In the Spring of 2016, I travelled all over Bordeaux with a group of colleagues for the annual en primeur tastings; a preview of the 2015 wines. I'm going to tell you now what we were telling each other back then: the 2015 Domaine de Chevalier is the wine of the vintage. Dollar for dollar, pound for pound, from the complexity of the flavors to the elegance in the glass, the 2015 Chevalier outshone its first and second growth Bordeaux colleagues, many at more than four times the price. No other Cabernet came close in our minds.

We all ordered cases for our personal collections upon return. We still talk about the wine to this day. Hence, when I saw five cases available direct from the domaine earlier this year, I jumped all over them. They've now arrived and quantities are scarce, but we have a few cases in both the Pasadena and Sherman Oaks locations at the moment.

What makes the 2015 Domaine de Chevalier so special? I'll do my best to succinctly explain.

2015 Domaine de Chevalier, Pessac-Léognan $99.99

First off, Domaine de Chevalier has been owned and farmed by Oliver Bernard since 1982 when he bought the property. His family's commitment to excellence over the last four decades has been widely documented. Vinous's Antonio Galloni remarked in 2014: "Olivier Bernard owns one of the crown jewels of Bordeaux, as these wines clearly make evident."

Second, Chevalier's terroir is completely unique in that it's one single square block, rather than a winding network of vineyards or series of parcels. It's a contained and isolated ecosystem that, as Oliver once told me, "is free from outside contamination." It's actually known by many as "the secret garden," as it's planted in the middle of a forest that protects it from extreme weather.

The result is an early-ripening cabernet that's often as aromatic as it is finessed, defined by mineral notes and hints of graphite—the calling card of the Graves—with light accents of pepper and spice. The 2015 Domaine de Chevalier holds a very special place in my heart, but you can read the reviews on the product page to see that I'm far from alone. Do not miss this bottle.

-David Driscoll