2016 Valandraud
Buying options
Tasting Notes
Fantastic core of dark fruit with blackberries, blueberries, licorice and crushed stones. Full body, beautifully polished tannins and a long and energetic finish. Pinpoint. Superb. Mar 2017, www.jamessuckling.com
Critic Scores
Average Score
James Suckling
Wine Spectator
More reviews and scores
This has a display of drop-dead gorgeous raspberry, boysenberry and blackberry confiture flavors unfurling from its core, backed by flamboyant anise and black tea notes. It’s rich, polished and seriously long. And then there’s a light twinge of chalky finesse at the very, very end to keep it grounded. Apr 2017, James Molesworth, www.winespectator.com
Picked 10-20 October. Exceptionally deep purple. Real life to this with graphite and richness. Very sweet and fully ripe but with much less acid than most other wines. Tough minerally dried grape finish on which the acid shows itself. Very dry end. Dramatic. Apr 2017, www.jancisrobinson.com, Drink: 2024-2035
The 2016 Valandraud is fabulous. Rich, exotic and plush on the palate, it exudes raciness in all of its dimensions. Sweet toasted oak, crème de cassis, raspberry jam, spice and floral notes all run through the 2016. Even with all of its richness, it remains light on its feet for such a big wine, especially as it opens up in the glass. There is plenty of depth and concentration, that is for sure, but the 2016 also retains freshness as well as energy, with a good deal of tannin underpinning the fruit. Quite simply, this is a stellar Valandraud. Apr 2017, www.vinous.com
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.