2018 Virginie de Valandraud
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Tasting notes
Tasted blind. Very rich with biscuity, sweet oak on the nose. Drying finish and a little more cocoa flavour than the ideal. Highest average score of its flight! (JR)
Critic scores
Average Score
Jancis Robinson MW
Neal Martin
More reviews and scores
Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2018 Virginie de Valandraud comes barreling out of the glass with powerful scents of stewed black plums, Black Forest cake and blueberry preserves, plus hints of cedar chest, menthol and hoisin. The big, rich, full-bodied palate (15% declared alcohol) is still sporting a fair bit of oak, delivering a firm, grainy texture and just enough freshness, finishing long and spicy. Give it another 3-4 years in bottle for the oak to integrate and the generous fruit to fully emerge, then drink it over the next 15+ years.
The 2018 Virginie de Valandraud has a beautiful bouquet of very pure blackberry, raspberry and rose petal scents, very nuanced in style with neatly integrated oak. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, revealing touches of spicebox and dark chocolate on the entry before segueing into quite a structured middle and finish. Very focused and poised. This is a lovely, Virginie de Valandraud.
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.