1993 Domaine de Chevalier

BY NEAL MARTIN | APRIL 15, 2024

Last October, I was in Bordeaux during the autumn Porte Ouverte days, when locals can tour châteaux and attend evening dinners, many of which are inexpensive to take part in. I was tasting the 2021s on the same day as Domaine de Chevalier’s soirées, and proprietor Olivier Bernard invited me, along with around 200 other guests. With so many people, you need a large bottle!

The 1993 Domaine de Chevalier was poured out of a gargantuan Nebuchadnezzar (1,500cl). To the best of my mind, 1993 is a vintage that I have not tasted before. Showing just slight aging on the rim, the bouquet is very attractive, without the greenness that blights quite a few Left Bank wines in this vintage. No, it is not powerful, yet it offers light red fruit interwoven with tobacco and bell peppers, a tincture of seaweed emerging with time. The palate is well balanced with slightly rustic tannins, but it is certainly fresh after three decades, doubtlessly assisted by the large format. The 1993 is saline in the mouth with a short yet focused, leafy finish. It is a delightful off-vintage Pessac-Léognan, and I suspect that more regular formats will still give pleasure. 90/Drink 2024-2035.

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