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Domaine Olivier celebrates 40th anniversary with 2022 release
Domaine de Chevalier, the Grand Cru Classé de Graves, is celebrating it 40th vintage under its owner Olivier Bernard with a unique label for its 2022 vintage featuring the work of renowned Chinese artist Xu Bei Hong.
The new vintage is illustrated with Xu Bei Hong’s 1941 work, “Galloping Horse”, which the Domaine said symbolised “the vitality that is ever present at Domaine de Chevalier”.
“The controlled energy of this horse, which seems to leap out of the frame, perfectly represents the idea of an estate on the road to the future,” it said, while the usual design elements of the Domaine label highlighted its long-term approach to the heritage.
Olivier Bernard explained that in addition to his admiration for Xu Bei Hong himself, he felt “in tune with what this painting evokes, the idea of effort, of continuity, of what is clearly evident too, which underlies my presence at Chevalier.”
Xu Bei Hong, who studied at the Beaux-Arts de Paris for eight years, played a key role in bringing Western values to traditional painting techniques in China, pioneering an artistic revival by reconciling the Western approach to chiaroscuro with Chinese wash drawing and thereby promoting international cultural exchanges. He died in 1953.
The Bernard family acquired the estate in 1983 putting the then 23-year old Olivier in charge of its 18 hectares of vines. As well as retaining the existing winemaking team Bernard proceeded to double the size of the vineyards, with the acquisition of neighbouring plots in 1985, before embarking on a long-term replanting program between 1988 and 1995, driven by the pursuit of fruit purity and reflecting the terroir better. He also extended organic and biodynamic farming across the entire 67-hectare vineyard.
The 2022 vintage will be released during the upcoming en primeur week. It will be preceded by an exhibition of a collection of 40 double-magnums from 1983 to 2022 that trace the history of the Grand Cru Classé de Graves estate since its acquisition by Olivier’s father, Lucien Benard.
The Bordeaux-based Bernard Group comprises two merchant businesses – Millésima, which specialises in online sales, and Sobovi, a major player in international distribution.