2005 Château Valandraud

Heavy oak toasting and tar on the oak, these were the time when Valandraud was in full flight of exuberance and extraction, before it took the foot off the pedal over the last five years. Spice and grilled cedar give plenty of impact, and are backed up by gourmet slabs of cocoa bean and smoked earth, but the ripe dark fruits are so concentrated that they lack juice, giving it more estate than vintage signature. Cleverly constructed, but lacks light and shade. 100% new oak, harvest October 1 to 5.

The 2005 Valandraud is off the charts. Easily one of the wines of the vintage, the 2005 Valandraud possesses tremendous richness from start to finish. Moreover, it has aged exquisitely. Inky red fruit, iron, smoke, dried herbs, menthol, licorice and blood orange infuse the 2005 with striking layers of nuance to play off all that unctuous fruit. This full-throttle Saint-Émilion is a prodigious effort from Jean-Luc Thunevin and Murielle Andraud. (AG)

Tasted blind at the Valandraud vertical at the property, the 2005 Valandraud is a blend of 75% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Franc aged in new oak for 22 months. It has a very precise bouquet with fine delineation: copious blackberry, raspberry and crisp strawberry fruit, impressive mineralité with subtle marine scents lapping against the shore. The palate is very composed on the entry. It has an almost Burgundy-like texture. This is very refined and cohesive, silky smooth with a powerful and intense bravura of a finish. Perhaps the most sophisticated wine that Jean-Luc Thunévin had made at that point, it comes highly recommended and is just beginning to drink now. Tasted December 2016.