Dom. de Chevalier
Chevalier Blanc
Pessac-Leognan Blanc
2016

The producer

The modern history of Domaine de Chevalier starts in 1983 when Olivier Bernard takes over the estate. Located within a forest clearing on gently sloping land, the 35 hectares of vineyards, which are farmed using biodynamic methods, have 80% allocated to red wine production - with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot the most planted grape varieties - and the remaining 5 hectares are planted with white grapes – 70% Sauvignon Blanc and 30% Semillon.

Uniquely this is one of few estates, in Pessac-Leognan, which have Cru Classe de Graves status for both their red- and their white wines. The red wine is highly-regarded as one of the best Cru Classe’s of Pessac and the white wine is, with its seductive yet uplifting decadence, truly one of the very best in all of Bordeaux. The Bernard family are still in charge of the estate today and superstar oenologist, Stephane Derenoncourt, consults.

The wine

Domaine de Chevalier’s white wine is made from fruit sourced from vineyards surrounding the estate, with an average vine age of 30 years. The blend typically consists of 70% Sauvignon Blanc and 30% Sémillon, with proportions adjusted for vintage conditions. Fermentation takes place in 30% new French oak barrels, with no malolactic fermentation to preserve freshness. The wine is aged for 12 months on lees with regular bâtonnage, then spends an additional 6 months in barrel without lees contact before bottling. The result is a wine with a balance of richness and freshness, showcasing the estate's distinctive style – truly one of the best white Bordeaux!

We choose our wines based on a range of criteria (see how we choose our wines) of which critic scores is just one. Rather than simply highlight the best score to promote a wine, our average critic score is calculated from the scores provided by several respected wine critics, who we follow for specific regions. They do not represent all critic scores and, wherever possible, we try and give more weight to more recent reviews. Where appropriate we consider market-based scores like Global Wine Score or Wine Searcher Average scores.

As a rule, we look to offer wines that achieve a 92/100 average critic score or better and frankly a lot of very good wines simply don’t make the cut. As a high-end provider we want to reflect that positioning in the quality of wines we offer. Such wines are only a tiny fraction of those generally on offer in the market. We believe that an average score is a more conservative and representative approach, but it is still subjective and only offered as a guide to our customers, who will (and should) do their own research. We will add individual critic scores to our website in the future.