Clos des Lunes Lune d`Argent Bordeaux AOC 2023

Domaine de Chevalier is one of the best estates in Pessac-Léognan. In the classification of wines of the Graves appellation of 1953 and 1959, the estate's wines were included among the Crus Classes. Domaine de Chevalier is located in the commune of Léognan, 17 km south of Bordeaux, and is one of the few Bordeaux estates referred to as Domaine instead of Château ("Domaine" is more commonly found in Burgundy). The origins of Domaine de Chevalier can be traced back to 1763, as evidenced by a map of the region drawn by Pierre de Belleyme. The land at that time belonged to a certain Chibaley or Chivaley, which meant "knight" in the Gascon dialect, producing about 13,500 liters of wine per year. The name "Chivaley" is believed to be associated with an old pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela, which still borders the estate. One of the aspects that makes Chevalier unique is how the estate achieved fame in a relatively short period compared to most great Bordeaux producers, who took several centuries to reach such status. In 1852, Domaine de Chevalier was acquired by Arnaud and Jean Ricard. Jean is credited with creating the Chevalier known today, and thanks to Claude Ricard, the estate gained international recognition. The Ricards did a lot for the estate: they restored the vineyard, introduced the practice of vinification in new barrels, and paid great attention to the timing and process of harvesting. In 1983, the estate passed to their relatives, the Bernard family, who previously specialized in the sale of brandy. However, Claude Ricard remained a consultant to the estate for many years. The Bernard family expanded the vineyards and revised aspects of viticulture, and since then, the estate has changed both internally and externally, with some buildings in the complex being restored. Today, the estate is managed by Olivier Bernard, whose philosophy is a constant pursuit of quality. The vineyard soils are gravelly, containing sand, with good drainage, making them ideal for grape growing. The estate owns 80 hectares of land, 38 of which are vineyards (5 hectares are planted with white varieties). The average age of the vines is 25 years. The white varieties consist of 30% Semillon and 70% Sauvignon Blanc; the red varieties are represented by 65% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Merlot, with the remainder being 2.5% Cabernet Franc and 2.5% Petit Verdot. The harvested grapes undergo strict sorting, and the white varieties are hand-picked over several passes. Vinification is conducted under the guidance of experienced enologists. The white wines of the estate have excellent characteristics, with notes of spices, passion fruit, vanilla, grapefruit, and pear. They are very soft, fresh, and have good acidity. The red wines are elegant and rich with notes of sweet ripe plum, black currant, smokiness, coal, and cranberry. They are perfectly balanced and have an unmistakable structure.