Valandraud - Saint-Emilion Grand Cru 2019

Alexandre Ma

95

byAlexandre Mathe5/11/2022

Such an impressive debut! The full-bodied texture of Valandraud 2019 will beat every expectation in Saint-Emilion. The powerful aura created by oak barrel fermentation and aging will attract everybody’s attention. Ripe berries and dark chocolate are fully integrated, and the sweet and mellow texture is like savoring a cherry kirsch wrapped by dark chocolate. I believe that wine lovers who appreciate "glamorous" will definitely discover a lot of fun in this wine. ?????????????Valandraud 2019????????????????????????????+????????????????????????????????????????????,???????????????????????????????“???”???????????????????????

Jamessuckling.com

98

byJames Sucklingthe5/2/2022

Vivid and focused with brightness and clarity of fruit. Dried flowers, too. Full-bodied with layers of fine, soft tannins that spread across the palate and show class and refinement. It goes on for minutes. A beautiful bottle. Try after 2027, but so attractive already.

Jeb DUNNUCK

99

byJeb Dunnuckthe4/12/2022

The local bad boy of Bordeaux, Jean-Luc Thunevin, continues to fashion truly brilliant wines, and his 2019 is no exception. Based largely on Merlot with small amount of Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2019 Château Valandraud is a deep purple-hued beauty offering up a kaleidoscope-like bouquet of black and blue fruits, scorched earth, chocolate, gravelly earth, spicy oak, and sappy flowers. Deep, rich, full-bodied, and wonderfully concentrated, it has insane purity of fruit, brilliant tannins, a stacked mid-palate, and just has everything in the right places. It's up with the top wines of the vintage and a tour de force that readers should snatch up. It shows a very different style than the sexier 2018, but it's every bit as good. It needs 4-5 years of bottle age and will evolve for 2-3 decades.

Wine Advocate

96

byWilliam Kelleythe4/7/2022

Rich and dramatic, the 2019 Valandraud bursts with aromas of berry fruit, plums and licorice, framed by a lavish but far from exaggerated application of creamy new oak. Full-bodied, fleshy and sensual, it's broad and enveloping, its lavish core of fruit framed by ripe, polished tannins and succulent balancing acids. Seamless and integrated despite its ripe, hedonistic style, this has turned out beautifully and has the balance to perform well for at least two decades, even if there's no youthful asperity to preclude near-term enjoyment.

Vinous

97

byAntonio Gallonithe2/28/2022

The 2019 Valandraud is sensational. Stunning in its delineation and with sheer energy, the 2019 dazzles right out of the gate. Dark red/purplish berry fruit, mocha, new leather, licorice and lavender all come alive in the glass. In 2019, Valandraud is a towering, statuesque wine that captures all the best the vintage had to offer. I tasted the 2019 three times and it was magnificent on all three occasions. It is a tremendous effort from Jean-Luc Thunevin and his Murielle Andraud. What a wine! 97+

Vinous

97

byAntonio Gallonithe2/24/2022

The 2019 Valandraud is sensational. Stunning in its delineation and with sheer energy, the 2019 dazzles right out of the gate. Dark red/purplish berry fruit, mocha, new leather, licorice and lavender all come alive in the glass. In 2019, Valandraud is a towering, statuesque wine that captures all the best the vintage had to offer. I tasted the 2019 three times and it was magnificent on all three occasions. It is a tremendous effort from Jean-Luc Thunevin and his Murielle Andraud. What a wine! 97+

Vinous

97

byNeal Martinthe2/17/2022

The 2019 Valandraud remains deep in color and yes, the bouquet marches out of the glass with its upfront, precocious aromas of black cherry and boysenberry fruit, plus touches of pressed violet crushed stone. The palate is medium-bodied, complex and harmonious, with fine, very supple tannins, a keen line of acidity and a slightly creamy-textured finish. As I mentioned in my previous note, it belongs within the top tier of Right Bank wines in this vintage.

Wine Advocate

95-97

byLisa Perrotti-Brownthe7/15/2020

Deep purple-black colored, the 2019 Valandraud sings of freshly crushed black plums, warm blackberries and black cherry coulis with nuances of lavender, cinnamon stick, clove oil and aniseed with a fragrant waft of candied violets. Full-bodied, the palate is both densely laden with concentrated black fruits and wonderfully refreshing, with a firm backbone of velvety tannins, finishing with lingering exotic spice sparks.

WeinWisser

19

byTjark Witzgallthe7/7/2020

Bettane & Desseauve

95-96

by Bettane & Desseauvethe7/3/2020

17,5-18

Vinous

95-97

byAntonio Gallonithe6/18/2020

A regal, statuesque wine, the 2019 Valandraud dazzles from the very first taste. Deep, beautifully textured and expansive, the 2019 races across the palate with stunning energy and pure vibrancy. Dark plum, espresso, chocolate, licorice and menthol are some of the many aromas and flavors that build in the glass. A wine of notable power and explosive richness, Valandraud is truly magical in 2019.

Jeb DUNNUCK

96-98

byJeb Dunnuckthe6/18/2020

The grand vin 2019 Château Valandraud knocks it out of the park, and this more elegant vintage plays to this cuvée's strengths, giving it beautiful purity and balance paired with its natural richness and depth. Deeply hued with stunning notes of crème de cassis, toasted spices, incense, violets, and orange blossom, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a plush, sexy texture, awesome tannins, and a monster of a finish. Despite being a rich, powerful wine, it's flawlessly balanced and just classic Saint-Emilion. It's going to keep for 25-30 years.

Vinous

96-98

byNeal Martinthe6/16/2020

The 2019 Valandraud is deep purple in color. It storms out of the glass with bold black cherries, boysenberry and faint scents of violet, extremely pure and seductive, the new oak seamlessly integrated. The palate is imbued with a sorbet-like freshness on the entry. The multi-layered dark cherry and plummy fruit is underpinned by a killer line of acidity. The finish feels pixelated to the n'th degree. This is a formidable wine from Jean-Luc Thunevin and ranks amongst the very best Right Bank wines of this vintage.

The Wine Cellar Insider

95-97

byJeff Levethe6/10/2020

Deep dark red with purple accents in its hue, the wine provides a beautiful freshness to the ripe, sweet, juicy cherries, espresso and licorice. Not as powerful or as concentrated as some recent vintages, instead you discover more, energy, refinement, elegance and purity in the lingering fruits. 95-97 Pts

Jean-Marc QUARIN

95

byJean-Marc Quarinthe6/5/2020

Couleur sombre, intense, pourpre et belle. Nez très aromatique, avec un fond de fruits noirs et d'épices. Moelleux à l'attaque, dense au développement, plutôt parfumé, le vin se développe à la fois plein et juteux, sur des saveurs truffées et une tannicité parfaitement
enrobée. Bonne longueur sèveuse. Assemblage : 90 % merlot, 7 % cabernet franc, 3 % cabernet sauvignon.
Degré d'alcool : 14°5 – pH : 3,6. 2026 – 2050.

Yvesbeck.wine

97-98

byYves Beckthe6/5/2020

90% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc, 3% Cabernet Sauvignon Pourpre violacé dense. Le bouquet de Valandraud est bien marqué par son terroir, au travers de notes crayeuses, et par son élevage avec des notes de caramel et de café. Au fil des minutes le fruit et la fraîcheur
gagnent en expression et prennent le dessus avec des parfums de griottes, de cassis et de menthe. La minéralité, de manière filigrane, ne manque pas à l'appel au travers de craie et de graphite. En bouche le vin est élégant, crémeux et précis. Que de sérénité et de force
contenue grâce à une bonne symbiose entre des tannins très fins, parfaitement intégrés, et la fraîcheur de la structure qui donne du pep et de la vivacité à l'ensemble du palais. Finale fruitée et rafraîchissante grâce à la tension calcaire. Un vin qui se distingue par sa fraîcheur, sa finesse et sa sérénité. Quelle notion de force tranquille ! 2025-2049

Jamessuckling.com

97-98

byJames Sucklingthe6/4/2020

Extremely polished and refined red with structure. It's full-bodied, yet ever so refined and balanced. The tannins are very fine-grained. Chewy, yet energetic and precise. Tight and integrated at the end.