Domaine de Chevalier Rouge, 2019 - Magnum
Domaine de Chevalier Rouge, 2019 - Magnum
- 150cl
- 13%
- Red Still
- Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot
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Optimal drinking window: 2029 - 2060
Domaine de Chevalier is one of Pessac-Léognan's most exceptional estates, and the 2019 is a reminder of exactly why it commands such fierce loyalty among those who know Bordeaux beyond the headline châteaux. This is a wine built on Cabernet Sauvignon's structural backbone with Merlot lending flesh and Petit Verdot adding a violet-edged intensity.
The tannins are firm and linear right now — this is not a wine to crack open without ceremony in 2026 — but they carry genuine finesse rather than brute force, and the acidity keeps everything alive and focused through a long, perfumed finish. William Kelley called it a masterclass in contemporary Bordeaux, and we're not arguing. Give it until at least 2029, and ideally 2030 onwards, and you'll be rewarded with something rather special.
What the critics say:
"The 2019 Domaine de Chevalier is a magical wine in the making, wafting from the glass with aromas of wild plums, crushed blackcurrants and violets mingled with hints of pencil shavings, subtle spices and coniferous forest floor. Medium to full-bodied, deep and seamless, with a vibrant core of fruit, beautifully refined tannins and lively acids, it's exquisitely elegant and harmonious, concluding with a long, perfumed finish. Stylistically, this wine exhibits a much closer affinity with the great Domaine de Chevalier of yesteryear than much of what was produced here in the early 2000s. It's a masterclass in what contemporary Bordeaux can deliver, and worth a special effort to seek out."
"Beautiful, ripe redcurrants, bay leaf, violets and raspberries on the nose. Full-bodied with firm and very tight tannins that are polished and layered. Crushed stones highlight the beautiful blue fruit. Poised and refined. 60% cabernet sauvignon, 30% merlot, 6% petit verdot and 4% cabernet franc. Try after 2026. The chocolate, walnut, dark-fruit and stone character is attractive. It’s full-bodied and very tight and linear with chewy yet polished tannins and a long, flavourful finish. Lots of intensity and complexity here, as always."
The 45-hectare vineyard sits on the classic Graves terroir that gives the region its name: deep beds of gravel and pebbles over clay subsoil. This well-draining surface layer forces the vines to root deeply while the stones retain heat, helping ripen the Cabernet Sauvignon that forms the backbone of the blend. The elevation and forest surroundings create a cooler microclimate than some Bordeaux estates, contributing to the wine's characteristic freshness and mineral precision rather than sheer power.
Pessac-Léognan was carved out of the larger Graves appellation in 1987, recognising the superior terroir of ten communes closest to Bordeaux city. The gravelly soils here are deeper and more consistent than elsewhere in Graves, producing wines with distinctive mineral backbone and aging potential. Unlike the Left Bank's Médoc, Pessac-Léognan allows for more Merlot in the blend, creating wines that combine structure with approachability. The appellation is unique in Bordeaux for producing both world-class reds and whites from the same estates.
The 2019 growing season in Bordeaux delivered exactly what vignerons dream about: a textbook combination of winter rain to replenish the soils, a warm spring that encouraged even budbreak, and crucially, a bone-dry summer that stressed the vines just enough without cooking them. September brought the perfect finale with warm days and cool nights, allowing grapes to ripen slowly while retaining their natural acidity. Harvest began in mid-September under ideal conditions, with pickers working through October to capture each variety at optimal ripeness.
What emerged from the cellars shows all the hallmarks of a properly made vintage: the Merlot displays that gorgeous plush fruit character without any jammy excess, while Cabernet Sauvignon achieved full phenolic ripeness with structured tannins that feel ripe rather than harsh. We find these wines have a lovely immediacy about them—they're not the brooding, backward style that demands decades of patience, but rather wines with enough backbone to age gracefully while offering genuine pleasure from release. Most are drinking beautifully now and will continue to develop over the next 15-20 years, making this one of those vintages that works for both early drinkers and patient cellars.
OUR GROWERS
Domaine De Chevalier
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