Chateau Valandraud 2023

James Suckling: "Wow, this is really something. Very fruity, with dark blackberries and blueberries, as well as blood oranges. It’s full and layered with great depth of fruit and chewy, polished tannins. Turns lightly salty at the end. Power with precision. 84% merlot, 8% cabernet franc and 8% cabernet sauvignon."

The Wine Cellar Insider: "Flowers, black raspberries, licorice, smoke, espresso, black cherries, and chocolate aromas create the complex aromatic profile. On the palate, the wine is supple, creamy, and more importantly, energetic, with freshness, and elegant, creamy tannins. Long, intense, and concentrated, yet, light on its feet, the lingering finish keeps on going with its layers of ripe, sweet, fruits, salty chocolate, and espresso notes. Blending 84% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc, and 8% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% ABV, 3.5 pH. Harvesting took place September 21 - October 15. Drink from 2029-2055."

Jeb Dunnuck: "The Grand Vin 2023 Château Valandraud checks in as a blend of 84% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc and 8% Cabernet Sauvignon, which is the most Cabernet Sauvignon ever in the blend. Raised in new barrels, pure cassis, mulberries, spicy oak, chocolate, and graphite are just some of the nuances here, and this beauty hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a deep, layered, yet elegant mouthfeel, fine tannins, and a great finish. It's a big, rich, undeniably sexy wine in the vintage that will be drinkable with just short-term cellaring."

Lisa Perrotti-Brown: "The 2023 Valandraud has a deep garnet-purple color. It needs some patient swirling to bring out fragrant notes of star anise, Indian spices, cedar chest, and fragrant soil, giving way to a core of plum preserves and blackberry pie. Full-bodied, concentrated, and built like a brick house, it has firm, chewy tannins and bags of freshness, finishing very long and opulent. This will take some time to come around, yet should be a very long-lived Valandraud! The blend is 84% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc, and 8% Cabernet Sauvignon with a pH of 3.5. It is aging in 100% new oak barrels. The alcohol is 15%."

Weinwisser: "84 % Merlot, 8 % Cabernet Franc, 8 % Cabernet Sauvignon, pH 3.5, 15 Vol.-%, 18 – 24 Monate in 100 % neuen Barriques, Produktion 35.000 Flaschen. Berauschendes blaubeeriges Bouquet, verführerischer Iris-Duft, Demassine- und Cassislikör. Im zweiten Ansatz Veilchen, getrocknete Rosenblätter und Holundersaft. Am vielschichtigen Gaumen mit cremiger Textur, wird dann stoffig, engmaschiges Tanninkorsett, balancierte Rasse und durchtrainierter Körper. Im konzentrierten langanhaltenden Finale Schattenmorellen, dunkle Mineralik und mehlige Adstringenz. Mit großem Potenzial ausgestattet."

Vinum: "Viel Tiefgang, ungemein dunkelfruchtig, komplex; straff am Gaumen, dicht gebaut; mächtig, strukturiert, saftig, langanhaltend. Wird hervorragend reifen."