Domaine De Chevalier Rouge, 2021 - Magnum
Domaine De Chevalier Rouge, 2021 - Magnum
- 150cl
- 13.5%
- Red Still
- Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc
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Optimal drinking window: 2026 - 2046
Est. delivery in autumn, 2026
Domaine de Chevalier is located in a clearing in the middle of a forest that protects the vines from extremes of temperature. In fact, Chevalier is a sort of secret garden, far from the limelight. This is something of a paradox for such an excellent wine, among the greatest in Bordeaux.
The 2021 shows the vintage's combination of concentration and freshness beautifully. Cabernet Sauvignon leads the blend with its signature cassis and cedar, while Merlot adds flesh and early charm.
What the critics say:
"This is very impressive for the vintage, with a vertical depth and structure of extremely polished tannins. It’s full and precise, with berries, dark chocolate, bark, iodine and walnuts throughout. Extremely well done. Best after 2027."
"The 2021 Domaine de Chevalier reveals a deep, complex bouquet with aromas of blackberries and blueberries mingled with spices, cigar wrapper and coniferous forest floor, followed by a medium to full-bodied, sweet and concentrated palate animated by bright acids and framed by fine, powdery tannins. It's an impressive effort that will reward a bit of bottle age. It's a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 10% Petit Verdot and 5% Cabernet Franc."
"A blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 10% Petit Verdot, and 5% Cabernet Franc, the 2021 Domaine de Chevalier Rouge has a medium to deep garnet-purple color. It needs some patient swirling and shaking to wake up notes of crushed blackcurrants, kirsch, and juicy plums, followed by nuances of violets, mossy tree bark, and wild sage. The medium-bodied palate has a wonderfully fine-grained texture and great tension supporting the tightly wound red and black fruit layers, finishing long and perfumed."
The 45-hectare vineyard sits on the Pessac-Léognan plateau's finest gravelly soils over clay subsoil, providing excellent drainage whilst retaining moisture during dry summers. The Günz gravel deposits, left by ancient glacial rivers, reflect heat back to the vines and encourage deep root penetration. This terroir produces wines of exceptional finesse, with the gravel lending mineral precision and the clay base providing structure and longevity.
Pessac-Léognan was carved out of the larger Graves appellation in 1987 to recognise its superior terroir and quality. The commune's gravelly soils produce more elegant, mineral-driven wines than the Left Bank's powerful Médoc estates, with a distinctive tobacco and cedar character. Unlike its famous neighbours in Pauillac or Saint-Julien, Pessac-Léognan emphasises finesse over power, creating wines that develop complex secondary aromas with age.
The 2021 growing season in Bordeaux delivered one of those vintages that separates the wheat from the chaff. Spring frost in April walloped many vineyards, particularly on the Right Bank, slashing potential yields before the season properly began. A sodden start gave way to a blistering summer that pushed ripening forward, then September rains arrived just as harvest decisions loomed. The producers who survived the frost and timed their picking with surgical precision crafted wines of real character, whilst others found themselves wrestling with dilution or struggling with reduced volumes.
What emerged from this gauntlet is a vintage of surprising charm, though decidedly not a blockbuster year. The Merlot-based Right Bank wines show particular finesse where frost damage was minimal, with a silky texture that makes them uncommonly approachable young. Left Bank Cabernet Sauvignon fared better through the challenging weather, producing wines with good structure but less of the power you might expect from recent years. We find ourselves reaching for these 2021s now rather than cellaring them for decades—they're drinking beautifully with a few years on them and should hit their stride over the next decade.
OUR GROWERS
Domaine De Chevalier
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