Ripe and seriously fragranced on the nose, heady and inviting. A bit more strict and tight than the 2015, plenty of juice, but this has tension and is constricted a little bit by the frame and the saltiness. 2015 is more expressive, this is quiet and still hiding a little. Lovely form and structure, you can feel the sinew and the construction, graceful and shining. It's absolutely gorgeous, the clarity and the purity really transport you, beautiful, impressive, charming and characterful. Needs more time but with a good airing you could enjoy this today. I like the delicacy to the tannins, the integration with the fruit and the edges of sweet and savoury spice as well as the estate minerality underneath. Feels compelling. A fabulous wine. 5% Petit Verdot completes the blend.

Aromas of blackberries, red and dark plums, cedar and gravel, as well as red flowers and brown-leaf tea. It offers a very sleek and powerful array of ripe dark fruit and a very plush, focused and elegant bed of fresh, fine and powerful tannins. Plenty of aging potential, this is still quite tight. A blend of 55 per cent cabernet sauvignon, 35 per cent merlot, five per cent cabernet franc and five per cent petit verdot. Try from 2024.

As to the reds, the 2016 Domaine de Chevalier is a blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, and the balance Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc that saw an extended maceration, malo in barrel, and 18 months in just 35% new French oak. This deep purple-hued beauty boasts a powerful bouquet of tobacco smoke, damp earth, gravelly, rocky minerality, wood smoke, and loads of dark fruits. Full-bodied, deep, concentrated yet incredibly elegant and seamless on the palate, it’s a legendary Chevalier in the making. While I rated this as high as 99 points on one of the four separate occasions I was able to taste it, I’m being conservative with the score. it has some upfront charm but needs 4-5 years of cellaring and will keep for 3-4 decades.

There is a depth of color and an even better depth of flavor. Smoke a Cohiba Behike in a fruit orchard and you get the idea of the perfume. On the palate, there are layers of elegant, silky textured fruits with sweetness, purity and richness. The finish keeps on going. The wine here is known for aging, so give it 12 years or more before opening a bottle and drink over the next 20-25 years, at least! There is no doubt, this is the finest vintage of Domaine de Chevalier Rouge ever produced, although the 2018 could be even better in the years to come!

(96+ points) The 2016 Domaine de Chevalier Rouge is deep garnet-purple in color. It is a little closed to begin, soon unfurling to offer profound notes of baked plums, boysenberry preserves, and blueberry compote, plus touches of garrigue, smoked meats, and oolong tea. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is laden with rich black fruits, framed by plush tannins and seamless freshness, finishing long and fragrant. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown

This elegant wine wears its firm tannic structure lightly. It is densely textured, just starting on its road to maturity. Black-plum and berry fruits give the wine its weight as much as the tannins. It will age well over many years. Drink from 2026.

The core of fruit flavor here is sappy and dense, with lots of kirsch, raspberry pâte de fruit and plum reduction notes, yet this stays fresh and racy overall, with a bright iron spine, flashes of tea and tobacco and a long finish that shows a wonderful infusion of alder and tobacco flavors. Offers a lovely combination of prodigious fruit details, with a tug of earth. Best from 2024 through 2038. 12,000 cases made. — JM

94+ The 2016 Domaine de Chevalier is a blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot and 5% Cabernet Franc. Deep garnet-purple colored, it rocks up with expressive warm plums, blueberry compote and cassis scents with suggestions of sandalwood, baking spices and potpourri. Medium-bodied and delicately styled yet with a rock-solid frame of grainy tannins, it sports restrained earth-laced fruit and a long finish. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown