Pessac-Leognan Grand Cru Classé de Graves Domaine de Chevalier 2018

Domaine de Chevalier's Pessac-Leognan Grand Cru Classé de Graves is located a few kilometers south of Bordeaux and produces wines of excellent quality, which are not afraid to compare with labels from more renowned parts of the Bordeaux territory. It is a historic estate with roots dating back to the late 18th century. Since 1983 it has been managed by the Bernard family, which has helped raise its production level. It is a classic Bordeaux blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, giving an intense, rich and structured red, with considerable aging potential. It reaches expressive maturity after several years of bottle aging, but can be cellared for up to 20 years.

Domaine de Chevalier, producer of Grand Cru Classé de Graves Pessac-Leognan, is one of the most important estates in this area, located in the southern part of the Bordeaux region. The soils are gravelly, of ancient alluvial origin, generated over millennia by the Garonne, and rest on a clay-limestone subsoil. The domaine covers about one hundred hectares, of which only about sixty are devoted to viticulture. The rest of the estate is occupied by centuries-old forests that help to keep the climate cool and ensure considerable environmental biodiversity. The vineyards are planted at a density of 10,000 vines per hectare, so as to encourage competition between plants. The red grapes are harvested in October, and each variety is vinified separately, with fermentation in steel, cement or wooden vats. The wine matures for 16-18 months in French oak barrels, 30 percent new and the rest previously used.

Domaine de Chevalier's Pessac-Leognan Grand Cru Classé de Graves is a great expression of a very vocated terroir, enhanced by an estate that works with rigor, both in the vineyard and in the cellar, with the sole objective of making great wines. To the eye, it has a dark ruby red color. The olfactory picture is elegant and complex, with aromas reminiscent of small dark berries, cherry, currant, blueberry, blackberry, hints of underbrush, hints of soft spices, balsamic and herbal nuances. The palate is rich and structured, with a dense but evolved tannic texture and ripe, ample, harmonious and enveloping aromas, leading to a fresh and very persistent finish.