- “An estate that’s been on fire over the past decade”, says Jeb Dunnuck.
- Domaine Chevalier Rouge is being offered for £565 (12×75) SEP.
- Domaine Chevalier Blanc is being offered for £797 (12×75) SEP.
The 2020 Domaine de Chevalier Rouge has been released for €46.8 per bottle ex-négociant, up 18.2% on the 2019 release.
The international trade is offering the wine for £565 per 12×75, 14.1% more than the current Market Price of the 2019.
Both the 2019 and the 2016 carry a higher Benchmark Critic score and are available for less.
Critical opinion
Neal Martin (Vinous) awarded today’s release a barrel range of 94-96 points, a point lower than his 2019 score. He commented: “This Domaine de Chevalier has a deeply impressive structure counterbalanced by equally impressive freshness and elegance, fanning out wonderfully on the finish, which is very persistent. Just a shade off the outstanding 2019… perhaps”.
The wine received 95-97 points from Antonio Galloni (Vinous) and Jeff Leve (The Wine Cellar Insider). Galloni remarked that, “Domaine de Chevalier remains one of the most under the radar wines in all of Bordeaux”. According to him, “the 2020 is an absolutely brilliant effort from Olivier Bernard and his team”.
Jeb Dunnuck (95-97+) was also effusive in his praise. “From an estate that’s been on fire over the past decade, the 2020 Domaine De Chevalier is another brilliant wine in the making”, he noted.
Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW (The Wine Advocate) also awarded the same score bracket. She observed that, “the medium to full-bodied palate surprises and delights with an unexpected richness and depth that remains locked away on the nose, revealing layers of fragrant earth and floral notions framed by fantastic freshness and firm, finely grained tannins, finishing with the most gorgeous, long-lingering perfume”.
James Suckling gave it 96-96 and liked its “excellent energy”, “brightness and purity”.
Fair Value
Buyers might wish to look back to the 2011 vintage. Now approaching 10 years old it carries the same 94-point score from Neal Martin but costs 25.7% less.
The 2016 also looks like an attractive in-bottle alternative, carrying a higher score, at the same price.
Domaine Chevalier Blanc – “one of the world’s great wines”
The 2020 Domaine de Chevalier Blanc has been released for €66 per bottle ex-négociant, up 14.6% on the 2019 release.
The international trade is offering the wine for £797 per 12×75, 10.7% more than the current Market Price of the 2019.
Awarding it 94-96 points, Galloni said that, “the Blanc is one of the world’s great wines, hands down”.
Martin (91-93) described it as “refined and classy”. Perrotti-Brown gave it 94-96, noting that “the medium to full-bodied palate delivers impactful apple and citrus flavours with a racy backbone and seductive oiliness to the texture, finishing long and minerally”.
Buyers might also wish to consider the 2014 and 2015, with 95 points from Martin, and available in the market for less than the latest release.
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