November 2, 2023 - Decanted 2 hours. A very good Valbuena. Ready to drink. 93 pts. at the moment.
August 11, 2023 - Dégustation Chassagne Caillerets 2017 (Île Bizarre): Bouche mentholée, très riche en attaque, mais d’une certaine finesse, avec une finale très mûre, presque sucrée.
June 9, 2023 - Tast a cegues Vinicia. Vinazo, teniamos claro que era grande. Muy joven y vivo. Esta para beber pero algun añito mas de botella tampoco le iria mal.
May 28, 2022 - Decanted 2,5 h very nice to drink now but will last. 93 p +
April 14, 2022 - Decanted 2 hours. Improved since my last bottle ~6 years ago. More elegant now and really a very good Valbuena. A lot of fun to drink right now and it has many years life left. 93 pts. at the moment.
November 19, 2021 - Decant for 1.5 hours, deep ruby colour, aromas of dried dark fruits and intensive aromas of maturing like vanilla, dark chocolate, smoke, mushrooms
Soft tannins and perfect acidity, full body, long finish, very enjoyable to drink such a bomb of a wine, haven‘t had it for a while but with the first taste/zip just remembered why I just love this style of wine, ready and very nice to drink now, just a great wine!
July 12, 2021 - Given a two hour decant, this seems to be in a really good place now. Tannins have softened but plenty of red and black fruit remaining. Very enjoyable in a crowd-pleasing way. No hurry but no need to hold back if you've a bottle or two knocking around.
May 25, 2021 - Decanted 2hrs. My last bottle was in 2016 so let's see what we have.
Wow. What a nose. Imagine a bowl of ripe plums next to a steaming cup of sweet Turkish coffee in your favourite cafe in Instanbul. Wafting in from the street, hints of dried rose petals and road tar.
On the palate, much the same as the nose. Dark ripe smoky fruits along with the smoothest, sweetest expresso you have ever tasted. Such concentration, intensity and precision. How can this just be fermented grape juice and an oak barrel? Alchemy. The tannins are ripe and velvety and will clearly carry the fruit on their shoulders for many, many years. But it's soooo good now, I'm going to have trouble keeping my hands off the remaining two bottles. This is why folks like you and me are in to wine. Sensational.
May 1, 2021 - Decanted for a good 30 minutes, helpful but not a must.
The wine is a lot softer than we would have imagined ( followed the soft and silky 2001 Ducru ( Papies 93+) and still felt soft).
We’ll round and silky albeit with a lot of presence and fruit. Soft oaky dynamic for sure , decent ripe core of fruit , quite an intense fruit too. Very well mannered and very elegant wine though and true to its pedigree . Nice to see that the winemaking here has done away with overdone beasts and more towards the elegant and restraint side . 92 for now but with potential for a few more as time goes by.
October 25, 2020 - Decanted three hours before consumption. Elegant and subtle. Entering its drinking window. A special wine for a special night.