2004 Valandraud Virginie De Valandraud
FRANCE / BORDEAUX / SAINT-ÉMILION
- 87 WS
- 91 IWC
- 80 JR
- Variety
Red Bordeaux Blend
See all wines from Château Valandraud
Out of stock
International Wine Cellar | Rating: 91
(features a higher-than-usual 80% merlot, as Jean-Luc Thunevin found the merlot to be more complete than the cabernet franc and sold off some of the franc) Bright red-ruby. Knockout nose combines black raspberry, minerals, violet and mocha. Sweet, lush and fat, with flavors similar to the aromas. Structured and serious wine, with firm tannins reaching the front teeth.Author: Stephen TanzerIssue: May/June 2005Jancis Robinson | Rating:
Deep crimson - looks healthier than Thunevin's lesser St Emilions. Ripe aromas. A little forced and skinny on the palate. Deep and dark and rather brutal. Lots of harsh tannins. Very drying, slightly hollow finish.Author: Jancis RobinsonWine Spectator | Rating: 87
Very attractive blackberry and plum aromas. Full-bodied, with good fruit and lots of new wood and chewy tannins. Slightly hollow midpalate.Author: James Suckling
Self | Rating: 17
Young wine, decanted 2 hours. Deep dark fruits cherry, wood and stable. Very much extract. Very good food at this time but needs at least 5 more years to shine.Drink Dates: 2014-2020Author: cinnamon
The proprietors of this estate, husband and wife team Jean-Luc Thunevin and Murielle Andraud, first found success as wine merchants in the St. Emilion area in the early 1980s. Their long-term goal was to own and produce wine from their own vineyards, and in 1989 they took a first step with the purchase of a small parcel in St. Emilion. They have continued to acquire miniscule plots, slowly adding to their holdings, which now total 5.5 acres. The first vintage was produced in 1991, with vineyard management and winemaking done by hand to best preserve fruit quality. This strong commitment to a highly involved winemaking process, as well as help from consultant Alain Vauthier, co-owner of Ausone, results in a wine of extraordinary texture, concentration and balance.
"The creation of Jean-Luc Thunevin, the de facto leader of the St. Emilion vin de garage movement, Valandraud is unquestionably Bordeaux's finest success story to date. The craze for Valandraud is such that it fetches prices equal, if not superior, to those of the first growths." - Robert Parker
"The creation of Jean-Luc Thunevin, the de facto leader of the St. Emilion vin de garage movement, Valandraud is unquestionably Bordeaux's finest success story to date. The craze for Valandraud is such that it fetches prices equal, if not superior, to those of the first growths." - Robert Parker
Collector Data For This Wine
- 43 bottles owned
- 4 collectors
- Average collector rating: 85
(Out of 4 collectors)