2020 Chateau Valandraud 6000ml

99 POINTS

James Suckling

Very opulent and expressive aromas of black fruit and pine needles. So floral. Full-bodied with plush, velvety tannins and lots of fruit and texture. It goes on for minutes. Rich at the finish, but remains fresh and vivid. Superb. One of the great Valandrauds. Drink after 2027.

97 POINTS

Roger Voss - Wine Enthusiast

This 17-acre vineyard gives a wine with an explosion of black fruits. It offers sweetness balanced by acidity and impressive tannins. The wood aging gives a polished texture with richness and style in balance. Drink this wine from 2027.

97 POINTS

Roger Voss - Wine Enthusiast

96–98. Barrel Sample. This wine from the premier classé estate is seriously structured, dense and firm. At the same time the beautiful black currant fruits, acidity and fine perfumed character balance its richness. It is an impressive, memorable wine that will develop well over many years.

97 POINTS

James Suckling

Wow. This is really super polished with incredible length and intensity, offering blackberries and hazelnuts. Superb richness that is reserved and poised. Great length. Full-bodied, extremely long and exciting. Points: 97-98

96 POINTS

Jane Anson - Decanter

This is excellent, broad-shouldered with ample depth to the brambled fruits, liquorice, cigar box spice, with a gorgeously saline finish. Chalky, grippy tannins keep tugging you back into the body of the wine. The tannic grip is helped by a linen rather than silk texture that stops things being overly smooth and instead adds depth and interest to the powerfully knitted body, as do white flowers on the aromatics as it opens. Good stuff. 100% new oak for 24 months. A yield of 49hl/ha. Thunevin has sold a 50% stake in Valandraud to the Lefevre family at Sansonnet (also the new owners of Villemaurine, so a busy year for them).

95 POINTS

Peter Moser - Falstaff

Fragrant blueberry on the nose. Strong new wood. Vanilla. Licorice. On the palate densely packed with fleshy tannin, very compact but dissolving juicily, intense mineral freshness, much tension, a clarified structure without any excess. Suitably supple underpinnings, very good length. The alcohol remains almost imperceptible despite 15 percent by volume.