Domaine de Chevalier

Deeds trace the first farm on the site of Domaine de Chevalier to the middle of the 17th century, when it belonged to the Lalanne family, whose patriarch Jehan de Lalanne was called "Chivaley," a name also given to his estate. The Lalanne family's hold on the land spanned no less than two centuries before it was sold in 1736 to Jean Destang, a merchant from Léognan. The property then passed through a period of varying fortunes: a brief improvement under Bordeaux merchant Jean-Baptiste Dejeanne between 1757 and 1766 was followed by decline, and by 1813 the vineyards had completely disappeared, giving way to woods and moorland before gradually reappearing.

• Deeds mentioning the first traces of a farm on the site date to the middle of the 17th century, under the Lalanne family, whose patriarch Jehan de Lalanne was called "Chivaley"
• The Lalanne family's contract with the land spanned no less than two centuries before it was sold in 1736 to Jean Destang, a Léognan merchant
• Bordeaux merchant Jean-Baptiste Dejeanne brought a brief improvement between 1757 and 1766 before the vineyard again fell into disuse
• By 1813 the vineyards had completely disappeared, replaced by woods and moorland, only reappearing modestly some years later

Arnaud and Jean Ricard acquired the estate in 1865, a purchase the current owner describes as the beginning of Chevalier's rise, calling Jean Ricard "the true creator of the estate." Jean Ricard's son-in-law, Gabriel Beaumartin, spent forty years at Chevalier and, as a well-known timber merchant who traveled abroad, is credited with spreading the estate's reputation internationally. Claude Ricard arrived in 1948, chose to live on the estate, and managed it for thirty-five years. It was under his guidance that Domaine de Chevalier joined the Grands Crus Classés de Graves at the time of the 1953 classification, which the current owner says also gave the estate its truly international dimension.

• Arnaud and Jean Ricard acquired the estate in 1865; the current owner calls Jean Ricard 'the true creator of the estate'
• Gabriel Beaumartin, Jean Ricard's son-in-law, spent forty years at Chevalier and, traveling abroad as a timber merchant, spread the estate's reputation worldwide
• Claude Ricard arrived in 1948, lived on the estate, and managed it for thirty-five years until 1983
• Domaine de Chevalier joined the Grands Crus Classés de Graves at the time of the 1953 classification under Claude Ricard's guidance, per the estate's own account

In 1983 the Bernard family, until then specialized in the eaux-de-vie trade and also as negociants in Bordeaux grands crus, bought Domaine de Chevalier. The complete renovation of the estate's buildings was carried out in two stages, in 1984 and 1991, followed by a bottle cellar in 2012, a concrete vat room in 2013, and a wooden vat room in 2016. As listed on the estate's own site as of this writing, Anne and Olivier Bernard are the co-owners, with a management team that includes Rémi Edange as deputy director, Adrien Bernard as commercial director, Vincent Bernard as technical director, Hugo Bernard as production manager, and Justine Bouchut overseeing wine tourism. The Bernard family also manages several other Pessac-Léognan and Sauternes-region properties: Domaine de la Solitude, leased from the Sisters of the Holy Family in 1993; Château Lespault-Martillac, entrusted to the family by the Bolleau family in 2009; a stake in Château Guiraud, a Premier Grand Cru Classé de Sauternes, acquired in 2006; Clos des Lunes, a dry white wine launched in 2011 in the Sauternes region; Château Suau, a 2nd Grand Cru Classé of Barsac, whose management passed to the family in 2015; Château Soubian in Léognan, which the Célérier family asked the Bernards to replant starting in 2019; and Château Poumey in Gradignan, where the family took on winemaking under a 25-year agreement beginning in 2020.

• In 1983 the Bernard family, previously specialized in the eaux-de-vie trade and as Bordeaux grands crus negociants, bought Domaine de Chevalier
• Building renovations took place in two stages (1984 and 1991), followed by a bottle cellar (2012), a concrete vat room (2013), and a wooden vat room (2016)
• As listed on the estate's own site, Anne and Olivier Bernard are co-owners, with Rémi Edange as deputy director, Adrien Bernard as commercial director, Vincent Bernard as technical director, and Hugo Bernard as production manager
• The Bernard family also manages Domaine de la Solitude (leased 1993), Château Lespault-Martillac (2009), a stake in Château Guiraud (2006), Clos des Lunes (launched 2011), Château Suau (2015), Château Soubian (from 2019) and Château Poumey (25-year agreement from 2020)

The vineyard is farmed as a single block of 60 hectares of red vines and 7 hectares of white vines, with no immediate neighbors and enclosed by a large surrounding forest that the estate says creates a distinct microclimate and biodiversity. The soils are described by the estate as "poor and complex." Vine density is maintained at 10,000 vines per hectare, well above the appellation's average of 6,500, which the estate says creates healthy competition between vines that delivers small quantities of grapes rich in color, aroma and tannin. The surrounding forest accentuates thermal contrasts: it creates a greenhouse effect in hot periods that favors ripening, but also increases the risk of frost in cold periods, so anti-frost towers have been gradually installed since 1982. Since 2021, all vineyards managed by Domaine de Chevalier have completed conversion to organic and biodynamic farming, a path the estate describes as set out as early as 2010.

• The vineyard is a single block of 60 hectares of red vines and 7 hectares of white vines, with no immediate neighbors and enclosed by forest
• Vine density is maintained at 10,000 vines per hectare, versus an appellation average of 6,500
• Anti-frost towers have been gradually installed since 1982 to offset frost risk increased by the surrounding forest
• Since 2021, all vineyards managed by the estate have completed conversion to organic and biodynamic farming

The estate's own stated red blend is approximately 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc; the white is 70% Sauvignon and 30% Sémillon. White grapes are usually picked in the first half of September, about two weeks before the reds, in multiple selective passes through the vineyard. Red harvest begins in mid-September with Merlot, continues with Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, and finishes with Cabernet Sauvignon in the first half of October. Blending for both colors takes place in January following the harvest, with consultant oenologist Stéphane Derenoncourt taking part alongside the estate's management team. The red first wine is aged entirely in barrel for 14 to 24 months with 40 to 60% new oak; the second wine, L'Esprit de Chevalier, born in 1989, ages about 12 months in two-year barrels, and a third wine spends about 10 months in three- to four-year barrels. The estate also produces a small quantity of rosé, Le Rosé de Chevalier, made mainly from Cabernet Sauvignon by saignée and by direct pressing, fermented separately.

• Red blend: approximately 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot, 2% Cabernet Franc; white blend: 70% Sauvignon, 30% Sémillon, per the estate's own terroir page
• White harvest begins in the first half of September, about two weeks ahead of the reds; red harvest runs from mid-September (Merlot) to early October (Cabernet Sauvignon)
• Blending occurs in January following harvest, with consultant oenologist Stéphane Derenoncourt taking part alongside the management team
• First wine red ages 14-24 months in barrel (40-60% new oak); L'Esprit de Chevalier (born 1989) ages about 12 months; a third wine ages about 10 months
• The estate also makes a small amount of rosé, Le Rosé de Chevalier, mainly from Cabernet Sauvignon by saignée and direct pressing

In the estate's own tasting notes, the 2023 red shows "a complex and spicy nose of great finesse" with "immediate and silky fullness," a wine the estate says can be "appreciated in its youth (7-10 years), but aging will make it shine (12-20 years)." The 2023 white is described as showing "intense fruity brilliance, elegant and very complex," with fresh citrus, spring white flowers and concentrated white fruit character. For earlier vintages, the estate gives specific drinking windows: the 2016 red is noted as "2026/2046," and the 2016 white as "2021-2036." The Pessac-Léognan producers' body describes the Domaine de Chevalier red as one of the region's leading classified growths and the white as ranking among the world's great dry white wines.

• The estate's own note on the 2023 red: 'a complex and spicy nose of great finesse' and 'immediate and silky fullness,' approachable in 7-10 years, built to age 12-20 years
• The estate's own note on the 2023 white: 'intense fruity brilliance, elegant and very complex,' with citrus, spring white flowers and concentrated white fruit
• Specific drinking windows given by the estate include the 2016 red ('2026/2046') and the 2016 white ('2021-2036')
• The Pessac-Léognan producers' association describes the Domaine de Chevalier red as among the appellation's leading classified growths and the white as one of the world's great dry whites

Primary sources (producer's own site): https://www.domainedechevalier.com/en/domaine, https://www.domainedechevalier.com/en/the-terroir, https://www.domainedechevalier.com/en/harvest, https://www.domainedechevalier.com/en/the-first-wine, https://www.domainedechevalier.com/en/lesprit-de-chevalier, https://www.domainedechevalier.com/en/other-family-properties, https://www.domainedechevalier.com/en/contact. Secondary sources: Syndicat des Vins de Pessac-Léognan (nos-chateaux profile), Decanter (wine review page, tasting note paywalled), Wine Spectator (wine detail page, rating paywalled). Last verified 2026-09-08. Where the producer's site and a secondary source disagree, the producer's site governs. Spot something off? Submit a correction to the estate directly via its contact page.