Wine Domaine De Chevalier Rouge Pessac-Leognan AOC Grand Cru 1998
Tasting Notes
Wine of deep ruby color.
Elegant wine with good concentration, soft tannins and hints of minerals and land.
Complex aroma of new oak, black currant, cherry, tobacco and herbs.
Wine is well served with venison, red meat, roasts and cheeses.
Interesting Facts
It is believed that the name "Chevalier" - a corruption of the name Chibaley: Shibalov - was the name of the first owner and creator of the estate vineyard, who lived in the middle of the XVIII century. In 1865 Château Jean Ricard bought - he and his descendants have done a lot for the estate: to restore the destroyed part of the vineyard, winemaking practices introduced in new oak barrels, paid great attention to the time and the process of harvesting. In 1983, the family bought Château Bernard - the current owners. However, the last of Ricard has long remained a consultant to the estate. Bernard vineyard area increased from 18 to 40 hectares and restored some of the buildings in the complex.
For the manufacture of wine "Domaine De Chevalier" Rouge Vintage is carried out manually with the first half of September to mid-October. Maceration and fermentation last for three weeks in stainless steel vats at 30 ° C. Wine is aged for 16-20 months in oak barrels, 50% of which are new. Storage capacity of wine is 25 years.
Producer's description
Domaine de Chevalier is one of the finest estates in Pessac-Leognan. In the 1953 and 1959 Grave appellation wine classifications, the estate's wines were listed as Crus Classes. The Domaine des Chevaliers is located in the commune of Léonnan, 17 km south of Bordeaux, and is one of several estates in Bordeaux called Domaine instead of Château ("Domain" is most common in Burgundy). The origins of the Domaine des Chevaliers can be traced back to 1763, which evidenced by a map of the region drawn by Pierre de Belleime. The land at that time belonged to a certain Chibaley or Chivaley, which means "knight" in the Gascon dialect, he produced about 13.500 liters of wine per year. The very name "Chivaley" is believed to be associated with the old pilgrimage trail to Santiago de Compostela, which still borders the estate. One of the things that makes Chevalier unique is how the domain achieved fame in a fairly short period of time compared to most of the great Bordeaux producers who took several centuries to achieve this status.
In 1852 the Domaine des Chevaliers was acquired by Arno and Jean Ricard. It is Jean who is credited with creating the Chevalier that is known today, and thanks to Claude Ricard, the domain managed to win international recognition. The Ricards did a lot for the estate: they restored the vineyard, introduced the practice of vinification in new barrels, paid great attention to the time and process of harvesting. In 1983, the Domain passed to their relatives, the Bernard family, who had previously specialized in the sale of brandy. However, Claude Ricard remained a consultant to the estate for many years. The Bernard family enlarged the vineyards and revised aspects of viticulture, since then the estate has changed externally, some buildings of the complex have been restored. Today, the domain is managed by Oliver Bernard, whose philosophy is to constantly strive for quality.
The soils of the vineyards are gravelly, containing sand, with good drainage, so they are excellent for growing grapes. The domain owns 80 hectares of land, 38 of which are vineyards (white varieties grow on 5 hectares). The average age of the vines is 25 years. White varieties are 30% Semillon and 70% Sauvignon Blanc; red varieties are represented by 65% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Merlot, the rest - 2.5% Cabernet Franc, 2.5% Petit Verdot. Harvested grapes are strictly sorted, white varieties are harvested by hand in several passes. Vinification is carried out with the advice of experienced oenologists.
Domaine's white wines have excellent characteristics, with notes of spice, passion fruit, vanilla, grapefruit and pear. They are very soft, fresh and with good acidity. Red wines are elegant and rich with hints of sweet ripe plum, blackcurrant, haze, charcoal and cranberry. They are perfectly balanced and have an inimitable structure.
