An intensely perfumed wine, this is rich and full bodied. Tropical fruits, ripe mango and apricot flavors are cut with acidity and a taut mineral edge.
Reviews:
- Wine Enthusiast: An intensely perfumed wine, this is rich and full bodied. Tropical fruits, ripe mango and apricot flavors are cut with acidity and a taut mineral edge. This wine will be best when the fruit is less intense, so wait until 2020. Roger Voss
- Andreas Larsson: Pure, fresh with waxy yellow fruit, confit de citron, bone dry, fresh and pure with good layers and a fresh and long finish.
Producer Information
Château de Valandraud is a producer in Saint-Émilion classified as Premier Grand Cru Classé B. The Merlot-dominant grand vin is part of a relatively large portfolio which includes a number of red wines made from the classic Bordeaux blend, as well as a couple of white wines made from Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon. The estate was formed in 1989, when wine merchant Jean-Luc Thunevin and Murielle Andraud (who has been the fulltime winemaker since 2008) bought a 0.6-hectare (1.5-acre) plot of vines near Château Pavie Macquin. There are now 10 hectares (25 acres) of vines. Merlot is the predominant variety, followed by Cabernet Franc and small amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Carmenère. The 2ha (5 acres) planted to white varieties are split evenly between Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon and Sauvignon Gris. Château de Valandraud is regarded as one of Bordeaux’s pioneering “garagiste” wines, made in a richer, more international style than many other Bordeaux wines. It has attracted high prices in the region from the very beginning, despite its initial St Emilion Grand Cru status – a rather commonplace designation in this particular region. The wine came under the spotlight in 2002 when plastic sheeting was placed over 2ha of vines to protect from water damage, requiring a declassification to Vin de Table for that year. However, Valandraud’s sustained quality was officially recognised with an upgrade in the 2012 Saint-Émilion Classification to Premier Grand Cru Classé B.
