1991 Valandraud
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Tasting notes
Tasted blind at the Valandraud vertical at the property, the debut 1991 Valandraud had a slight degradation on the rim with a russet colored core. The bouquet is very pleasant, still fresh and delineated with degraded red berry fruit, leather, dried blood and a touch of chestnut. The palate is fully matured with soft tannin held up by the acidity. It feels loose-knit, a little "saggy" on the mid-palate where I am sure it once had focus and delineation, and it gently fades to a rather austere and earthy finish. It is certainly not undrinkable by a long stretch, although now the aromatics have more to offer than the palate. For a 25-year-old Saint Emilion, it deserves a polite round of applause, though I would consume remaining bottles in the near future. Tasted December 2016.
Critic scores
Average Score
Robert Parker
Neal Martin
More reviews and scores
The 1991 is exceptionally oaky, with the wood dominating the moderate quantities of sweet ripe fruit. Although it is a good wine, it is preposterously overpriced vis a vis its quality. Wine Advocate.February, 1994
Tasted blind at the Valandraud vertical at the property, the debut 1991 Valandraud had a slight degradation on the rim with a russet colored core. The bouquet is very pleasant, still fresh and delineated with degraded red berry fruit, leather, dried blood and a touch of chestnut. The palate is fully matured with soft tannin held up by the acidity. It feels loose-knit, a little "saggy" on the mid-palate where I am sure it once had focus and delineation, and it gently fades to a rather austere and earthy finish. It is certainly not undrinkable by a long stretch, although now the aromatics have more to offer than the palate. For a 25-year-old Saint Emilion, it deserves a polite round of applause, though I would consume remaining bottles in the near future. Tasted December 2016. Mar 2017, www.robertparker.com
About the producer
One of the first garage wines, Ch. Valandraud was created by Jean-Luc Thunevin – Saint-Emilion’s “bad boy”. Today the style of the wine is much more restrained, and officially classified as a Premier Grand Cru Classé B estate.