 10-15+ years.

Deep purple-ruby. A noble, multi-layered bouquet: light precious woods, cedar, Dominican tobacco, ripe red cherries, red currants, a hint of rose. Finely textured on the palate, medium-bodied with lovely length; Richebourg-like notes in the fruit interplay, followed by an equally Burgundian finish. A superb Domaine de Chevalier that, once mature, deserves to be served in large Burgundy glasses.

Deep purple-ruby. A noble, multi-layered bouquet: light precious woods, cedar, Dominican tobacco, ripe red cherries, redcurrants, a hint of rose. Fine, silky palate, medium-bodied with lovely length, Richebourg-like notes in the interplay of fruit on the palate and an equally Burgundian finish. A terrific Domaine de Chevalier which, once mature, fits perfectly into large Burgundy glasses. 07: playful, perfumed, refined and elegant. That’s how the nose begins, and this class wine carries on in the same vein on the palate. Only in the finish do you feel the regal astringency. Among the greatest 2005s, perhaps the finest. If you love great Burgundies and don’t yet really care for Bordeaux, start here!

A few years on from my 2005 retrospective on the site, and this continues to blossom. Succulent, moreish, cassis, gunsmoke, crayon, graphite, liquorice, black cherry, cassis, crushed mint... I could go on. This is just a delicious wine from owner Olivier Bernard. Harvest September 26 to October 12.

Logo on the cork: the crown. Dark, intense colour, slightly evolved. Intense, refined nose with ripe, subtle fruit. Fragrant and beautiful. Supple on the attack, juicy through the mid-palate, very fruity, flavoursome and silky; this wine glides across the palate, very charming, without being particularly full-bodied. Fine texture. Very enjoyable.