Alcohol: 13.5 %
Grape(s): Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot
Location: Pessac-Léognan AOC, Graves, Bordeaux, France
Tasting Notes: Deep ruby. Classic Pessac aromatics right away: cassis and mulberry over cedar, tobacco leaf, crushed gravel and warm spice with a whisper of licorice. Medium-to-full bodied, layered and textured on the palate — a deep core of dark fruit framed by fine, ripe tannins and a long, savory, graphite-tinged finish. The second wine of a great classified growth drinking comfortably above its rank; enjoy now with a decant, or cellar 3-6 years through the late 2020s.
Notes: L’Esprit de Chevalier is the red second wine of Domaine de Chevalier, drawn from the estate’s young vines and declassified lots on its famous gravelly sands south of Bordeaux — the same terroir and cellar team as the grand vin. A classic Cabernet-led blend with Merlot and touches of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, aged in French oak. The 2022 vintage gave structured, concentrated reds with ripe, generous fruit.
Food Pairing: Excellent with roast beef and lamb, duck breast, smoked meats, mushroom dishes, and aged Comté or sheep’s milk cheeses.
Winery Story: Domaine de Chevalier is one of the immortal names of Graves — a classified growth whose secluded, forest-ringed vineyards in Léognan produce reds and whites of legendary finesse. Under the Bernard family’s stewardship since 1983, the estate’s savoir-faire shapes every drop of L’Esprit, its second wine; it reaches the US through importer Monsieur Touton.
