Winemaker Notes
As for the dry white Esprit de Chevalier, this barrel-aged second wine is rich, lively, and complex with very pure aromas. Esprit de Chevalier blanc is a fruity, classy wine, but more open than the grand vin and therefore a treat to drink young.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
Readers looking for a terrific Bordeaux Blanc should check out the 2018 Domaine De Chevalier L'Esprit De Chevalier Blanc from Domaine de Chevalier. Based on 60% Sauvignon and 40% Sémillon, it has a rocking bouquet of honeyed pineapple, peach, and lemon curd to go with medium-bodied richness, a bright, juicy, lively texture, terrific balance, and a clean, dry finish. It's well worth seeking out and is going to keep for 5-7 years with no issues.
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James Suckling
Dense and very layered with lots of ripe fruit with apple and pineapple character. Cooked pears, too. Full-bodied, layered and energetic.
Barrel Sample: 92-93 -
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2018 L' Esprit de Chevalier Blanc is a little closed to begin, unfurling to offer elegant lemongrass, fresh ginger and orange blossom scents over a core of grapefruit and white peaches plus a waft of crushed stones. Medium to full-bodied, the palate delivers super intense, vibrant citrus and floral layers with a racy backbone and satiny texture, finishing with a persistent spicy kick.
Barrel Sample: 90-92 -
Decanter
A serious second wine with real grip and fresh fruit, richly extracted and with good quality, firm tannins. Austerity takes precedence over the fruit a little, but it's a good wine worth looking out for. Drinking Window 2022 - 2031. Barrel Sample: 90
Sometimes light and crisp, other times rich and creamy, Bordeaux White Blends typically consist of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon. Often, a small amount of Muscadelle or Sauvignon Gris is included for added intrigue. Popularized in Bordeaux, the blend is often mimicked throughout the New World. Somm Secret—Sauternes and Barsac are usually reserved for dessert, but they can be served before, during or after a meal. Try these sweet wines as an aperitif with jamón ibérico, oysters with a spicy mignonette or during dinner alongside hearty Alsatian sausage.
Recognized for its superior reds as well as whites, Pessac-Léognan on the Left Bank claims classified growths for both—making it quite unique in comparison to its neighboring Médoc properties.
Pessac’s Chateau Haut-Brion, the only first growth located outside of the Médoc, is said to have been the first to conceptualize fine red wine in Bordeaux back in the late 1600s. The estate, along with its high-esteemed neighbors, La Mission Haut-Brion, Les Carmes Haut-Brion, Pique-Caillou and Chateau Pape-Clément are today all but enveloped by the city of Bordeaux. The rest of the vineyards of Pessac-Léognan are in clearings of heavily forested area or abutting dense suburbs.
Arid sand and gravel on top of clay and limestone make the area unique and conducive to growing Sémillon and Sauvignon blanc as well as the grapes in the usual Left Bank red recipe: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and miniscule percentages of Petit Verdot and Malbec.
The best reds will show great force and finesse with inky blue and black fruit, mushroom, forest, tobacco, iodine and a smooth and intriguing texture.
Its best whites show complexity, longevity and no lack of exotic twists on citrus, tropical and stone fruit with pronounced floral and spice characteristics.