Domaine de Chevalier blanc - Pessac-Léognan 2016

Vinous

94

byNeal Martinthe8/13/2020

The 2016 Domaine de Chevalier Blanc has a well-defined bouquet of white peach, apricot and light candle wax aromas and nicely integrated oak. The well-balanced palate leads with quince and orange peel on the entry, revealing a pleasant bitter undertow and fanning out with confidence toward the saline finish. Excellent. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting.

Jancis Robinson

16

byJancis Robinsonthe2/5/2020

Yvesbeck.wine

93

byYves Beckthe3/20/2019

Jaune clair aux reflets verdoyants. Bouquet subtil, filigrane et complexe. Il est marqué par de la minéralité, ainsi que des notes de menthe et d'anis. Je relève également des touches d'élevage ainsi que des effluves florales. Au palais, le vin se révèle lentement. Il commence par afficher son intensité aromatique puis sa structure. Cette dernière est précise, pointue et apte à offrir un bien bel avenir à ce vin. Ce n'est pas un "blender" ou un extraverti, non il se révèle avec délicatesse mais conviction. Je suis bien curieux de le suivre dans son évolution. 2023-2041 93/100

Jeb DUNNUCK

99

byJeb Dunnuckthe3/1/2019

The white of the vintage is the 2016 Domaine de Chevalier Blanc, which comes from a high-density planting of 30-year-old vines located west and south of the town of Léognan. A blend of 75% Sauvignon and 25% Sémillon raised in 35% new barrels, it offers a massive bouquet of crushed citrus, salty minerality, white flowers, and grapefruit. Racy, full-bodied, concentrated and beautifully textured, it’s a brilliant wine that has more flesh and texture than the 2015 and will keep for two decades or more. Hats off to the team at Domaine de Chevalier for this brilliant, brilliant white!

Wine Spectator

94

byJames Molesworththe2/5/2019

This flirts with a tropical hint, as peach and nectarine details peek in on the core of meringue, lemon peel, shortbread, melon and yellow apple fruit flavors. Heather and macadamia nut notes gild the finish, which is rounded along the edges but still racy through the middle. This needs a little time to settle in fully. Best from 2021 through 2030.   –JM

Jamessuckling.com

98

byJames Sucklingthe2/4/2019

Still very shy on the nose, but the candied citrus, fresh melon, pear and quince notes come through on the palate, together with discreet, toasty oak. Although this is really concentrated, the power is underplayed and the enormous, herbal and mineral depth steals up on you slowly and then whisks you away. You could enjoy it now, but there’s enormous aging potential. A blend of 70 per cent sauvignon and 30 per cent semillon. Try in 2021.

Vinous

94

byNeal Martinthe1/24/2019

The 2016 Domaine de Chevalier Blanc has a clean, precise bouquet with a fine mineral vein that becomes more pronounced with aeration. The well-balanced palate is poised and harmonious, delivering a fine bead of acidity and real weight and penetration toward the lightly peppered finish. Superb.

Wine Advocate

92

byLisa Perrotti-Brownthe11/30/2018

The Domaine de Chevalier 2016 Blanc is a blend of 70% Sauvignon Blanc and 30% Sémillon. The nose reveals spiced pears, waxy lemons, honeysuckle and yuzu with wafts of lime juice and green guava. Medium-bodied with great intensity and elegance, it has a racy line cutting through the citrus and tropical layers, finishing long.

Bettane & Desseauve

96

by Bettane & Desseauvethe5/3/2017

Complexe, ample, pas encore complètement ouvert au nez, mais bien dans la continuité de son style habituel et dans un très beau millésime.

Wine Advocate

90-92

byNeal Martinthe5/2/2017

The Domaine de Chevalier 2016 Blanc has a somewhat delicate, nuanced bouquet this year, one that demanded gentle coaxing from the glass. It reveals delineated aromas of green apple, gooseberry and kiwi fruit, flintiness tucked just behind. The palate is well balanced and slightly Burgundy-like on the entry (strangely, not unlike a Nuits-Saint-Georges Blanc!). It opens nicely in the glass but never looses its head. The palate is well balanced with crisp acidity and fine delineation, with pretty lemongrass and shaved ginger notes judiciously sprinkled over the finish. It is a Domaine de Chevalier Blanc that I would be inclined to consume in its youth rather than cellar, but hey, you never know the longevity of these wines; they can always surprise you.

Wine Spectator

90-93

byJames Molesworththe4/28/2017

Bright and fresh, with a rounded edge to the mix of lime curd, verbena, green plum and quinine flavors. On the weighty side of the spectrum, but has the freshness for balance.—J.M.

Jean-Marc QUARIN

17

byJean-Marc Quarinthe4/28/2017

Couleur pâle, aux reflets dorés. Nez intense, fin, subtil et floral. Bouche délicatement moelleuse d’un bout à l’autre de la dégustation. Cette année le vin est plus marqué par une note de fruits exotiques (mangue) plutôt que de sauvignon blanc. L’ensemble est délicieux, caresse et s’achève incrachable. Le boire jeune. Assemblage : 70 % sauvignon, 30 % sémillon. Degré d’alcool : 13º (moyenne basse), pH : 3,21 (normal).

The Wine Cellar Insider

94

byJeff Levethe4/27/2017

Blending 75% Sauvignon Blanc and 25% Semillon produced a richly textured, fat, sweet, lush, ripe wine with a mineral and yellow citrus driven character that is on display in the finish. 

Vinous

89-92

byAntonio Gallonithe4/26/2017

Domaine de Chevalier's 2016 Blanc is unusually soft and silky, words I can't believe I’m writing about a young vintage of this reference-point white. Creamy, ample and inviting, the 2016 should drink well pretty much right out of the gate. These wines have a track record of aging for decades; I imagine the 2016 might have a slightly shorter life than other recent vintages, but not by much. The only thing missing is the delineation and explosive energy that, in the best vintages, makes the Blanc one of the world's most distinctive and pedigreed whites.

Decanter.com

94

byJane Ansonthe4/25/2017

This is clearly one of the more impressive whites on display here. They have teased out a sense of verticality, and you can feel the walls and scrape the flesh of the citrus. If it wasn't for the heights that we know Domaine de Chevalier can ascend to, you would be sighing over the structure of this wine. White peach and rich pear are seasoned with beautiful spicing, but it just lacks the grip and drama of the best vintages. Drinking Window 2019 - 2035

Jancis Robinson

17

byJancis Robinsonthe4/25/2017

Light and so discreet one can understand why it never shows well in blind tastings. Edge of green. Succulent but so dry and low key… Wait a decade at least and it should please enormously… Drink 2030-205017++

matthewjukes.com

17

byMatthew Jukesthe4/25/2017

(70 Sauvignon Blanc, 30 Semillon) Powerful and oaky, this is a structured wine with some considerable muscle and it is quite hard to see any tenderness within. It will take a while to soften. 17+

Wine Enthusiast

95-97

byRoger Vossthe4/19/2017

Barrel Sample. Rich and smooth, this is an impressively structured and concentrated wine. It has pleasant freshness and a crisp lemon flavor, but that is just a small part of this intensely ripe wine. It should last for many years.

Jamessuckling.com

96-97

byJames Sucklingthe4/5/2017

A white with sliced apple, pear and lemon character. Medium to full body, layered and so long. Tight and exciting. So salty and minerally. Structured. Phenolic intensity and all wound up. What a white!