2010 Domaine de Chevalier Pessac-Léognan 750 ml

A 96-Point Pearl in Pessac-Léognan

Collectors, take note: The 2010 Domaine de Chevalier Pessac-Léognan is a masterpiece, built for the long haul. Robert Parker called it “one of my all-time favorite wines from Domaine de Chevalier,” and backed it up with 95 points. Not to be outdone, James Suckling added 96 points, hailing the 2010’s “classy structure and richness.” Just 20 cases, crafted by the inimitable Stéphane Derenoncourt (La Mondotte, Château Canon-la-Gaffelière), have been raised directly from the cellar in Pessac-Léognan, guaranteeing perfect condition and perfect provenance. With so few to go around, our recommendation to lovers of fine Bordeaux is to move quickly — while these bottles will last for decades in your cellar, they won’t last the day on Wine Access.

The well-balanced opulence that had Suckling and Parker gushing over the 2010 Domaine de Chevalier is the thumbprint of this estate’s unique terroir. Like a pearl at the center of an oyster, Domaine de Chevalier is surrounded on all sides by a dense forest. In the summer, the forest traps heat in the vineyard, creating a natural greenhouse effect that yields fantastic ripeness in Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Petit Verdot.

In 2010 — the 99-point Bordeaux vintage that many have hailed as the greatest since 1961 — conditions were extraordinary at Domaine de Chevalier. Equal parts sun and turquoise sky combined to produce one of Parker’s “all-time favorite wines” from the estate. After tasting it ourselves, we can’t argue with him.