Bordeaux Wine Enthusiasts

Opened this bottle one week ago and what a surprise. It shoud've been over the hill, dead and buried, but it wasn't!

Still alive, deliciously drinkable, round and charming, good maturity of fruit and good balance. 88p.

Drinking it now to accompany wienersnitzel and it goes fine with it.

Kudos to Claude Ricard who was called the master of off-vintages. Olivier Bernard wasn't at that time in charge of D.d.Chevalier (came in 1983).

27 years old wine in a vintage hampered by bad spring and not that much sunshine. Despite that you can make an adorable wine - this is Bordeaux.

Btw, it was in 1984 I first came to Bx and visited Ausone, Figeac, D.d. Chevalier and Haut Brion.

This is one of the best 1984s.

I'm getting ready to pull the trigger on a half dozen of the 2009s.

I picked up a few '08s a couple days ago.

I don't recall ever having this wine, from any vintage.
Is it a traditional Graves?

Are you buying the '09s blind, Jim? As far as I know -- those over in Europe will know better, of course -- DomChev is a long time Grave estate. And it normally gets a good response. A fellow BWEer likes it quite a bit:

http://www.greatbordeauxwines.com/Domai ... alier.html

Yes Bacchus, i'm buying six bottles blind.
I have one bottle of the '05 in my cellar.

I remember a bottle of the 1970 being wonderful about 2-3 years ago. Oddly, though, the one bottle of 1986 I've tried seemed sort of tired. So, glad to read such a nice note on the 1984, as I have had only these limited experiences with the producer. thanks!

-Michael

Jim, I'm normally very reserved when it comes to predicting what someone may or may not like, but after reading what you have to say about wine over the past year or so, I should think you would appreciate DomChev. I'd say it fits the category of a traditional Grave wine. I've had the 04, 05, 06 and 08. While each is different, reflecting the conditions of their respective vintages, they are nicely focussed wines. They show fruit, but also mineral; cassis, but also gravel. The fruit is complex -- red and black -- but to me they also have a touch of green in them. But nothing horrible. They have tannin, but also an acidic lift. They are rich wines, but also light in the mouth, if you know what I mean. Kinda like butter is rich, but also light in the mouth (in contrast to margarine which is usually just oily and heavy in the mouth). These are not syrupy wines. I'm not sure what the forever Nameless one thinks of them (I know I've read his comments but can't recall what he says about them). I have the 08 on the go right now. It's young, so it's not quite as integrated as it will be: tannins are very present, but they're fine tannins. It should last a long time. It has good fruit. Nice dark red colour, with a purple hue, but not black. Bottle says 13.5% alcohol.

HWSRN says the 2009 is the greatest wine ever from that estate.
His notes seem to support your position of a balanced, true to the terroir wine, which is what attracts me into purchasing it.
We used to have a dude named Roberto who used to post here who once said: "I need to get more Graves into my cellar."
I think that is true.

I tried the Chevalier 2003 in a Decanter Tasting in London together with all the Graves Elite. It was the wine that was closed To Haut Brion by my opinion.
I have tried different vintages and it never disappointed my so far.
The Domaine is in a pine forest and some believe think they can the pines in the wine. The owner says it could be true, because the wax on the grape skin could pick up the pine's smell.
That is one of the great wines from Graves.

The 2006 was one of the highs for an extensive 06 tasting a few years back. Haven't had it since. I let these sleep longer than Jim or some others.

Danny

Much thanks for the enablement!
Six bottles of the 2009 Domaine de Chevalier rouge at $71 apiece seems like a nice addition to my cellar.

greatbxfreak wrote:Kudos to Claude Ricard who was called the master of off-vintages. Olivier Bernard wasn't at that time in charge of D.d.Chevalier (came in 1983).

27 years old wine in a vintage hampered by bad spring and not that much sunshine. Despite that you can make an adorable wine - this is Bordeaux.

Even at 32+ years. The 1979 DDC continues to be one impressive Graves and even the ones that I've been able to taste recently in offlines never failed to please. The 1978 is no slouch either.

I've always preferred the '78, but I well recall how good the '79 can be.

I really like the 2003 DdC, but it is certainly 03-ish. The 06 also seems to have very good substance and ripeness. Monolithic now, but should be fine somewhere down the line.