Domaine de Chevalier Pessac-Léognan Blanc 2020

Domaine de Chevalier blanc is recognized as one of the greatest dry white wines in the world.

The history of the Domaine de Chevalier goes back to the archives of the XVIIth century which recall that the small estate of Chivaley (knight in Gascony) includes “houses, outbuildings, gardens, land, vines, woods and meadows” and thus represents a farm in which the vine cohabited with breeding and food crops. The name of the Domaine de Chevalier would be linked, without knowing exactly why, to the presence of the very old Way of Saint Jacques de Compostelle which still borders the property.

Terroir & Vinification

The Domaine de Chevalier is a clearing in the middle of the forest that protects it, a sort of secret garden away from the media circuits. This is a bit of a paradox for this cru of excellence, which competes with the greatest vintages of Bordeaux.

However, one could think of Chevalier’s terroir as difficult, capricious…

But it is exceptional and capable of producing a remarkably early harvest, provided that we take care to treat it with the respect it deserves. We can say that a great wine is always born in extreme conditions, on a difficult terroir, and even, paradoxically, that it is from this difficult character that it derives its greatness.

In reality, a great terroir gives a great wine where nothing else grows but the vine.

Indeed, this prestigious terroir is of great complexity and aromatic finesse capable of sublimating the grape varieties to obtain their quintessence. But this requires a total respect for the soil and the plant, orchestrated by Man, who is the revealer. The white vineyard is made up of 70% Sauvignon and 30% Semillon. Then, the vinification takes place in temperature-controlled stainless steel vats, the maturing takes place in a new barrel cellar, the picking of the grapes is done at full maturity.