16 vintages of Domaine de Chevalier with owner Olivier Bernard(2)
Lunch whites
1981 white. Surprisingly lightly coloured, with floral aromatics – hints of orange blossom – pear and mineral. It exhibited superb depth and richness on the mid palate, before a long, lingering finish. I came away from the tasting and lunch with a revelatory feeling for this 1981, which tasted at least 10 years younger than the 1991… 5 stars and then some.
1991 white. Perhaps this should have been served before the 1981. A difficult vintage. Far less wine was produced than the average, Olivier said. It was a challenge and the estate rose up to it. Still, it paled in comparison to the 1981. A nutty, rancio aspect, although some Graves tobacco, too. Do not wait for this. Olivier said that it would have been better to have served from magnum, as was done with the 1991 red later. Here a Carpaccio of Nantucket Bay scallop and organic salmon proved a bit mismatched, but delicious. 2.5 stars
2001 white: A beauty. Beeswax, lanolin, pear, white peach. More Sauvignon Blanc in the mix in recent years, because of the acidity one gets from Sauvignon Blanc, Olivier explained, so while the 2001 is closer to 80 per cent Sauvignon Blanc and 20 per cent Semillon, the earlier vintages are more like 70-30. Will age as slowly as the 1981, but may offer more body. It certainly paired well with the grilled tuna, white beans, local turnip puree: the texture of the meaty tuna was matched against the subtle richness of the 2001. 5 stars.
Lunch reds
1961 red: Perhaps the second best wine of the entire tasting. Whilst decanting, the wine was of an excellent colour, without too much deposit: a good sign. The nose was quite cedar and cigar box to me, echoed in the finely textured palate, with some sweetness on the mid palate in fact. There was a tannic edge on the finish, indicating a long life on this plateau for this 50-year-old red (coming from regular bottles). Fine match with sweet potato ravioli: rich enough to match the tannic edge of the wine, whilst echoing its evolution in pork consommé. 5 stars.
1991 red (from magnum): Forest freshness on the nose. Smoky and rather plush on the palate: a real pleasure to drink. Burgundian, one participant remarked, but also quite full-bodied. Coming from magnum format helped because 1991 is not really a strong vintage. Perhaps my overall favourite match: the richness of the slow braised short ribs, foie gras, crispy sweet breads, red cabbage and Maiitake mushrooms balanced the tobacco-like freshness of the 1991. 4.5 stars.
1981 red: More evolved than the 1991, with truffle and leather, and not quite as focused. Still, it seemed to have good body and charm, and matched the cheeses perfectly, including a five-year old Wisconsin cheese that resembled Cheddar and a comté. 3.5 stars
