Bernard, who has presided over Chevalier for most of his adult life, recently snapped up 15ha of land in the Bordeaux region, to be extended to 25ha, that is currently cleared and awaiting planting. He is also on the brink of signing for another 18ha of uncleared land, planted with pines, and is aware of another 20ha plot for sale.

The plan is to slowly incorporate the 25ha plot into the neighbouring Château de la Solitude, to increase production at the property. Some of the grapes from the young vines will be used in the second wine of Château de la Solitude, but will not go into Domaine de Chevalier.

‘When the vines age, the grapes will hopefully go into the first wine of Château de la Solitude’, Bernard told Decanter.com.

Keen to focus his attention on red, only 15% of the vines in the new plot will be planted with white grapes, due to the difficulty of selling the wines after a few years.

‘Too much white is not good’, Bernard told Decanter in an interview in the December issue.

‘The 2008 Chevalier is still saleable, but not the 2005: it’s too old to sell’.

The December issue of Decanter goes on sale November 3.