| Region | |
|---|---|
| Subregion | France > Bordeaux > Right Bank > St Emilion |
| Colour | Red |
| Type | Still |
Valandraud is painstakingly hand made in new, mainly Seguin Moreau, oak barrels by the guru of the garagistes Jean-Luc Thunevin and his wife Murielle. First produced in 1991 (just 1900 bottles) with the help of Ausone's Alain Vauthier, this was the first of the "Garage Wines" of Saint Emilion and is still the benchmark by which all others are judged. Previously seen as an "outsider", Valandraud was awarded Premier Grand Cru Classé status in the 2012 classification of the wines of Saint Emilion.
The 2017 Valandraud is very deep in colour. The nose is very intense with black cherries, blueberry, fig jam and black olive compote, nicely defined but perhaps intending to close down for two or three years. The palate is medium-bodied with supple, fleshy tannins. There is a mixture of red and black fruit laced with black pepper and truffle, sweet and velvety towards the precocious finish that you might mistake for a 2018. Very sensual, but afford it several year in bottle. Drink 2025-2045.
Intense, ripe dark plums and berries with graphite and stones, as well as fresh, cedary oak. This has powerful yet very seamless and intense fruit presence with a very concentrated array of ripe dark plums and rich, assertive fruit, which builds smoothly on the finish. Impressive poise here. A blend of 90% merlot, 7% cabernet franc and 3% cabernet sauvignon. Try from 2025.
The deep garnet-purple colored 2017 Valandraud gives up crushed blackcurrants, chocolate-covered cherries and espresso on the nose with hints of licorice, tar and smoked meats. The palate is medium-bodied with a solid frame of ripe, sweet tannins and just enough freshness to contain the bombastic fruit, finishing long and berry-laced.
They have done a very good job of finessing this wine while still remaining true to their new philosophy of turning the volume down from 11. A highly enjoyable wine with genuine juiciness through the mid-palate, with the most beautifully fleshy texture of raspberry and blackberry. A touch of sweetness at the close of play makes this extremely appetising, and this is without doubt an excellent Valandraud.
Drinking Window 2025 - 2038
Very dark, black core. Sweet and perfumed, rich in black fruit and a hint of violets supported by oak's sweet spice. Full in the mouth, compact tannins but lots of fruit at the core. Dense and generous at the same time. Needs plenty of time.
Drink 2024-2035
Frost reduced the production in 2017 to 2500 cases (25% down) as 2 of the 9 hectares were affected. The blend is 90% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc. As deep as usual this year, almost black and opaque in the glass. The nose is one of Turkish coffee, sweet vanilla, liquorice and damson. The palate follows, with a very dense, rich and extracted core of sweet fruits. The tannins, however, are not as heavy as in some years, and the fresh acidity of the vintage serves to freshen the palate. There is lots of toast and wood smoke here, and it is mouthcoating, chewy and extracted - but it is critically in balance. This is modern and powerful, but well-managed and impressive.
Rich and ripe the fruit is sweet the nose has depth the palate a rich mix of mainly black fruits. Fine tannins underpin with the ripe fruit giving richness at the back the finish is lighter with minty freshness 2025-37
Not surprisingly, given its statistics, this is a huge wine made, seemingly, from titanium girders and some massively perfumed oak, but there is also a lot of fruit here to feast on. Showy and demonstrative and very impactful, this flavour takes one’s breath away, but it is, remarkably, in balance, unlike other monster-sized wines.
The 2017 Valandraud was 30% impacted by the frost on the lower reaches of vines, which were either deselected into the troisième vin or sold off. The wine was picked from 10 October and then sporadically over the next week, relatively late. It is matured in 100% new oak as usual. It has a very intense, voluptuous bouquet with layers of crème de cassis, boysenberry and blueberry fruit, a little glossier than I was anticipating, what you might call a “ravishing” nose. The palate is full-bodied with saturated tannin, rounded in texture with layers of black cherry, blueberry and cassis fruit. This is a bold Valandraud that shrugs off the effects of the frost and goes full-throttle towards the finish whilst maintaining sufficient freshness and tension that it never palls in the mouth. Drink 2022-2042.
Lots of beautiful blueberry and blackberry fruits here. Medium to full body, round and very polished tannins and a flavorful finish. Wet-earth undertones. Velvety mouthfeel at the end.
