2010 Virginie de Valandraud
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Tasting notes
The 2010 Château Valandraud Virginie De Valandraud offers mature notes of currants, tobacco, loamy earth, and leather. Medium to full-bodied, round, and voluptuous on the palate, it’s upfront, ready to go, and best enjoyed over the coming 5-7 years. Drink 2025-2032.
Critic scores
Average Score
Robert Parker
Jancis Robinson MW
More reviews and scores
Dark blackish crimson. Very warm and welcoming nose that is clean and piercing. Then some freshness and real life. The fruit almost hides the tannins. Dry finish. (JR)
Bright ruby-red. Blackberry, black raspberry, licorice, mocha and espresso on the sexy nose and palate. Plush, sweet, creamy and superripe but with adequate acidity, subtle crushed-stone minerality and substantial sweet tannins giving shape to this seamless wine. Excellent for this bottling. With 24 hours in the recorked bottle, this showed lovely ripe, harmonious acidity. Somehow, this wine shows more consistent ripeness than many second wines from top Medoc chateaux.
Two of the best efforts I have tasted from Jean-Luc Thunevin, the 2010 Virginie de Valandraud (A 2,500-case blend of 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Franc) has loads of chocolaty black raspberry fruit intermixed with some currants, crushed rock, subtle smoke and white chocolate. This is a sexy, up-front beauty to drink over the next 10-15 years.
About the producer
One of the first garage wines, Ch. Valandraud was created by Jean-Luc Thunevin – Saint-Emilion’s “bad boy”. Today the style of the wine is much more restrained, and officially classified as a Premier Grand Cru Classé B estate.