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This is very tight and rich with dried apple, mango and papaya, yet it’s bright and floral. Full body, dense fruit and a long, powerful finish. Really open already but complex and beautiful with a richness and intensity that is very, very impressive.James Suckling | 98 JSDrinking nicely, with some maturity yet still youthful, the 2009 Domaine De Chevalier offers gorgeous red and black currant fruits, smoked tobacco, damp earth, and cedary spice. Full-bodied, opulent, and undeniably sexy on the palate, with a great mid-palate and sweet tannins. Displaying good balance as well as ripe tannins, its dense, opulent profile is going to continue to evolve for another 30 years or more. Don’t be afraid to open bottles, though – it’s sensational today. The blend of the 2009 is 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, and 6% Petit Verdot.Jeb Dunnuck | 96 JDRemains deep damson in colour even at nearly 10 years old, and on the attack you find full and true blackberry cassis and bilberry notes, we are really building up layers and complexity on the nose. Gorgeous wine, just beautiful balance and juiciness, and a silken texture to the fruit, tannins that support without ever being intrusive, no question this can age. Tannins are deceptive because they build over the palate. Tobacco and walnut on the finish, I look forward to watching this develop further over the next few years. Drinking Window 2019 - 2035.Decanter | 96 DECIn late 2011, I had the last bottle in my cellar of the 1970 Domaine de Chevalier. Much to my surprise, it was still holding on to life and remained gorgeously complex in that ethereal Graves style. The 2009, one of the finest Domaine de Chevaliers yet produced, reveals a striking bouquet of burning embers, sweet cherry, black and red currant fruit, spice box, cedar and lead pencil shavings. The tannins are sweet in this fleshy, full-bodied offering. It is built on the notion of extraordinary harmony, elegance and complexity. While not the most concentrated or flamboyant 2009, its intense aromas are already reasonably evolved and its lusciousness and balance are terrific. Made from an interesting blend of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 6% Petit Verdot, its yields of 45 hectoliters per hectare were slightly higher than many of its neighbors achieved. Drink it over the next 25 years.Robert Parker | 95 RPDominating aromas of smoky new wood follow through to the toasty flavor that covers the fruit at this stage. But, like all 2009s, this is a rich wine that will balance out and show all of its opulence. That said, it will likely always be a firm, ageworthy wine, with the dark tannins always in evidence.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEThe 2009 Domaine de Chevalier has a vivacious, almost exotic bouquet with lavish black fruit, mint, oregano and cedar that all gain intensity with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, a fine bead of acidity, ripe black fruit laced with white pepper and even a faint touch of Szechuan pepper. This displays exquisite balance and the finish feels deep and satisfying, clearly born in a great vintage. Tasted blind at the Domaine de Chevalier vertical at the property.Vinous Media | 94 VMVery rich, but sleek and pure, with beautiful mouthfeel and layers of enticing fig, steeped blackberry and warm currant confiture nicely stitched with black tea and mesquite. The long finish has a tarry underlay, but stays polished. Approachable for its mouthfeel, but has the balance to age nicely.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

95-97. Barrel sample. A powerful wine that’s full of wood and ripe tropical-fruit flavors. It also has an intensely mineral structure that powers the wine right through to the concentrated finish.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEA spectacular effort, especially for this challenging vintage, Olivier Bernard’s 2011 Domaine de Chevalier boasts a dense ruby/purple color as well as a big, sweet bouquet of subtle charcoal, graphite, black currants and black cherries. Rich and full-bodied with a multilayered mouthfeel and a long, complex, stunning finish, this is a profound example of a 2011 from a great terroir. Consume it over the next 20 years.Robert Parker | 94 RPThe colour takes a big step up in terms of intensity, nose is a little closed off right now, and there is some wonderful texture to the fruit as you find across so many Domaine de Chevalier vintages, with a great balance of finessed, well presented fruit and tannins that are just so softly extracted. Not the most exuberant fruit but very good quality, great caress across the palate and plenty of life ahead of it. Drinking Window 2020 - 2035.Decanter | 93 DECThis is solidly built, featuring a full-bodied feel from the loam and tar frame, balanced by the depth of the plum, blackberry and fig core. Reveals a smoldering edge through the finish, with an echo of cocoa. Best from 2016 through 2028.Wine Spectator | 92 WSThis is a rich wine for the vintage with mineral, raspberry and lemongrass character. Full body, chewy tannins and a long finish. Need three or four years to come together.James Suckling | 92 JS(Domaine de Chevalier) After two badly oxidized samples at the start of the UGC event for 2011 Graves wines, an SOS call was put out to the nearby estate, who quickly dispatched over one of the technical team with freshly pulled samples that were really quite good. I have made no secret of my disappointment at the new direction at Domaine de Chevalier, as this estate has one of the largest representations of older vintages in my own personal cellar, and I cannot admire the changes wrought by Monsieur Derenoncourt since his arrival here. But, that said, this 2011 is clearly one of the best wines in the appellation this year! The nose is deep and fairly modern in its aromatic mélange of dark berries, black cherries, tobacco smoke, coffee bean and a suave base of nutty and lead pencilly new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and currently quite marked structurally by its new wood component, but with good mid-palate depth, lovely focus, a suave attack and probably enough stuffing to eventually carry its new wood with little difficulty. One could quibble about the complete lack of soil signature from an estate with one of the finest terroirs in all of Bordeaux, but at least the 2011 DDC is very well-balanced and quite well-made in its new, modern guise. (Drink between 2022-2040).John Gilman | 90 JG

This is excellent. Blueberry, black currant and stone aromas and flavors. Medium body, lovely density, fine tannins and a bright finish. A triumph for the vintage. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 93 JSExtremely easy to immediately enjoy the rich and ripe fruit character on the nose on this wine, it’s not got the complexity of some vintages but is delivering gorgeous depth of expression, charcoal, cassis, liquorice, heather, soft black pepper spicing, a great job in a tough year with a lovely touch of exuberance. One that will surprise people. (Drink between 2018-2028)Decanter | 92 DECOne of the successes from Pessac-Léognan, this refined, structured wine is singing already with its fruitiness. Ripe and forward, it is developing into a medium-bodied, perfumed wine that will be ready to drink relatively quickly. Drink from 2019.Wine Enthusiast | 92 WEThe 2013 Domaine de Chevalier has a refined bouquet, laid back and languorous with blackberry, briary notes, a touch of bay leaf developing in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with crisp, quite edgy tannin, nicely balanced and fresh with a simple but harmonious finish. It’s the kind of 2013 that you’ll just enjoy as a fine Claret, leaving you with a smile on your face. This constitutes a very commendable effort in such a challenging vintage, the bottom line being that it is one of the most pleasurable releases in 2013.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 90 RP-NMThis has a dark, almost brooding persona, with plum, black currant and black cherry fruit, inlaid with an ample warm road tar note. Shows lots of smoldering tobacco on the finish. Slightly rustic tannins pinch just a bit at the end, but otherwise this is a gutsy and solid effort. Best from 2017 through 2022. 6,250 cases made.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

Lots of blueberry, hot-stone, slate and walnut aromas. Terracotta, too. Iodine. Full-bodied, round and dense with layers of fine tannins. Lovely depth and intensity. Extremely long and focused. Needs three or four years of bottle age just to start. Try after 2024.James Suckling | 96 JSThis wine is dense, with concentrated spice plus rich white and kiwi fruits. Acidity is prominent, giving the wine impressive fruitiness and aging potential as suggested by the texture and wood flavors. Drink this beautifully ripe wine from 2022. Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEA gem that readers should snatch up is unquestionably the 2017 Domaine De Chevalier, which is based on 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, and 5% Petit Verdot that spent 18 months in just 35% new French oak. This deeply colored effort offers classic blackberry and blackcurrant fruits as well as medium to full body, complex notes of tobacco, gravelly earth, and chocolate, beautiful tannins, and a great finish. This is a classy, flawlessly balanced 2017 that offers up pleasure even today, yet it will keep for 30+ years. Having just had the good fortune to drink a bottle of the 1920, now at 100 years after the vintage, the longevity of this cuvee should not be underestimated.Jeb Dunnuck | 95 JDThe 2017 Domaine de Chevalier is deep garnet-purple in color with a nose of baked plums, black cherry compote, fruitcake and violets plus wafts of fragrant earth and rosehip tea. Medium-bodied, the palate has loads of fruit with plush, rounded tannins and a lively finish. A blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot, this vintage spent 18 months in French oak, 35% new.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RPRipe and full in feel, with a swath of cassis, plum paste and fig preserve flavors that holds sway from start to finish, allowing roasted apple wood, licorice snap and black tea accents to chime in along the way. The fruit takes a solid encore on the finish. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Best from 2023 through 2036.Wine Spectator | 94 WSRich, deep ruby in colour, and once again Chevalier proves that it has a better handle on difficult vintages than so many other chateaux. It remains austere at this point, even after two years ageing in barrel, and is clearly going to take time to come around, but there is plenty of cigar, slate and cassis character to sink your teeth into. Drinking Window 2024 - 2040.Decanter | 94 DEC

This is tightly coiled now, but the range of juicy tangerine, white peach and white ginger notes should unfurl soon enough, carried by a mouthwatering quinine note and ending with a light orange blossom hint on the finish. Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc. Drink now through 2026. 12,500 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WSTangy aromas and flavors of lemon zest, fresh green pear, yoghurt and hints of beeswax. It’s medium-to full-bodied with bright acidity. Flavorful and concentrated with a sleek, phenolic texture. Crushed stones on the finish. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 93 JSBeautiful white peach, honeysuckle, white flowers, and a touch of toasted almond emerge from the 2018 Lune d’Argent Blanc, and it’s medium-bodied, with a balanced, elegant texture, nicely integrated acidity, and plenty of fruit and depth. A blend of 70% Sémillon and 30% Sauvignon, it’s going to be even better with another year in bottle and keep for 7-8 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 91 JDThe 2018 Lune d’Argent has a perfumed nose of white flowers and honeysuckle, subtle frangipane scents patiently waiting in the background. The palate is well balanced with a slightly honeyed entry, plenty of tropical fruit (passion fruit and guava) and a concentrated, almost viscous finish that lingers in the mouth. Yes, it does come across as a bit heady, but it’s still thoroughly enjoyable.Vinous Media | 90 VM

Aromas of guava, dried lemon zest and pear skin with hints of cedar and crushed flint. It’s medium-to full-bodied with tangy acidity. Flavorful and concentrated with a smooth, waxy texture. Mineral finish. Second wine. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 94 JS

Pure white peach, tart pineapple, white flowers, and chalky mineral notes all emerge from the 2019 Clos Des Lunes Lune D’Argent Blanc, a Semillon-dominated, medium-bodied, concentrated, wonderfully textured white. This is well worth your time and money, and I suspect it will have a decade of longevity.Jeb Dunnuck | 93 JDSuch an aromatic nose, wow, the aromas just jump out the glass - lime, mandarin peel, candied lemon - smells more on the Sauvignon side. This is lovely on the palate, it has a great weight with definition and structure from the Semillon. There is acidity but it’s really well integrated giving a rounder, more wide and weighty wine than light and super fresh. I like the style, it’s gourmet and rich but still with a lovely lift and overall appeal. This also has a really delicate but wonderful florality to the fruit - perfumed lychee, pear and peach. Delicious. Just short of unctuous but on the good side. Crack open now and enjoy with food. (Drink between 2023-2035)Decanter | 93 DECBright and zesty nose of green pineapple, gooseberry, lime curd, passion fruit and crushed stone. Wax and nougat, too. Medium-bodied with crisp acidity and a fresh, creamy palate. Excellent length. 70% semillon and 30% sauvignon blanc. Drink now or hold.James Suckling | 93 JSThe 2019 Lune d’Argent, whose Sémillon is picked just short of botrytis, has a wonderful, sunny bouquet, traces of Sauternes DNA filtering through with aeration. The palate is fresh and vibrant on the entry, taut, crisp and quite mineral-driven. The saline finish calls out for seafood. Maybe just a tad shorter than I recall, but I this Lune d’Argent still has a lot to offer.Vinous Media | 92+ VMThe 2019 Lune d’Argent comes skipping out of the glass with bright, cheery scents of lemon drops, key lime pie and fresh pink grapefruit with suggestions of mandarin peel, honeysuckle and wet pebbles. Medium-bodied, the palate bursts with vibrant citrus flavors and a racy backbone of freshness, finishing with a pretty perfume.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 88-90 RPA plump, friendly offering led by white peach and white nectarine notes, with acacia, honeysuckle and makrut lime hints along the way. Open-knit, easy finish. Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc. Drink now through 2023. 12,500 cases made.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

The second wine of Domaine de Chevalier, the 2019 L’Esprit De Chevalier shows the fresher, more lively, complex style of this cool terroir and reveals a deep ruby/purple color, notes of tobacco, damp earth, violets, black cherries, and dark currants, medium-bodied richness and depth, and outstanding length on the finish. It has a lively spice of acidity as well as ample ripe fruit and is ideal for drinking any time over the coming 15 years or more.Jeb Dunnuck | 91-93 JDPlums and fresh flowers, such as roses on the nose with some stems and parsley. Full-bodied with round, polished tannins that are medium in stature but long and caressing, giving nice tension to the wine on the palate. 55% cabernet sauvignon, 40% merlot and 5% petit verdot. Try after 2025.James Suckling | 93 JSFrom the younger vines of the estate, this second wine at Domaine de Chevalier is wood aged for 14 months. It has spice and also bursts with black fruits and acidity. Set to develop well, the wine should be ready from 2025.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WEDark chocolate and mint on the nose, some sweet blackcurrant. I love the upfront juiciness here, it’s well textured with fine tannins that gently support the fruit letting it shine brightly on the palate. There’s a creaminess to this too which is so satisfying. Really a beautiful, gentle, delicate but nuanced wine. Good freshness and drinking appeal with fruit and energy. Easy enjoyment, well made. well structured. Good winemaking on show. Drinking Window 2022 - 2033.Decanter | 92 DECThe 2019 Esprit de Chevalier is a gorgeous second wine. Bright, plump and juicy, the Esprit will keep the domaine’s fans happy right out of the gate. A rush of sweet red cherry, red plum, mint, spice and licorice builds as this exuberant, radiant red shows off its fun-loving personality.Antonio Galloni | 89-91 AGPresents a mix of bramble, mulling spice and savory notes, with steeped plum and red currant fruit flavors and a tarry tug on the finish. Shows good energy throughout. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Drink now through 2031. 8,333 cases made.Wine Spectator | 91 WSAromas of smoky blackberries, cherries, loamy soil and smoke preface the 2019 L’Esprit de Chevalier, a medium to full-bodied, ample and charming wine that’s rich but elegant, with its fleshy core of fruit framed by velvety tannins and succulent acids.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 90 RP