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The Wine Cellar Insider: Black currants, tobacco, red fruits and smoke hit the spot in the aromatics. Medium-bodied, fresh, and refined, there is a nice vibrancy, coupled with a light touch of chalk in the finish that really works well here. You can enjoy this with pleasure on release while waiting for the Grand Vin to develop. The blend is 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, and 5% Petit Verdot. Drink from 2028-2040."
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James Suckling: A very fine red with aromas of berries, fresh herbs and tomato leaves. Medium-bodied with bright acidity and a fine tannin quality. Some chocolate. Only 12.5% alcohol."
92
Decanter: Raspberry and cool blue fruit presage a mini version of the Grand Vin, so more of those powerful tannins with some high-toned redberry fruit, and pleasing mid palate juiciness.The wine has a savoury aspect with notes of damp soil after rainfall. Medium finish."
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Wine Advocate: The 2025 L'Esprit de Chevalier, a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot, reveals a notably expressive bouquet for the estate, with aromas of cassis, raspberry, spice and flowers. Medium- to full-bodied, juicy and round, it shows a touch of firmness, with extraction that is somewhat marked at this stage. The finish is structured but not drying, preserving balance."
90
Jane Anson: Sweet cassis and bilberry, attractive texture, juice and depth, touch of dilution through the mid palate but there is balance here, and it is charming."
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Jeb Dunnuck: Based on 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, and 5% Petit Verdot, with yields of 34 hectoliters per hectare, the 2025 L'Esprit De Chevalier offers ripe currants, black cherries, dried herbs, tobacco, and saddle leather. Checking in at 12.5% alcohol with a pH of 3.67, it’s medium-bodied, nicely balanced, and has ripe yet firmer tannins as well as a clean, lengthy finish. It’s an incredibly satisfying, complex Graves in the making."
