Domaine de Chevalier

Domaine de Chevalier – The secret garden of Pessac-Léognan

South of Bordeaux, hidden amidst dense forests, lies a vineyard that feels like a well-kept secret. Domaine de Chevalier – a name that deliberately omits the term ‘Château’, otherwise customary in Bordeaux, and yet ranks among the region’s most prestigious estates.

The estate’s origins stretch far back in time. Wine was already being grown here in the17th century, and the property is recorded on the map drawn up by the royal geographer Pierre de Belleyme in 1783. The modern era began in 1865, when the Ricard family acquired the estate and helped it gain public recognition. In 1983, the Bernard family – France’s leading producer of brandies and a major Bordeaux wine merchant – took over the estate. Since then, it has been managed by Olivier Bernard and his team and is being carried forward into the future by his sons Adrien and Hugo.

The terroir is at the heart of this ‘secret garden’. Across some 60 hectares of red wine vineyards and seven hectares of white wine vineyards, gravelly and sandy soils with a clay subsoil shape the unique character of the wines. The exceptionally high planting density of 10,000 vines per hectare ensures small, highly concentrated berries.

In the cellar,the domaine combines tradition with state-of-the-art precision. The grapes are harvested by hand and selected several times before vinification takes place plot by plot in stainless steel, concrete and wooden tanks. The red wine matures for 16 to 18 months in barriques, a third of which are new. The Grand Vin – a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot – captivates with its powerful yet never heavy elegance, featuring aromas of blackcurrants, graphite and subtle spicy notes. The white Grand Vin, made from Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon, is regarded as one of the world’s finest dry white wines.

Since the 1953 classification, Domaine de Chevalier has been among the elite of the Grands Crus Classés de Graves – for both red and white wines. A rare privilege that underlines the exceptional consistency and quality of this hidden gem.