1995 Château Valandraud
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Tasting notes
This would have been made by Alain Vauthier before he took over Château Ausone, according to one of our number. It would have been a true 'garage wine' back then, before Jean-Luc Thunevin had a château to call his own. Transparent, loose and ready. Sweet and biscuity. Nice now but not for cellaring. (JR)
Critic scores
Robert Parker
Neal Martin
More reviews and scores
Tasted blind at the Valandraud vertical at the property, the 1995 Valandraud has a forward, fruit-driven, hedonistic bouquet with copious scents of kirsch, red plum, orange peel and blueberry with a smudge of alcohol just blurring the lines. The palate is medium-bodied with rounded and supple red fruit, nicely balanced and demonstrating more precision than the aromatics, finally reining in everything. The finish is clean and focused, quite powerful and with very good persistence, that edginess just beckoning you back for another sip. This has long been an excellent Valandraud from Jean-Luc and it will easily offer another 10-15 years of drinking pleasure. While the previous three vintages of Valandraud all punched above their weight, the 1995 is clearly a step up in quality. Tasted December 2016.
Dark and a very strange smell reminiscent of some food on a Swiss skiing holiday – – beetroot in mayonnaise? Not startlingly fresh. Bovril but there is some suggestion of fresh fruit at last! Vigour. (JR)
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.