2001 Château Valandraud
Estimated value
Buying options
Tasting notes
One of the biggest, richest wines in the vintage, the 2001 Château Valandraud is now fully mature yet brings incredible depth and richness. Sweet black fruits, chocolate, spice, flowery incense, and tobacco notes are just some of its nuances, and this beauty hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a deep, layered mouthfeel, velvety tannins, and incredible length on the finish. Hats off to the team of Murielle Andraud and Jean-Luc Thunevin for another sensational wine. While fully mature, it's going to change dramatically over the coming decade or so and should have a gradual decline. This opulent, sexy, majestic 2001 is something to behold.
Critic scores
Robert Parker
Neal Martin
More reviews and scores
Tasted blind at the Valandraud vertical at the property, the 2001 Valandraud is a vintage that I had tasted previously but had not impressed. Well, here it gave a totally different impression (paired blind against a superb 2001 Opus One incidentally). It has a deep color with very little ageing. The bouquet offers intense black cherries, mulberry, orange rind and cedar aromas that are vigorous and very well defined. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin and superb tension. The texture feels slightly chalky, almost as if from calcareous soils, and you can feel the energy towards the vivid red cherry and raspberry coulis-tinged finish. This is only just beginning to show what it can do. This is equal to the 2000 Valandraud and might actually be the better long-term bet. Tasted December 2016.
Oxidised nose. Loose and dusty and over the top on the nose and then very tough on the finish. Oak tincture. (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.