2010 Domaine de Chevalier, Pessac-Léognan, Bordeaux

This is one of my all-time favorite wines from Domaine de Chevalier, a silky, rather classic Pessac-Leognan with notes of scorched earth, tobacco leaf and black and red currants, but no hard edges. Fragrant, complex aromatics are followed by a savory, expansively flavored wine made from a final blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot. The wine hit 13.5% natural alcohol, which must certainly be among the highest they have ever achieved, even eclipsing the 2009. An opulent, precocious style of wine that seems much more developed, complex and delicious than I thought from barrel, this beauty can be drunk in 5-6 years or cellared for 20 or more.Robert M. Parker, Jr. - 28/02/2013

Dark crimson. So racy and inky, mineral and sinewy. Chewy. SO youthful! Racy and sinewy. Lively, fragrant. Mouth filling and vibrant though it has yet to evolve much character but the balance seems promising. Acid dominates tannin here. jancis_robinson_mw MW- jancis_robinson_mw.com, Apr 2011

This is loaded, with layers of gorgeous plum sauce, linzer torte and blackberry fruit melding beautifully with charcoal, spice and anise. The long, dark finish has some power in reserve, but it's rounded and enticing. james_molesworth – The Wine Spectator – Top Scoring Bordeaux 2010 – 31 Mar 2011

This is one of my all-time favorite wines from Domaine de Chevalier, a silky, rather classic Pessac-Leognan with notes of scorched earth, tobacco leaf and black and red currants, but no hard edges. Fragrant, complex aromatics are followed by a savory, expansively flavored wine made from a final blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot. The wine hit 13.5% natural alcohol, which must certainly be among the highest they have ever achieved, even eclipsing the 2009. An opulent, precocious style of wine that seems much more developed, complex and delicious than I thought from barrel, this beauty can be drunk in 5-6 years or cellared for 20 or more. 95 robert_parker- Wine Advocate- Feb 2013 Consultant Stephane Derenoncourt along with owner Olivier Bernard have done a fabulous job over recent years, but the tannic, backward 2010 Domaine de Chevalier seemed primary and difficult to assess when I tasted it on three separate occasions. The natural alcohol is 13.5% from a blend of 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and the rest Petit Verdot. A youthful inky/blue/purple color is opaque to the rim and the nose offers elegant aromas of crushed rocks, acacia flowers, boysenberries, black currants and subtle toast as well as oak. This thick, rich, tannic, backward wine will require patience. I would guess 7-10 years of cellaring will be essential, but this is a 30- to 40- year wine. 91-93+ robert_parker- Wine Advocate- May 2011

james_suckling's Wine of the Year 2013 Dark fruits such as raspberries and blueberries with subtle perfume on the nose. Full body, with super well-integrated tannins and a fresh and clean finish.Racy young wine. Shows classy structure and richness. James Sucking - jamesuckling.com - 15-Nov-2013 On 25th November this year, james_suckling named his wine of the year 2013 as 2010 Domaine de Chevalier rouge. In his words - "For My Wine of The Year, I wanted something accessible to most serious wine consumers ….. Domaine de Chevalier struggled to make great wines in the 1990s after extensive vine replantation, but 2013 proves it is back to its former glory. This most recent release reminds me of their wines from the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s”