Freddy R. Troya

9.7

Domaine de Chevalier Blanc 2023 – Pessac-Léognan, Grand Cru Classé de Graves. BDX, France 🇫🇷

Overview
A masterclass in precision and balance, delivering crystalline clarity and architectural tension from a Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon blend. Layered citrus, stone fruit, and mineral tones unfold with seamless flow, showing absolute control from entry through the finish. Everything feels calibrated, pure, and intentional, a wine that operates at peak efficiency without excess weight or distraction.

Aromas & Flavors
Lime zest, white grapefruit, green pear, white peach, crushed chalk, wet stone, subtle white flowers, faint almond cream and whispering oak spice.

Mouthfeel
Medium-bodied yet remarkably concentrated, laser-focused acidity, perfectly knit texture, seamless mid-palate density, and a long, ultra-clean, high-definition finish that snaps into perfect alignment.

Food Pairings
Oysters with mignonette, scallop crudo, sushi and sashimi, turbot with beurre blanc, citrus-poached lobster, delicate herb-driven dishes.

Verdict
An elite reference-point white Bordeaux showcasing extraordinary precision, balance, and purity. The finish alone separates this from the pack, energetic, exact, and endlessly refined. A benchmark wine for understanding modern Pessac Blanc at its highest level.

🍷 Personal Pick
This is the kind of wine that makes you stop mid-sip and recalibrate your internal benchmark. Effortless power, surgical accuracy, and zero wasted movement l, pure elegance at full throttle. The Max Verstappen of whites: dominant, composed, and ruthlessly precise. — 6 days ago

Conrad Green

9.6

Gorgeous clarity. This is a great bottle. Clear and intense. Softened at the edges. Delicate lemon and stone. In really good shape and kinda haunting — a year ago

with Walker, Tony and 2 others

Lyle Fass

Founder Fass Selections

9.7

Just a hugely expressive nose of dark berry fruit and huge amounts of crushed granite. Blowing me away. Insane clarity. Exuberant minerality. Stunning depth. A 10.0 nose. Yes I said it. This is a no brainer 10.0 nose. Palate is a bit behind but it is all there. Such fine, elegant and refined tannins and unreal purity and length. The length is truly crazy. 2+ minute finish. Nose gets some bittersweet cocoa, some spice and confectionary florals. Wow. The finish is maybe 3+ minutes. Unreal concentration and just so nimble and pure. This is young obviously but needed to taste: Will follow throughout the day. This will get better. 9.7 for now.

The 7 hour update.

Nose is perfect melange of blueberry/blackberry and granite. Also a meatiness has developed. So detailed and just perfect. 10/10. No more notes.

Palate has softened a bit but still is tight! The will be a 40 year Beliando. Wow the texture is velvety and the tannins are big but refined. Much more mineral at the juncture. Loooonf finish. But it has lost some midpalate effect. Will try one more time before midnight. — 2 years ago

David Shaw

9.0

92/6/1/1 blend of Grenache Blanc, Roussane, Picpoul and Marsanne (back label), 625 cases made. Pale white, sparkling clarity. Orchard fruit and citrus in mouth - pear, orange, dried lemon, a hint of apricot. Dry, very slight seed bitterness, almost crisp. Not getting much in the way of aroma initially beyond a maybe for white floral, but it’s not Viognier either — 2 months ago

Conrad Green

9.7

Really great clarity and color. Do beautiful and complex. Plum and anise and roses and an absolutely gorgeous detailed long finish. Stunning — 5 months ago

with Peter and Gregg

Lyle Fass

Founder Fass Selections

9.5

Nose is all mid season red cherries, cherry flower and so so pure. Mulberry, cranberry bog and so much more. Lipstick like intensity and just so focused and clear. Insane nose. Unreal limestone and depth but also it’s like it’s vibrating on its own plain. Wow what a palate. Juicy and structured with just silly good cherry fruit of the early to mid season style and unreal clarity, focus and linearity. Unreal concentration and depth. So stunning and like a squeegee on the palate. Now some violets on the nose and unreal concentration and sorry but light and ethereal. Stunning beyond belief.After air it gets more supple and textured. All red fruit on the palate. — 2 years ago

Lyle Fass

Founder Fass Selections

9.6

Ridiculous Rhini! What a nose. Red cherries and berries galore. You can smell the density. Gorgeous soil and limestone tones. Unreal expansiveness and so so aromatic. Just a crazy nose that has so much breadth. The clarity, purity and pinosity are off the charts. Palate is tangy and tense and as usual at chez Ziereisen it needs mega air but the structural architecture is there. A very red fruited expression of Pinot which seems to be the new direction this estate’s Pinots are going in which I am here for. Lovely bitter herbals on the nose now. Great freshness and acidity but needs to fill out. It will. I’ll be back. Fruit getting sweeter with air that classic hidden Rhini structure. Now with air the nose is super spicy and complex . Herbal and spicey. Fruit is so much sweeter and is like a squeegee on the palate and clings to the palate. So clean on the backend. Huge quality change on day 2. Nose is denser and cleaner with rich cherry fruits, pine resin, black forest vibes and spice. Wow. A 9.7 nose today. Palate is elegant and dense with that unreal Rhini elegant yet substantial structure and crazy complexity. Big but very very fine tannins. 9.5 to 9.6 overnight. — 2 years ago

Conrad Green

9.6

Tangy and vivid. Punchy fruit plum and violets and rose with real clarity and intensity. Black pepper and vines taste. Very 2007. Loads of character. Great — 3 months ago

with Paul and Ara

David Shaw

9.2

Light yellow, excellent clarity, citrus and thyme aromas, flavors of sweet lemon, lime with minerals and an almost creamy finish. Lime aftertaste. Super crisp overall. Pair with food, ideally. — 9 months ago

Conrad Green

9.4

Dark and sweet and delicious. Gnarly deep fruit but a lifted clarity and deliciousness. Really good — 2 years ago

with Paul