2014 Domaine de Chevalier rouge - Pessac-Leognan Grand Cru Classe

Decanter.com – 93 pts – JA: *Seriously dark purple in colour, this is crowded aromatically in the best possible way, offering an array of dark fruits, rosemary and cinnamon spice. Opens up on the palate eventually but still clearly young, needs time to soften the edges, a touch of austerity and hardness to the fruit at first, the angles are still closed and tight, but great persistency points to the quality, and this is going to age well.* - 04/2018

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate - (92-94)pts - NM: *The Domaine de Chevalier 2014 is a blend of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Petit Verdot and 30% Merlot. It has a fragrant bouquet with blackberry, black plum, cigar ash and woodland scents, complex though not as intense as its white counterpart. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy, quite firm tannin that underpin a classic Domaine de Chevalier that has just the right amount of austerity at this stage. Reserved perhaps, but it is beautifully knitted together with a lovely bay leaf tinged finish. Quintessential Domaine de Chevalier...which is what we all want.* - 04/2015

Vinum Magazin - 18/20pts: *Ungemein stimmiger Wein aus Samt und Seide, Tannin mit Schliff, hübscher Kirsche- Eichetoach im langen Finale; elegant, doch mit Tiefe. Der schönste Domaine de Chevalier seit langem.*

Weinwisser - 17/20pts - RG: *Tiefes Purpur, satt in der Mitte, Granatschimmer am Rand. Geniales Bouquet, dicht im Ansatz, feingliedrig, mit vielen Schichten belebt, viel rote Beeren, diese haben aber eine sehr reife Ausstrahlung, Kokos und ein Hauch Caramel, dahinter auch eine fein florale Note aufweisend. Eleganter, eher leicht gehaltener Gaumen, Weichselnoten im Extrakt, angenehmes Finale. Ein sehr guter Chevalier, welcher sich aber trotzdem leider nur gerade so zu den Jahrgängen 2012 und 2013 gesellt. Will heissen: Der 2011er war leicht besser bzw. ausserordentlich gut!* - 04/2015

JancisRobinson.com - 16,5++/20pts - JR: *65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot. Chewy but honest and correct. Savoury finish. Long. Still very youthful.* - 11/2018

JamesSuckling.com - 94pts - JS: *Anyone who says that the 2014s aren’t elegant needs to taste this beautifully balanced wine. Ripe redcurrant and delicate herbal aromas with just a hint of spicy oak on the nose precede a fresh, medium-bodied palate with underplayed power and a lot of subtle nuances on the long finish.* - 02/2017

Vinous.com - 96pts - AG: *The 2014 Domaine de Chevalier is a total knockout. Precise, brilliant and finely sculpted, the 2014 possesses superb intensity. Freshly cut flowers, mint and sweet red berries, along with finessed but persistent tannins, give the wine its regal personality. The 2014 needs a number of years to shed some baby fat and develop the full breadth of its aromatics, but it is a fabulous wine by any measure. The 2014 is 65 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 30 % Merlot and 5 % Petit Verdot that spent approximately 35 days on the skins. Olivier Bernard noted that the Merlots were brought in between October 10 and 17, which is quite late by the domaine's standards. Tasted two times.* - 02/2017

Vinous.com - 93pts - NM: *The 2014 Domaine de Chevalier has a classy, quite sophisticated bouquet with blackberry, boysenberry, graphite and brine aromas that feel very well defined. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy red berry fruit, quite saline in the mouth with a brisk, lightly spiced, white pepper sprinkled finish that lingers long in the mouth. Olivier Bernard has crafted quite a sublime 2014 Pessac-Léognan. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting.* - 03/2018