90 -92 points,

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, April 1996

Readers will no doubt argue over which of the 1994 and 1995 vintages is superior. The 1994 appears to possess more focus and tannin. The 1995 looks to be sweeter, riper, and more ostentatious. Both wines are extremely rich and concentrated. They can be drunk when released or cellared for 10-15 years.

94 -96 points,

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, February 1997

Valandraud is one of the most interesting stories in Bordeaux. The wine is made from an unheralded terroir owned by the young, obsessive/compulsive, exuberantly passionate Monsieur Thunevin. He produces a Bordeaux from tiny yields and ripe fruit, ages it in 100% new oak, and refuses to fine or filter prior to bottling. Sadly, Valandraud has become the darling of speculators, largely because of (1) its fabulous quality, and (2) its limited production. There were only 4,200 bottles produced in 1993, 8,998 in 1994, and 11,400 in 1995. It is easy to criticize the outrageous prices this wine fetches, but lunatic speculators aside, Valandraud symbolizes what can be done in Bordeaux when the limits of quality are pushed to the maximum, and the advice of most oenologists (who for nearly three decades have encouraged too much fining and filtering) is ignored. The only question I have concerning Valandraud is: will this wine, when fully mature, live up to its extraordinary promise? The 1995 Valandraud appears to be an awesome example of this vintage. It has evolved splendidly and filled out since I tasted it in 1996. Now revealing sweeter tannin, better integration of new oak, and masses of hugely-extracted, ripe black-cherry and cassis fruit, this massive yet well-focused and delineated wine cascades over the palate with no hard edges. Crammed with fruit, glycerin, and sweet tannin, this black beauty will be more approachable than the harder 1994. Anticipated maturity: 2001-2030.

95 points,

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, February 1998

This splendid Valandraud ranks with the finest wines proprietor Jean-Luc Thunevin has produced since his debut 1991 vintage. The wine exhibits an opaque purple color, and a sensational nose of roasted herbs, black fruits (cherries, currants, and blackberries), and high class toasty oak (the latter component is more of a nuance than a dominant characteristic). Very concentrated, with layers of fruit, glycerin, and extract, yet seamlessly constructed, this wine contains the stuff of greatness, and appears to be the finest Valandraud yet produced. The finish lasts for over 30 seconds. The wine's high tannin is barely noticeable because of the ripeness and richness of fruit. Anticipated maturity: 2003-2020.

95 points,

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, January 1998

The 1995 Valandraud appears to be an awesome example of this vintage. It has evolved splendidly and filled out since I tasted it in 1996. Now revealing sweeter tannin, better integration of new oak, and masses of hugely-extracted, ripe black-cherry and cassis fruit, this massive yet well-focused and delineated wine cascades over the palate with no hard edges. Crammed with fruit, glycerin, and sweet tannin, this black beauty will be more approachable than the harder 1994. Anticipated maturity: 2001-2030. Last tasted 11/97

95 points,

Stephen Tanzer's IWC, June 1998

Superb, saturated dark ruby color. Knockout aromas of black raspberry, smoked duck and suave, smoky oak. Thick, sweet and velvety in the mouth; the fruit explodes with aeration, saturating those hard-to-reach places in the mouth. Really fabulous sweetness. A slightly roasted note suggests great ripeness (though I recall Thunevin telling me two years ago that this wine could have been even greater had he waited another few days to harvest!). Ultrasuave tannins are buried in a wave of fruit. One of the longest finishes of the vintage. Purists may argue that a wine like this cannot possible match such '95s as Latour or Margaux or Petrus for terroir character or class, but few wines can match the '95 Valandraud for sheer hedonistic pleasure. 95 points

93 points,

Wine Spectator, January 1998

In-your-face red with lots of character. New wave Bordeaux. Best Valandraud yet. Dark in color, with complex aromas of berry, violet and new wood. Full in body, with velvety tannins and a long aftertaste of vanilla, coffee and cherries. Best after 2000. 950 cases made. (JS)

About Winery

Château de Valandraud was one of the first Garagiste wines with its inaugural vintage being the difficult 1991. Jean-Luc and Murielle Thunevin own a mere 2.7 hectares of vineyards which consist of 4 separate parcels and are planted with 75% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 5% Malbec. De Valandraud's yields are pitifully low and the grapes are de-stemmed by hand before being fermented in 2 open-top fermenting vessels. Malolactic fermentation takes place in oak barrels and the wine is matured in "200%" new oak barriques for 18 months (two sets of new barrels for 9 months each). De Valandraud produces only about 400 cases a year and, not surprisingly, this very rich and concentrated St-Emilion is now one of the most sought-after wines in Bordeaux.

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