Domaine de Chevalier 2016

Tasting

Colour: Deep garnet-red with purple highlights.

Nose: Complex and refined. Aromas of ripe black fruit (blackcurrant, blackberry), black cherry, floral notes (violet), sweet spices (cinnamon, pepper), hints of smoke, light tobacco, cedar and light graphite. Perfectly integrated, elegant oak.

Palate: Supple, precise attack. Silky, full-bodied texture, with fine, ripe tannins providing fine structure. Dense, balanced mid-palate, with remarkable freshness underpinning pure, intense fruit. Long, elegant finish, with spicy, smoky and mineral notes characteristic of the Graves terroir.

Critic

- Wine Advocate: 95/100

- Vinous (Neal Martin): 95/100

- James Suckling: 96/100

Suggested pairings

Perfect with grilled or roasted red meats (rib steak, rib of beef, fillet of beef en croûte), roast lamb (leg of lamb, rack of lamb) or braised lamb (mouse confit, tajine with mild spices). Also excellent with roast poultry or poultry in sauce (duck, guinea fowl, free-range chicken with porcini mushrooms) and game birds (pheasant, partridge). It also goes very well with richly flavoured stews (boeuf bourguignon, daube provençale) and mature hard cheeses (Comté vieux, Parmesan) or slightly blue-veined cheeses (Fourme d'Ambert, Bleu d'Auvergne).