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LE PESSAC-LÉOGNAN

2020 du Domaine de Chevalier Domaine de Chevalier

IN STOCK
Grapes Cab Franc, Cab Sauv, Merlot
Colour Red
Origin France, Bordeaux
Village Pessac-Léognan
ABV 13.5%

The 2020 Le Pessac-Léognan du Domaine de Chevalier offers an elegant bouquet of blackcurrant, dark cherry, and plum, accented by notes of graphite, cedar, and a hint of tobacco. On the palate, it's medium-bodied with a smooth texture, balanced acidity, and fine-grained tannins. Flavors of ripe dark fruits intertwine with earthy minerality and a touch of oak. The finish is long, with lingering notes of spice and subtle smokiness, showcasing its aging potential. While the 2020 Le Pessac-Léognan is enjoyable now, it will benefit from several more years of aging. Expect it to evolve beautifully over the next 10–15 years, gaining more complexity and softer tannins. L&S (Oct 2024)

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Domaine de Chevalier

Domaine de Chevalier, located in Léognan and surrounded by forest, enjoys a particular microclimate. Unlike some of the Pessacs which are surrounded by urban development which raises the average temperature, Chevalier is quite a cool terroir.

Olivier Bernard has owned and run the estate since 1983, and has done much to improve the quality of the wines. The white has always been one of Bordeaux's finest, and is even better now, and Bernard has dramatically increased the quality of the red, especially in the last ten years.

Domaine de Chevalier has a soil of dark sand and fine white gravel. It is planted at 10,000 vines per hectare averaging 35 years old.
There are 7 Hectares planted for white with 70% Sauvignon and 30% Sémillon.
There are 60 Hectares planted for red, comprising 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot, 2% Cabernet Franc.

At the harvest the white grapes are picked in baskets with successive picking through the vines.
The red grapes are also picked in baskets, with triple sorting: first in the vines, then the complete bunch on the sorting table and third by optical sorting machine, berry by berry.
The white is pressed slowly, and settlement (débourbage) and alcoholic fermentation occur in the barrel, with 35% new wood. The wine is aged on the lees in barrel with stirring (batonnage), for 18 months.
The red grapes are vatted by gravity without pumping. The alcoholic fermentation in stainless steel and coated steel temperature-controlled vats. Maceration for 2 to 3 weeks with a maximum fermentation temperature of 30° C and manual pigeage. The wine is aged for 18 months (four months on the lees), with 35% new wood.

Drink le Tour 2026

The Drink Le Tour Mixed Case: A 12-Bottle Journey Through Terroir and Topography
There is a profound connection between the gruelling topography of a grand tour and the terroir that affects great wine. The steep escarpments that test the explosive climbing power of the peloton are the very same bedrocks that force vine roots deep into the earth, yielding wines of crystalline minerality and tension. As the cyclists gear up for the grand tour, we have assembled the ultimate spectators companion: the Drink Le Tour collection. This 12-bottle mixed case lets you taste the terrain exactly as the riders cross it, complete with a bespoke, exclusive A4 infographic map in every box to help you navigate the route.
Taste the Route Stage by Stage:

  • Stage 1: 2023 ACÚSTIC BLANC, Acústic Celler: The journey begins in the punishing heat of the Pyrenean foothills. This brilliant, old-vine Garnacha Blanca offers a wine of profound structural concentration that mirrors the arid, rocky terrain.

  • Stage 4: JEAN-LOUIS DENOIS Méthode Traditionelle Chardonnay-Pinot Noir Brut: As the route flattens into the windswept Languedoc plateaus, we pause for a high-altitude, maverick Pyrenean fizz that beautifully rivals true Champagne.

  • Stage 4: 2021 FIGURE LIBRE Chenin Blanc, Domaine Gayda: A rebellious white wine crafted to defy regional Languedoc conventions with its striking purity and energy.

  • Stage 4: 2022 FIGURE LIBRE Cabernet Franc, Domaine Gayda: The red counterpart to Gayda's rebellious spirit, offering an authentic, expressive, and unadulterated varietal profile.

  • Stage 7: 2019 CHÂTEAU L'ARGENTEYRE Cru Bourgeois Médoc: Sweeping across the Atlantic coastal flats of Bordeaux, this Left Bank red delivers exceptional structure and classic succulent fruit.

  • Stage 7: 2020 LE PESSAC-LÉOGNAN du Domaine de Chevalier: A grand addition showcasing the aristocratic, pine-sheltered elegance and balance of a legendary estate.

  • Stage 11: 2024 SANCERRE Chavignol, Domaine Delaporte: The climbing truly begins in the central Loire. This electric Sancerre perfectly captures the blinding white chalk of the famous Monts Damnés.

  • Stage 12: 2022 BOURGOGNE BLANC, Rémi Jobard: Dropping into the Burgundian heartland, this bottle represents the first step in tasting the region's microscopic geographical fractures.

  • Stage 12: 2022 GIVRY Blanc Clos des Vignes Rondes, Domaine François Lumpp: A luminous and beautifully precise white Burgundy that highlights the exceptional potential of the Côte Chalonnaise.

  • Stage 12: 2022 MERCUREY Vieilles Vignes, Domaine Raquillet: A robust, deeply textured red Burgundy crafted from old vines that anchors the midsection of our tasting journey.

  • Stage 14: 2023 RIBEAUVILLÉ, Domaine Marcel Deiss: The final attritional climbs of the Vosges mountains are rewarded by a profound, co-planted Alsatian field blend grown on a highly complex geological fault line.

  • Stage 21: TANDEM Brut Fleury-la-Rivière, Champagne M & G Heucq NV: As the finish line approaches, we celebrate in the Marne Valley with this deeply complex, autolytic, and celebratory grower Champagne.

Let the athletes do the sweating. All you need is a corkscrew and a glass to enjoy the ultimate grand tour. ```[cite: 10]

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