Domaine de Chevalier 2025 Rouge Pessac-Léognan Grand Cru Classé - OWC6

The Wine Cellar Insider
96-98 punten
Mesquite wood, black cherries, cigar box, blue fruits, espresso, and spice fill the aromatics. There is freshness, purity, and elegance here that is impossible to ignore. On the palate, the fruit is clean, with a smoky edge, a hint of spice, and a vibrancy that adds to the length and precision. Give it just a few years in the bottle, and this promises to be a beauty. According to Olivier Bernard, the key to the vintage was the warm, dry summer, followed by the refreshing September rains. The wine blends 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot and 5% Cabernet Franc.12.5% ABV, pH 3.71. Yields were 34 hectoliters per hectare. Harvest took place September 11-September 26. This is the earliest finish to a harvest in the history of Domaine de Chevalier. Drink from 2029-2060.

James Suckling
97-98 punten
The depth of fruit comes through clearly, with a medium body and plenty of berry, chocolate, walnut and bark aromas. Creamy and polished, with a lovely texture and a long and rather endless finish. Soft and precise. 65% cabernet sauvignon, 30% merlot and 5% petit verdot.

Vinous
95-97 punten
The 2025 Domaine de Chevalier is a total stunner. The oak imprint is a bit strong, but the 2025 possesses notable richness and textural depth to handle it all. Signature red-toned fruit and floral overtones soar through the layered, expansive close.

Decanter
95 punten
“Aromas of plum, raspberry, loam and wet stone minerality suggest the pedigree beneath. The palate is decidedly structured, almost reminiscent of grape skins tasted at harvest, with a firm, tightly wound tannic frame. A more muscular style of Domaine de Chevalier. At 12.5% alcohol and a pH of 3.71, the wine walks a fine line: the freshening acidity (particularly on the finish) both lifts and accentuates the abundant tannins. For now, it remains firm, but the underlying material is strong and should harmonise with élevage, making full barrel ageing key to unlocking a full expression. Tasted three times with two more positive impressions, the score reflects the wine’s anticipated evolution rather than its current state.

Falstaff
95 punten
Deep dark ruby garnet, opaque core, violet reflections, delicate edge brightening. Delicate hints of cloves and cardamom, dark berry confit, ripe cherries, black cherries, touch of precious wood. Full-bodied, blackberries, ripe tannins, good freshness, lingers for a long time, harmonious, a Sire promise for the future.

Jeb Dunnuck
93-95 punten
Currants, smoky tobacco, dried flowers, graphite, and leather all emerge from the 2025 Domaine De Chevalier, a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, and 5% Petit Verdot from yields of 34 hectoliters per hectare. It brings back memories of old school wines from the 1980s with its ultra-classic, ripe style, yet still checks in at just 12.5% alcohol with a pH of 3.64. Medium-bodied on the palate, it’s beautifully balanced and layered, with ripe tannins and a great finish. This is a concentrated yet elegant Chevalier where the cellar will be your friend.

Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux
94  punten
Beautiful depths, precision and clarity on the aromatics, delivers juice and depth with clarity of cassis and blackcurrant flavour. There is still the grip of the vintage in terms of its structure, but this is an estate where you can feel totally confident that things will widen and deepen over ageing. 3.71pH. Harvest September 3 to 29. 30% new oak. In organic conversion. Derenoncourt Consultants, Olivier Bernard owner working with his sons Adrien and Hugo. Tasted twice.

The Wine Advocate
93-95 punten
The 2025 Domaine de Chevalier, a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot, was harvested between September 11 and 26—an unusually early finish—with yields of 35 hectoliters per hectare. It reveals a bouquet marked by oak, with notes of spice, dark berries, lead pencil and licorice. Medium- to full-bodied, dense and deep, it’s built around a substantial chassis of tannins and framed by powdery, youthful structure, concluding with a long, firm and structured finish, reflecting the wine’s inherent density.

Jancis Robinson
17.5/20 punten
Fragrant floral and dark-fruit nose. Super texture of tannin. Delicate of touch but offering line, length and structure. Plenty of freshness. Persistence on the finish. Harmonious.