2003 Valandraud Bordeaux Blend
Reviews of 2003 Valandraud Bordeaux Blend
93 points, Robert Parker, Wine Advocate
April 2006
The home property of Jean-Luc Thunevin, the inspirational spirit for Bordeaux’s garagiste movement, is Valandraud. The 2003 is a full-bodied, powerful St.-Emilion offering up notes of espresso roast, chocolate, sweet currants and cherries, and hints of minerals as well as cedar. Expressive and pure, with copious tannins lurking behind the cascade of fruit and glycerin, this wine requires 2-4 years of bottle age, and should drink well for two decades or more.
92 points, Stephen Tanzer
June 2006
($249) Impressive ruby-red color. Lively aromas of violet, mint and licorice, further lifted by a mineral component. Sweet, silky and nicely delineated, with little of the roasted aspect of the year. (The pH is a reasonable 3.7 without acidification, says Jean-Luc Thunevin.) Finishes with lovely sweetness and thickness (the wine is close to 15% alcohol), with a layer of sweet tannins saturating the palate. This would be better for a few years of patience and should last for a couple of decades. 92 points
93 points, Wine Spectator
March 2006
Intense aromas of blackberry, chocolate and spice. Full-bodied, with firm tannins and loads of fruit. Long. Spicy and chewy. This has guts. Structured. Best after 2010. 1,000 cases made. –JS
About 2003 Valandraud Bordeaux Blend
About the Winery Valandraud
"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."
About the Wine
"Valandraud, made in St.-Emilion by Jean-Luc Thunevin, is an archetypal garage wine. It began as a small production wine in the early 1990s, made from grapes grown in a less than outstanding part of St.-Emilion (part of it was formerly a vegetable garden) and produced by an unknown winemaker who literally fermented and aged the wine in his garage. Valandraud was made in a glitzy, new-wave style -- big, rich, soft and oaky."
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