Tasted blind at the Valandraud vertical at the property, the 1998 Valandraud has a sweet ripe bouquet with scents of dark berries, salted licorices, tobacco and cedar that is very intense and powerful. The palate is...
Tasted blind at the Valandraud vertical at the property, the 1998 Valandraud has a sweet ripe bouquet with scents of dark berries, salted licorices, tobacco and cedar that is very intense and powerful. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin. Bizarrely, it almost seems Left Bank in style with cedar and tobacco notes infusing the black fruit, the mintiness suggesting a Pauillac! I love the drive here, the focus and the slight aloofness, a wine that demands respect and is worthy of it. What a great 1998: elegant yet intense, classy yet approachable. I envisage this offering another 10-15 years of drinking pleasure. Tasted December 2016. - Neal Martin