2018 Château Valandraud

Community Tasting Notes (11) Avg Score: 94.5 points

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  4/20/2024 - JJYoyo Likes this wine: 92 Points

  1 hr decant. Very blue/purple color, striking to look at the decant dregs. Much sterner and more fierce than a stereotypical St Émilion. Intense dark fruit, still quite strong tannins. This is right now much more about power than precision; it was hard for me to pick out individual aromas in the bouquet or palate. Will this monolithic beast sort itself in the fullness of time? Above my pay grade to answer — I don’t have nearly the experience with Valandraud to answer. Right now, more impressive than endearing.
  Score: 92. Relative to expectations: 0

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  12/4/2023 - sirpat00 wrote: 90 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 prior to serving. A fresher nose compared to most other vintages. Again rather airy with blurry aromas (similar to 2009). Fresh red cherry, but also with a bit of heat. The palate was pretty wild and struggled to find balance. May improve given enough time.

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  11/25/2021 - Orange Tsian wrote: 93 Points

  起头就有着绵密的鲜奶和高级奶油香，一下子把主调的甜美拔高起来了，黑樱桃酱、成熟的黑莓、蓝莓和蓝莓酱等与紫罗兰和薰衣草等紫调花香构成了很大的块头，随后还有丝滑的牛奶巧克力、木质、烟叶、香草、甘草等等味道，丰富而高调，有力而昂扬。入口结构大，集中度较高，单宁多，呈现出细粉质地，铺满舌面。黑色水果和蓝莓等果味又甜又熟，像是一团浓缩果浆悬浮于口中，密度高但有些松软，又透露出一点精致的意味。蛋糕、巧克力、香草慕斯、肉桂卷、新鲜的烟叶和一点粉末状的石，美中不足的是收尾有点仓促。92-93/100

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  11/25/2021 - wineappellation Likes this wine: 95 Points

  Powerful. Loads of chocolate, oak, smoke, liquorice, ripe red berries, earthy and graphite. Lingering. Needs a few years time.

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  11/15/2021 - Philippe_C wrote: 96 Points

  Superbe nez de cacao, vanille, fruits mûrs, chocolat.. Super silky tannin, sappy ripe black cherries.

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View all 11 Community Tasting Notes

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