Led by Annette Schiller, the Bordeaux Tour 2015 by ombiasy WineTours took place from September 15 to 24, 2015. The group comprised 8 wine lovers from the United States, including Annette and Christian Schiller. I already provided an overview of the tour. See the list of postings at the end of the article. This posting focuses on: Tour and Wine Dinner at Domaine de Chevalier with Director Adjoint Rémi Edange and Owner and Director Olivier Bernard.
See: Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), France
Director Adjoint Rémi Edange was our host.
Director and Owner Olivier Bernard, who is currently President of the “Union des Grand Crus de Bordeaux”, the association of 133 grands crus estates in the Bordeaux region, joined us on the tour.
Tour and Wine Dinner
The tour started in the vineyard. We then moved to the modern production facility. Here we were joined by Olivier Bernard. We than had a tasting of the new vintage from barrel. From there, we moved to the dining room for a gourmet dinner with winetasting.
Domaine de Chevalier
Domaine de Chevalier is located south of the City of Bordeaux in the commune of Léognan, the capital of the Graves region.
Domaine de Chevalier is classified as a Graves Cru Classé. Domaine de Chevalier is one of the few Graves estates to produce both first class reds and whites.
Viticulture of significance at Domaine de Chevalier was begun during the 19th century when it was owned and run by Arnaud Ricard, also the proprietor of Château Malartic-Lagravière.
In 1983 Domaine de Chevalier was bought by the Bernard family, producers of Cognac and major Bordeaux wine merchants. Managed by Claude Ricard since 1948, he stayed on as advisor for several years. It was during the tenure of Claude Ricard, that Domaine de Chevalier was included in the 1959 Graves Classification.
From a property of 80 hectares, the vineyard area consists of 35 hectares of red grape varieties: 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 2.5% Cabernet Franc, and 2.5% Petit Verdot; and 4.5 hectares of white grape varieties: 70% Sauvignon blanc and 30% Sémillon. Since the Bernard family has taken over, the vineyard size has almost doubled.
The Grand Vin, Domaine de Chevalier, is annually produced in 7,000 cases of the red wine and 1,200 cases of the dry white. The red and white second wines, L'Esprit de Chevalier, has a production of 5,800 and 800 cases, respectively. There is also a third wine, Pessac Leognan.
The first grapes were planted by a man who was a chivaley, the old Gascon word for knight. Later the modern French word “Chevalier” was used for the estate, the old name “Domaine” instead of the word “Chateau” to describe a wine making estate has never been abandoned. It is one of a very few Bordeaux estates to be named Domaine instead of Château.
Olivier Bernard and Rémi Edange
Director Adjoint Rémi Edange was our host. Director and Owner Olivier Bernard, who is currently President of the “Union des Grand Crus de Bordeaux”, the association of 133 grands crus estates in the Bordeaux region, joined us on the tour.
Fine Wine and Spirits Merchant Berry Bros. & Rudd: Olivier Bernard, whose family business owns the estate, is the outgoing but canny administrator whilst Rémi Edange is hands-on, knowing every vine and every barrel. The quality curve is now further accentuated by the team's bold move to appoint Stéphane Derenoncourt, of La Mondotte fame, as consultant winemaker.
Cellar Tour
We spent some time in the wine cellar with Director Adjoint Rémi Edange. Olivier Bernard joined us there. They explained to us in detail how their wines are made:
As for the white wine, the grapes are put into a pneumatic winepress where they are softly pressed. The must is run off into barrel in a refrigerated room. The must is decanted from its lees by gravity flow after approximately 24 hours. The barrels are then taken into the fermentation area. After long experimentation, we now use about 30% new oak. The final blend is done on the early side, in January after the vintage. Regular bâtonnage strengthens the wine’s structure and makes it more refined. Ageing takes place on the lees until the end of the first summer after the vintage. The wine then spends a second winter in barrel, after which it is naturally clarified – in fact, so much so that when it is bottled the following spring, only very slight filtration is necessary.
As for the red wine, fermentation is preceded by maceration lasting 4-6 days which highlights the wine’s fruit. A close watch is kept on fermentation temperatures, which can rise to 30-32° C towards the end. The wine is regularly pumped over and sometimes accompanied by pigeage (punching down the cap). The wine stays on the skins for 15-25 days. As the wine finishes its maceration, the temperature is gradually lowered to 20/22°C and then run off into new oak barrels for malolactic fermentation. The final blending of red wine takes place in January.
The red wine ages entirely in barrel. This lasts 14-24 months for the grand vin. The proportion of new oak varies from 40 to 60% depending on the vintage. Racking is done by gravity flow from barrel to barrel and the wine is bottled in late June.
The second wine, Esprit de Chevalier ages for less time (approximately 12 months) in barrels that have already been used for two years. The third wine ages for around10 months in 2-4 year-old barrels.
Tasting 2014 Grand Vin Rouge and Blanc from Barrel
We then moved to the tasting room in order to taste the 2014 Grand Vin Rouge and Blanc from barrel. They are currently available at US$ 80 (white) and US$ 44 (red) through the subscription system.
We were served scallops, foie gras avec framboise, croque monsieur and duck.
Wine Dinner
We then moved to the dining room for a fabulous gourmet dinner with wine tasting, led by Rémi Edange.
Daurade Royale, Echalotes Confits et ses Perles
Domaine de Chevalier Blanc 2007
Supremes de Caille et Foie Gras de Canard aux Noix
Domaine de Chevalier Rouge 2006
Fromages
Domaine de Chevalier Rouge 2000
Corne de Verveine Glacee
Chateau Guiraud 2003
Wine Searcher Average Prices
Wine Searcher Average Prices: White Bordeaux Wine of Domaine de Chevalier (in US$)
2014: 80
2013: 81
2012: 98
2010: 116
2000: 87
Wine Searcher Average Prices: Red Bordeaux Wine of Domaine de Chevalier (in US$)
2014: 44
2013: 41
2012: 52
2010: 87
2000: 104
Bye-bye
Thanks you Rémi Edange and Olivier Bernard for an outstanding first evening on Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015).
Postings on the Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), France (Posted and Forthcoming)
4 Wine Tours by ombiasy coming up in 2015: Germany-East, Germany-South. Germany-Nord and Bordeaux
Germany-East Wine and Art Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)
Bourgogne Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), France
Bordeaux Wine Tour 2013 by ombiasy
Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), France
Bordeaux Wines and their Classifications: The Basics
Bordeaux - En Primeur, Negociants, Courtiers, the Quai de Chartons and the Place de Bordeaux – A Short Introduction
How Does the Negociant System in Bordeaux Work? Tour and Tasting at Millésima - Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), France
Tour, Tasting and Wine Dinner at Domaine de Chevalier, Graves,with Director Adjoint Rémi Edange
Saint Emilion Wines and their Classification, Bordeaux, France
Tour and Tasting at Château Angélus, Saint-Emilion, Premier Grand Cru Classé A.
Tour and Wine Lunch at Château Beauséjour, Puisseguin Saint-Emilion, with Owner and Winemaker Gérard Dupuy
Tour and Tasting at Château Tertre-Rôteboeuf, Saint-Emilion, with Owner and Winemaker François Mitjavile
Tour and tasting at Château de Figeac, Saint-Emilion, Premier Grand Cru Classé.
Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in St. Emilion, France
Tour and Wine Lunch at Château Le Bon Pasteur, Pomerol, with Dany Rolland
The Wine Empire of the von Neipperg Family in France, Bulgaria and Germany
Tour and Wine Dinner at Château Canon La Gaffelière, Saint-Emilion, Premier Grand Cru Classé
Tour and Tasting at Château de Fargues, Sauternes, with Prince Eudes d’Orléans
Wine Lunch at Restaurant Château de la Tour in Cadillac and Tour at Château Du Cros, Loupiac, with Catherine Boyer, Proprietor of Château Du Cros
Schiller's Favorite Wine Bars in Bordeaux City
Schiller's Favorite Seafood Places in Bordeaux City, France
Tour and Tasting at Château Smith-Haut-Lafitte, Pessac-Léognan, Grand Cru Classé.
Lunch at the 2 Michelin Starred Restaurant La Grande Vigne
Tour of the Earl Ostrea Chanca Oyster Farm and Oyster Tasting in Grand-Piquey, with Oyster Farmer Ralph Doerfler
What is a Bordeaux Cru Bourgeois? France
Tour and Wine Dinner at Château Le Reysse, Vignobles Paeffgen, Médoc, in Bégadan, with Stefan Paeffgen
Château Léoville-Poyferré, Chateau Le Crock, Didier Cuvelier in Bordeaux and the Cuvelier Los Andes Wines in Argentina
Tour and Tasting at Château Léoville Poyferré, Saint-Julien, 2ième Grand Cru Classé, with Didier Cuvelier
Tour and Wine Lunch at Château Pichon-Longueville-Baron, Pauillac, 2ième Grand Cru Classé
The 5 Premiers Grands Crus Chateaux en 1855 of Bordeaux, France
Tour and Tasting at Château Mouton-Rothschild, Pauillac, 1ière Grand Cru Classé.
How a Barrel is Made: Visit of the Cooperage Berger & Fils in Vertheuil
Lunch at Restaurant Le Peyrat in Saint-Estèphe with the Grape Pickers of Château Sociando Mallet
Tour and Tasting at Château Lafon-Rochet, Saint-Estèphe, 4ième Grand Cru Classé, with Owner Basile Tesseron
Tour and Tasting at Château Rauzan-Ségla, Margaux, 2ième Grand Cru Classé
Tourt and tasting at Château Palmer, Margaux, 3ième Grand Cru Classé
Tour and Wine Dinner at Château Haut-Bailly, Graves, Appellation Pessac-Léognan, Grand Cru Classé, with Diana Paulin
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