Château Valandraud Saint-Emilion 2018 - 1er Grand Cru Classé B

Decanter

About the wine:

From the very first nose, we discover greedy, polished fruit. This is an accomplished, powerful Valandraud, offering seductive, attractive notes of burnt caramel and pencil lead against rich black cherry and plum fruit. Full maturity through to the finish, with lovely concentration of fruit. This is a great wine, confident and sure to please. (2026 - 2042)

Guide Hachette des vins

About the wine:

Aged for 2 years in barrel, this cru assumes its richness and virile constitution. But the quest for substance is matched by unstoppable smoothness, luscious notes of perfectly ripe black fruit and great freshness. The tannins are solid, silky and superbly interwoven, revealing great mastery and application. An assertive style for a bottle you can trust.

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

About the domain :

RVF - La Revue du Vin de France / Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France

About the wine:

A hint of truffle, roasted notes, mocha, toast and undergrowth... It's all the ardor of Thunevin winemaking that makes up this vintage. Warm as hell, with slightly sticky tannins.

About the domain :

"Created from scratch by Jean-Luc Thunevin and his wife, Muriel, in the early 1990s, Valandraud is a tremendous success story, as only the right bank social elevator can offer in Bordeaux. Built from one hectare of vines in Saint-Emilion, the estate now covers 10 hectares in the commune of Saint-Etienne-de-Lisse, and has become one of the most expensive and sought-after estates in Bordeaux. The strong character of its owner and, above all, his keen sense of commerce have a lot to do with it. But today, it's the contents of the Valandraud bottle that have fans of this astonishing exotic wine running wild, sensual at birth and also evolving very well. Once the leader of the garage wine movement, Valandraud is no longer as big as it once was. However, the methods have not changed; the vineyard remains one of the best tended in Bordeaux, and the wine continues to benefit from all the expertise of Jean-luc Thunevin."

Yves Beck

About the wine:

Château Valandraud still has that woody note from the outset, but as the vintages go by, it becomes more balanced. It is complemented, and surpassed, by nuances of dark berries. The richness of flavor on the palate is ideally underscored and supported by sharp, chiseled acidity that lends ardor, while the suave, fine-grained tannins surprise with their ability to impart power. This wine reveals itself very slowly on the palate, like many great wines in 2019. What energy, power and sapidity. When you manage to switch from charm to boldness, sweetness becomes energizing! This is certainly one of the greatest Valandrauds of the last ten years. (2026 - 2049)

Jean-Marc Quarin

About the wine:

Dark, intense purple color. Very aromatic nose, both subtle and powerful. Smooth on the attack, rich and full in the mid-palate, complex too, the wine gains deep nuances on the finish, with taste and a meticulous woody touch. A very good wine.

Vert de Vin

About the wine:

The nose is elegant, racy and beautifully conducted, offering power, fine grain and a velvety finish. Notes of wild blackcurrant, blackberry, violet and, more lightly, fleshy berries are combined with hints of raspberry, cherry blossom, nutmeg, tonka bean, pepper, blond tobacco, a discreet hint of saffron (in the background) and toast. Fresh, fruity and balanced on the palate, with a juicy/fine-acid structure, minerality, fine grain, structure, definition, power and aromatic purity. On the palate, this wine expresses notes of pulpy/juicy blackcurrant, juicy blackberry with a hint of violet, juicy/sparkling blueberry, juicy raspberry combined with hints of juicy/fresh redcurrant, lilac, lily, as well as hints of chocolate/tonka bean, toast, nutmeg, cardamom, blond tobacco, a discreet hint of Sichuan pepper, an imperceptible touch of saffron, coffee and bourbon vanilla bean. The tannins are beautifully fine and supple. A wine full of delicacy and sensitivity! We congratulate you!

Anthocyanes - Yohan Castaing

About the wine:

Clearly on the side of wood, Château Valandraud 2018 impresses with its dense, complex nose. On the palate, the density is present, the structuring tannins are still young and the marked acidity helps to stretch the whole. However, the wine remains a little marked by wood, a sensation that should be erased with age. Drink by 2038.