Winegrower's Portraits Léognan
Domaine de Chevalier
Interview of Olivier Bernard
Close to Bordeaux, surrounded by a forest of pines, the 40 hectares in one piece of Domaine de Chevalier give, vintage after vintage, the great white (5 ha) and red (35 ha) wines of the estate. By a ground work and observation, the Château will produce in the future on the 60 potential hectares.
Year after year, respecting the traditions, the Domain grows while keeping in mind its original structure. The buildings are modernized to take in the harvest of the 10,000 stocks per hectare. By its geographical situation, the peculiar terroir, complicated, heterogeneous, composed of deep gravelly soils for some parts and clay for other, forces the team to adapt every year. “
The key word remains ‘observation’, Olivier Bernard explains. We permanently call ourselves into question to understand the vintage's sensitivity, like the 2011 for example. Men can have an influence on the style of the wine. To me, great wines and greatest terroirs are those where man only is the one who reveals. In 2009 and 2010, nature enabled to go quite far. In 2011, we had to correct its excesses and thus take action”.
The clearing, with colder temperature in spring and hotter in summer compared to other plots, sometimes has 15 days difference with Château Haut-Brion or 10 days with Château Carbonnieux, very close as the crow flies. “
Our terroirs in white are changeable. We have to take risks to get a good maturity. Work on precision; operate rigorous selections during the harvest. It has to be noted that for 1 hectare of red vines, a grape-picker works 200 to 300 hours at the domain. In white, we have 1,000 hours, even more, with 5 sortings! The light must settling is done in barrels installed in a refrigerated room. Then the maturation is done on the lees, still in barrels. A real intricate piece of work in the field that we reveal barrel after barrel. I seek elegance, precision, fineness and the potential of our white wines.”
Olivier Bernard wants to precise that he lives on site the whole year through and knows every stock of vines, like his team, present since the beginning. He believes in the quality of the fruit.
“
A great wine has to be an evidence. The éclat of the vintage has to be preserved. Like a great painting that one understands differently when one stands back, wine has to enable men to dream. I like wines that have an ethereal side. When they are too tellurian, I get bored” he confirms.
Aware of the constraints of the estate's terroir and the conditions of the 2011 vintage, SommelierS International asks him about this future wine. “
This vintage is born complicated because of a disturbed calendar! A difficult 'pregnancy', summer in spring, spring in summer, a disturbed vegetative cycle… Fortunately the vine managed well these fluctuations thanks to its rooting, although the yields have been
lower than usually: 30 instead of 45 hl/ha.
In 2011, we had to remain moderate, count on the vine, its potential, its steady strength, and be confident in it while respecting it in the cellar. For the red, we respected the grapes: the ageing process reveals them. They need time; the barrel refines them with maturation on the lees. They resemble the 2006 by the structure and the 2001 by the freshness. The white are marvellous, beautiful alcohol volume, a wonderful acidity, small yields thus density in the mouth. The 2010 remains magical for me, but the 2011 is among the greatest.”
Florence Varaine
Domaine de Chevalier: 40 ha – Classed Growth of Graves
In white: 70% Sauvignon a
nd 30% Sémillon of beautiful white in 2011 with a pure fruitiness. A great vintage for the estate.
In Red: 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot and 3% Cabernet Franc. In 2011, a classical vintage signed by Domaine de Chevalier for the purists.
Second wine: L’Esprit de Chevalier.
Château Lespault-Martillac:Since 2009, Domaine de Chevalier has been entrusted its running for a ground work in the same spirit. 1 ha in white and 8 in red on the beautiful hilltop of Martillac, worked like a garden: quality, balance, while keeping its own style and letting express the charm, the smooth and generous side of old Merlots. A wine to discover (editor's note).
In white: 80% Sauvignon and 20% Sémillon
In red: 60% Merlot, 22% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Petit Verdot and 5% Malbec.
In 2011, the red wine in tasting particularly surprised us by its deepness and complexity…
Domaine de la Solitude :In the village of Martillac proposes since this spring a Cellar Master's lunch every Friday for 10 to 15 persons. Booking necessary at
00 33 5 56 72 74 74.
Domaine de Chevalier
102, chemin Mignoy
33850 Léognan
Tél.: +33 (0) 5 56 64 16 16
Fax: +33 (0) 5 56 64 18 18
www.domainedechevalier.com
