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| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 93 pts. and median of 93 pts. in 28 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by Mali on 2/4/2024 & rated 94 points: Überraschend fein und ausgewogen. Sein beachtlicher Druck verrät ihn als moderne Interpretation eines klassischen Terroirs. Hat Schliff, Frische und beachtliche Länge. Ob er noch besser wird, darf man bezweifeln. Macht jetzt außerordentlich viel Spaß. Dunkle Frucht und dezente Röstaromen. Komplett und sehr präsent. jetzt bis 2034 (329 views) | | | Tasted by sirpat00 on 12/4/2023 & rated 93 points: Valandrau vertical (1991-2020) (Fribourg): Selected tasting notes from a complete Valandraud vertical (1991-2020) hosted by a collector with an estate representative. Main observation was that both the work the estate did during the transition phase 2000-2012 is clearly bearing fruit in more recent vintages, further helped by warmer growing seasons that are favorable for this cool site in St Emillon. Additional comments included in the tasting story.
Tasting note:
This was decanted. Intense cherry notes, even a bit of Kirsch, fine savory spice and hints of floral notes. Adding more sweet aromas. A dense palate with grainy, drying tannin. The fruit is sweet and adds a confit feature mid-palate. (602 views) | | | Tasted by DrZett on 1/21/2023 & rated 91 points: Very dark and dense. Fruit feels a bit over extracted. Some leather and oaky notes too. Powerful and a good fruit complexity but not very harmonious. Feels too young for me. Wait a little longer - drink from 2025 - 2035. (IG) (1236 views) | | | Tasted by macmac007 on 9/2/2022 & rated 92 points: I loved the Valandraud at the 2016 UGC tasting and all the years thereafter. Yes it’s a Parkerised claret hybrid hence the Bad Boy of Bordeaux tagline, but the recent years are too sumptuous to dismiss.
The 2012 is the early version of the vineyard makeover. Big fruit upfront and nice terroir in the middle but rather a hot, dry tannic finish. Still too grippy even after a long decant so I’m leaving my other bottle for another 5 years. (1461 views) | | | Tasted by "Rhône Rider" on 7/14/2022 & rated 93 points: Nese med svart stein, plommer, krydder, "biitersweet". Strukturert i munnen med tydelige tanniner, temmelig mye fat, men den takler det ganske bra (treverk og kaffe), litt varme. Svært lang. 92 (1656 views) | | | Tasted by Brevetti on 3/24/2022 & rated 88 points: A bit disappointing, expectations were higher, regarding the prestige of this château. The wine is dry on the finish with hard tannins. Nevertheless, it has some elegance. Troplong Mondot is a better QPR in my opinion. (1630 views) | | | Tasted by Cailles on 3/8/2022 & rated 91 points: Bordeaux 2012 - 10 Years On - 33 Reds: All wines tasted blind. Not decanted. A few observations: 1) 2012 is a good quality vintage without the depth/length of great vintages. Still, one of the better “off-vintages”. 2) Many but not all wines are drinking well today. They are generally open, round and fleshed out. 3) Further cellaring is advised as there are hardly any tertiary aromas yet and that extra complexity will render the wines more interesting. The wines generally have the structure and fruit to age gracefully. 4) The level of ripeness/alcohol are not a concern (09, 10, 15, 18 have more problems in that area). 5) Left bank (avg. 92.2 pts) beats right bank (91.0) (group has right bank a notch ahead). The overall group avg. score is at a good 92.1, but unsurprisingly below past retrospectives of better vintages (00, 09, 10). 6) There are highlights on both sides: my best wines today were Ausone (96 pts), Mouton (96), Cheval (95) and Margaux (95).
TN: Medium expressive, slightly alcoholic nose with ripe dark fruit but a nice menthol note. On the palate this is quite good with lots of spices (christmas spices?), menthol notes, and ripe dark red and darker fruit. The tannin structure is quite round and the acidity is well integrated. Slight chocolate notes on the finish. This is a good wine with a good complexity but especially good definition. The problem is that towards the finish the wine is drying out and the oak use seems a bit excessive. Additional points deducted for the slight heat on the nose. 91 pts.
Decanting: I would give this 2 hours in the decanter which could help to integrate the oak a bit better.
Group rank: 22nd out of 33 reds
Group average score: 91.3
More information, vintage comparisons, top and worst 10 list, appellation rankings from the group in the story link. (3192 views) | | | Tasted by sirpat00 on 2/7/2022 & rated 91 points: Bordeaux 2012 10 years on tasting: A 2012 Bordeaux vintage horizontal hosted by a private collector. Main observations were: 1/ Left bank beats right bank thanks to Paulliac, St Estèphe and Margaux, 2/ (over-)extraction was a frequent issue, making this a vintage where winemaking decisions and skill mattered, 3/ as such, unsurprisingly, first growths and right bank equivalents clearly outperformed the pack, 4/ highlights were Ausone (97) followed by Cheval Blanc, Mouton, Pichon Lalande (all 96), 5/ the lowlight was an over-extracted Pape Clement (88). Complete ranking and additional observations included in the tasting story.
Tasting note:
Aging notes took center stage with nice leather notes, dry leaves, foliage and some mushrooms. Also dried herbs, herbal tea. Unfortunately rather narrow-chested on fruit. Nonetheless a surprisingly juicy palate, high on acidity and tannin but with not much harmony to speak of. (1716 views) | | | Tasted by gouldcampbell77 on 6/10/2021 & rated 93 points: Decanted 2hrs. Dark smudgy blackish red with some definite tawny hints creeping in. Looks older than 9yrs. Great nose of roses, wildflowers, molten chocolate and ash from the fire. On the palate, a potent cocktail of dark plummy fruit, coffee bean and expresso. A hint of toast. Rich, deep and velvety. Luxurious. Sweet grippy tannins.
Drinking well now with a 2hr decant but there's clearly plenty in reserve. The colour is quite advanced though which makes me think this is already well down its evolutionary track. Delicious, but not a rebuy for me. (1620 views) | | | Tasted by MJP Hou TX on 6/9/2021 & rated 93 points: PNP- dark ruby in color. Good amount of sediment. On the nose dark fruits. Muted. Chalk, dark cherry and unsweetened coco at cellar temp. Day two added some sweet fruit but the tannins became more pronounced. Must enjoyable at PNP and drink over 4 hours. 2012 sleeper BDX. (2830 views) | | | Tasted by Mascarello59 on 5/5/2021: Dark dense red color. Deep almost heavy nose with loads of oak and cassis.
Taste more towards Cabernet than anything else, rich and ripe fruit. Good tannic bite but now harsh. Vanilla oak a bit intrusive at this stage. Not in a good place now, seems a bit disjointed. Give it the benefit of doubt and keep 5-10 years in the cellar for the oak to integrate (?) 89-93p (759 views) | | | Tasted by wineappreciation on 5/2/2021 & rated 92 points: Blackberry, cassis, coriander, slight floral notes of iris; very big, very smooth, very fruitful and bordering on excess, but with a balance and precision that provides at least some structure and a slight restraint; notable tannins still present; very good but probably better with time (1352 views) | | | Tasted by Wine G on 11/3/2020 & rated 96 points: A very great quality wine , and I believe in an ideal drinking window. Has some new world qualities, in a good way, albeit fresh and dry and quite aromatic. It is singing, so to speak. Drink/Hold , and a solid 95+
Day 2, back to give a couple more notes as this really is a brick house, in its window right now. Dark red black (not any purple) , milky rich spice box nose and palate , some leather and slight bit of age now. Great wine, but I’m thinking it’s nearing its peak ??? (1870 views) | | | Tasted by O'Meara on 10/11/2020: Whoa. This is a big wine. It’s fairly closed right now, even after a 3-hour decant. Black and blue fruit with a taste of liquid minerals. This needs several years to come together, but it should be amazing when it does. Hold. (1396 views) | | | Tasted by TomOfCT on 6/27/2020 & rated 93 points: Drinking very nicely...but still has a bit more years to reach its peak! (1498 views) | | | Tasted by SlimShaney on 6/12/2020 & rated 93 points: Was there any good French wine in 2012? Yes!!! This is deep and rich but also steadfast and electric totally holdijgnit together with purpose. Wow. (1508 views) | | | Tasted by Wine G on 2/7/2019 & rated 95 points: Violets, crushed blueberry and a dash of clove on the nose. This is exquisite , rich and balanced despite the big fruit effort. Mouth puckering tannins. Quite delicioso!!! 94+ (2833 views) | | | Tasted by skifree on 12/31/2018 & rated 91 points: Loved the fruit in this wine but there was a lot of oak notes that detracted. (2390 views) | | | Tasted by Wine G on 2/26/2018 & rated 95 points: This Bordeaux walks a tight rope of new and old worlds. On the glance, a really nice and sparkly deep purple black core . Along the lines of prior tasters, this has a strong upfront fruit forward vanilla oak on the palate (initially reminded me of silver oak actually until it blew off), then pulls back as the wine opens into nice full body, in balanced harmony. Real Long finish you can still taste those early notes. Really nice and big (14.5%) But so smooth. I could drink this for days. Fancy stuff. (3617 views) | | | Tasted by fc1910 on 11/9/2017: Allez Les Bleu (Mövenpick retail store, Hamburg): One glass, brief note: only 23.000 bottles filled, quite high ABV (14,5%), but a very harmonic and persistent showing, fresh and dense, a lot of ripe black berry, long+ aftertaste, **(**- +?), 92+ potential (3906 views) | | | Tasted by Collector1855 on 10/22/2017 & rated 94 points: Chateau Valandraud Masterclass with Jean-Luc Thunevin (Singapore): A big step up after the 2011. This wine is dense and deep, lots of stuffing, lots of aroma, gingerbread, plum, flowers. The tannins are demanding though as well. Not an early drinker this one but should be great once mature. A very good 2012. I would not touch this before 2025 either. (4794 views) | | | Tasted by Tavastgatan on 10/1/2016 & rated 93 points: At first it's very scorched and vanilla oaky. But with air it turns into a elegant and restrained classy Bdx. Not what you might expect. 93+ (3946 views) | | | Tasted by Jeff Leve on 7/2/2015 & rated 95 points: This beauty is pure, silky and velvet drenched. With a potent brew of espresso bean, chocolate, dark cherry liqueur, blue fruit and earthy essences. The wine is rich, deep and long. Give it some time to develop secondary notes and enjoy the ride. (5330 views) | | | Tasted by Jeff Leve on 4/26/2013 & rated 95 points: Murielle Andraud has been in charge of the Bordeaux winemaking at the property since 2007. She is clearly on a roll! One of the deepest colored wines of the vintage, truffle, spicy oak, chocolate and black raspberry jam notes are impossible not to notice. Lush, rich and sexy with an opulent, flashy personality, this is one of the top wines from St. Emilion in 2012. 94-96 Pts (5267 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| By Jeb Dunnuck
JebDunnuck.com, Washington Versus Bordeaux (1/10/2018)
(Valandraud) Login and sign up and see review text. | The World of Fine Wine, December 2016, Issue #54
(Château Valandraud (14.5% Abv)) Login and sign up and see review text. | By Jancis Robinson, MW
JancisRobinson.com (1/20/2016)
(Ch Valandraud St-Émilion Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Antonio Galloni
Vinous, 2012 Bordeaux: Messages in a Bottle (Jan 2016) (1/1/2016)
(Valandraud Valandraud) Subscribe to see review text. | By James Lawther MW
Decanter, Bordeaux 2012 results: St Emilion Premier Grands Crus Classes (4/19/2013)
(Château Valandraud, St-Émilion, Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Julia Harding, MW
JancisRobinson.com (4/9/2013)
(Ch Valandraud St-Émilion Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Ian D'Agata
Vinous, April 2013, IWC Issue #168
(Chateau Valandraud Saint-Emilion) Subscribe to see review text. | By Chris Kissack
Winedoctor, April 2013 (4/1/2013)
(Château Valandraud St Emilion Red) Subscribe to see review text. |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of JebDunnuck.com and The World of Fine Wine and JancisRobinson.com and Vinous and Decanter and Winedoctor. (manage subscription channels) |
| Red Bordeaux BlendRed Bordeaux is generally made from a blend of grapes. Permitted grapes are Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Malbec and rarely Carménère.Today Carménère is rarely used, with Château Clerc Milon, a fifth growth Bordeaux, being one of the few to still retain Carménère vines. As of July 2019, Bordeaux wineries authorized the use of four new red grapes to combat temperature increases in Bordeaux. These newly approved grapes are Marselan, Touriga Nacional, Castets, and Arinarnoa.
Wineries all over the world aspire to making wines in a Bordeaux style. In 1988, a group of American vintners formed The Meritage Association to identify wines made in this way. Although most Meritage wines come from California, there are members of the Meritage Association in 18 states and five other countries, including Argentina, Australia, Canada, Israel, and Mexico.France Vins de France (Office National Interprofessionnel des Vins ) | Pages Vins, Directory of French Winegrowers | French Wine (Wikipedia)
Wine Scholar Guild vintage ratings
2018 vintage: "marked by a wet spring, a superb summer and a good harvest"
2019 vintage reports
2021: "From a general standpoint, whether for white, rosé or red wines, 2021 is a year marked by quality in the Rhône Valley Vineyards. Structured, elegant, fresh and fruity will be the main keywords for this new vintage."
2022 harvest: idealwine.info | wine-searcher.comBordeaux Bordeaux Wine Guide
Vins Bordeaux (Conseil Interprofessionnel du Vin de Bordeaux)
History of Bordeaux
History of 1855 Bordeaux Classification
"2009 is all about ripeness, with wines impressively packed with ripe fruit and high alcohol levels. They are showy, in-your-face, and full of pleasure. The 2010s have the fruit and alcohol levels of the 2009s, but with a compelling freshness on the finish that balances the fruit and provides a perfect sense of structure." - Ben Nelson
"2016 is a landmark vintage in certain spots of Bordeaux and it should be remembered as one of the most inspired campaigns of the last 40-50+ years." -Jon Rimmerman
"The quality of red Bordeaux in 2016 was universally lauded – although the response to the en primeur campaign was muted. Quantity was high too, with the equivalent of 770 million bottles of wine produced. An exceptionally dry summer with cool nights eventually, thanks to mid September rain, resulted in small, thick-skinned, ripe grapes, and the wines are marked by high tannin and acidity, with superb aromatic fragrance." - Jancis Robinson
"2017 was complicated, but there are some excellent wines. Expect plenty of freshness and drinkability from wines that will offer excellent value, and others that will rival 2016 in terms of ripeness and ageability. But they are likely to be the exception not the rule, making careful selection key." - Jane Anson
"In the past, a vintage such as 2022 may have been overripe, raisined and low in acidity but 2022 had a sneaky little reservoir in its back pocket - a near perfect marriage of cool/cold/rain the previous winter and the previous vintage that literally soaked the soils (a key to why 2022 is not 2003...or 1893)." - Jon RimmermanLibournais Libournais (Conseil Interprofessionnel du Vin de Bordeaux) - Read more about St. Emilion and its wines - Read more about Pomerol and its wines
Saint Emilion Grat Classified Growth, Classified Growths, Grands Crus Classes, GCC
In 1954, while the "Graves" growths had just published their own classification, the wine syndicate of Saint-Emilion, composed by wine growers, brokers and wine traders with the approval of the INAO - Institut National des Appellations d'Origine (A.O.C), decided to work on a classification for the wines of Saint Emilion. Initially, four grades were defined. These were reduced to two - First Great Classified Growth (A and B) and Great Classified Growth - in 1984.
As of Medoc's 1855 historical grading, the Saint-Emilion Great Classified Growth classification is not only based on qualitative criteria by tasting the wines on a ten years period previous to the assessment, but also on commercial considerations such as:
- sales price levels
- national and international commercial distribution
- the estate's reputation on the market
Properties who don't manage to join the club of about sixty Classified Growths are given the denomination of Great Growth ("Grand Cru"), while the remaining wineries of the A.O.C are simply reported as "Saint-Emilion". It is to be noted that the owners must officially apply to appear in the official classification. Thus for example the famous Chateau Tertre-Roteboeuf, whose quality and reputation would easily justify to be listed among the First Great Classified Growths, does not appear here by the will of its owner, François Mitjaville.
The Saint-Emilion Great Growth classification was revised in 1969, 1985, 1996 and 2006. The only two guaranteed vintage (A.O.C) who can apply to the classification are the "Saint-Emilion Grand Cru" and "Saint-Emilion" areas.
By grading 61 properties, the 2006 revision confirmed many growths from the former classification, but also caused a number of surprises and a few inevitable disappointments. Many observers thought that the impressive progression of Perse's Chateau Pavie since 1998 would be rewarded by an upgrade into the First Great Classified Growths (A) category, but finally such was not the case.
Among the estates promoted to the First Great Classified Growths B category are Chateau Troplong-Mondot and Pavie-Macquin, whose efforts made since the Nineties fully justify their new grade. It should be noted that no First Great Classified Growth was relegated to the lower Great Classified Growth class.
Promoted growths from the status of Great Growth ("Grand Cru") to Great Classified Growth ("Grand Cru Classe") are: Chateaux Bellefont-Belcier, Destieux, Fleur Cardinale, Grand Corbin, Grand Corbin-Despagne and Monbousquet.
The demoted growths from the status of Great Classified Growth to Great Growth are: Chateaux Bellevue, Cadet Bon, Faurie de Souchard, Guadet Saint-Julien, La Tour du Pin-Figeac (Belivier), La Tour du Pin-Figeac (Moueix), Lamarzelle, Petite Faurie de Soutard, Tertre Daugay, Villemaurine and Yon-Figeac. If the recent samples of some of the above mentioned properties may justify their current downgrade, there are great chances that estates like Bellevue, Tertre Daugay or Yon-Figeac will be upgraded to their previous rankings by the next revision in 2016 as the progresses noted after 2000, but not entering in the range of vintages (1993 - 2002) appointed for the criteria of selection for the 2006 classification, are noticable.
The two following estates have completely disappeared from the Saint-Emilion Grand Cru Classification: Curé-Bon-la-Madeleine (integrated meanwhile to Chateau Canon) and La Clusière (integrated meanwhile to Chateau Pavie).
Finally, no estate considered as "garagiste" has integrated the classification. Valandraud, Mondotte, Le Dome, Bellevue-Mondotte or Magrez-Fombrauge have, for the least, the potential to be ranked as Great Classified Growths. In sight of the very fine quality reached by the above mentioned estates in recent vintages as well as all the innovative wine making methods used by the "garagistes", it remains to be seen whether the authorities will dare to cross the line in 2016..?St. Émilion Grand Cru Les Vins de St. Émilion (Syndicate Vitocole de Saint-Emilion) – Read about St. Emilion
Vins de Bordeaux:
Grape Varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot
Soil: Sandy soils with alluvial gravel deposits
Surface Area: 4,160 ha |
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