2008 Domaine de Chevalier, Pessac-Léognan, Bordeaux

Beautifully textured and weighted on the palate, not so expressive on the nose, but this is scintillating on the palate, buzzy, clean, lean, focussed and straight. Doesn't really deviate and in that respect this has tension and a lot more to give. Feels like it's in hibernation at the moment, but still delivering purity and clarity of fruit with the terroir markers of liquorice and flint at the end. Blackcurrant and plum fruit. A lovely 2008 with succulence, cool blue fruit, herbal aspects, salty touches and such an ease to it. Delicious.

Drink 2023 - 2038

A blend of 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot and 9% Petit Verdot; 3.55 pH; 13.5% alcohol.

Deep purple-ruby. Slightly reticent, medicinal aromas of cassis, ink, minerals and fresh herbs. Pure, fresh and clean, with straightforward delivery but sneaky concentration to the blackberry and graphite flavours. Juicy acidity keeps the flavours light and lively, making for a classic, precise Bordeaux experience. Finishes firmly tannic and long. Very typical of the undervalued, cooler 2008 vintage, this lacks only a bit more flesh for a higher score, but it's a classic Pessac-Léognan.

66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 9% Petit Verdot. Harvested 6 to 25 October latest harvest in Chevalier’s history).

Good, bright colour to the rim. Red- and dark-fruit aromas. Mid palate full but fresh. Minerally and stony as well. More in the ‘classic’ mould with plenty of Graves character. Clean finish.

Drink 2020 - 2035

It is just starting to open now, with bright fruit, light smoky, and meaty undertones. It has a medium to full body and a fresh finish.

Drink or hold

Surprisingly shy on the nose, even at ten years of age - this can bed itself down for a few more years before really starting to open for business. Cabernet fruit dominates, dark in profile with layers of fine tannins, chewier and more classically styled than some. It clearly shows why Chevalier can still go full-throttle in its third and fourth decades. Again, the slight lack of persistency tells you that this was not the hottest vintage, but it is full of classic menthol, cassis and charred oak, those tannins bouncing up to the finish.

Drink 2020 - 2032

A gorgeous perfume of blackcurrants, chocolate, tobacco leaf, and gravelly minerality emerges from the 2008 Domaine de Chevalier, which is a blend of 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot and hit 13.5% natural alcohol. It’s broad, full-bodied, and seamless on the palate, and is a beautiful, beautiful wine that stretches out nicely on the finish. This is classic Graves! I love it today, and it has another 10-15 years of prime drinking and I’m sure a gradual decline after that).

Drink 2019 - 2034

The 2008 Domaine de Chevalier is a vintage that I have tasted several times. Now at a decade old, it has retained a surprisingly deep colour. The bouquet is divine: pure blackberry and pomegranate aromas, cedar and cigar box, its floral element seeming to have receded in recent years. The palate is medium-bodied and appears to have softened since I last tasted it, the tannins now more melted though not fully), delivering a mixture of red and black fruit tinged with burnt toast, tobacco and a touch of sous-bois and smoke towards the cohesive finish. You could begin opening bottles now although knowing the track record of this estate, I would leave them for another few years.

Drink 2018 - 2040

One of the fabulous sleepers of the vintage and a wine for serious Bordeaux aficionados to consider buying, the 2008 is a blend of 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot and 9% Petit Verdot that achieved 13.5% natural alcohol. Surprisingly backward for a 2008, it is medium to full-bodied with moderate tannins, lots of purity and abundant charcoal, black currant and floral notes. The sweetness of the fruit, depth of flavor and textured, lush mouthfeel in this medium to full-bodied, ageworthy 2008 are impressive. Give it 3-4 years of cellaring and drink it over the following two decades. I would not be surprised if it turns out to be as impressive as the 2010.

Drink 2014 - 2034

Domaine de Chevalier's 2008 is one of the finest wines made at this estate over the last three decades, 60% Cab. Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot and Cab. Franc). The most noticeable thing is that consultant Stephane Derenoncourt has drastically cut back the influence of new oak, or at least its ability to intrude on the aromatics and flavors. This beautifully textured, dense purple-colored 2008 exhibits notes of graphite, spring flowers, and blue as well as red fruits in an elegant, full-bodied, flavorful, layered mouthfeel. The freshness of the vintage, combined with low yields has given this cuvee an atypical density and richness that is largely unprecedented.

Drink 2009 - 2034

92-94/100)

Good full medium ruby. Sexy, very pure aromas of crushed blueberry, minerals and liquorice lifted by a violet top note. Dense, ripe, seamless, with terrific energy and a light touch to the tightly coiled flavours of dark berries and graphite complemented by spicy oak. This savoury, dry, classic wine has the structure to ensure two decades or more of development in bottle. It finishes with real verve and grip.