Picture this: You knock on the door of a prestigious Bordeaux Château, in Pessac-Léognan to be exact, asking: “can you make us a wine no one else will have?”

What would they say? A flat-out “no”, or “it depends?”

That’s basically what we did, and they said the latter. Here’s the thing.

They just leased a property next door called Château Soubian. The grapes are prime. And they agreed to assemble a wine in the same style as their Grand Vin, with the same tender love and care.

But it would cost us dearly, no? That Grand Vin fetches well over $100 per bottle!

Well, if you take ALL, you can get away with about $35.

And that’s the story of how this Wine Spies Exclusive came about.

And in all honesty, side by side, it’s really, really hard to tell the difference in quality, sparing the subtle nuances in aroma and flavor. Yes, the one that got 97 points from Wine Advocate, Vinous, Dunnuck, and Suckling. To be clear, THIS IS NOT A SECOND WINE. Second to none, showing astoundingly well. Cut off the exact same cloth that Wine Advocate describes as “a masterclass in what contemporary Bordeaux can deliver, and worth a special effort to seek out.”

The catch? Zero press. For all practical purposes, it barely exists. Except, it’s in our glasses. Pretty much the same blend as sister Domaine de Chevalier, about 2/3 Cabernet Sauvignon, and 1/3 Merlot, with the same oak regimen, about half new every vintage. Speaking of, per Wine Advocate again “the 2019 vintage has turned out brilliantly in Bordeaux” so you can BANK on this, as you would with Domaine de Chevalier, the 3rd highest rated Pessac after Haut-Brion ($600+) and La Mission Haut-Brion ($400+).

Brilliant deep ruby, the bouquet is very intense with multilayered blackberry, blueberry, crème de cassis, and subtle black olives, ripe on the palate too, with quite firm velvety tannins. The acidity keeps everything in check and the remarkably long finish demonstrates wonderful tension. With a venison burger and duck fat fries, it’s guaranteed to give you a joyride.

Back to Wine Advocate to point out the pedigree here, Domaine de Chevalier “is at the top of its game today, and the 2019 vintage is a striking success… Olivier Bernard and his team, in short, are to be congratulated for ushering in a new golden age at an estate that produces one of Bordeaux’s most singular and characterful wines.”

If that’s the case, this MUST be the best-kept-secret in Pessac, too bad it was a tiny batch. Trust your Agents on this one!