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."

DECANTER: "The best barrel sample that I have tasted from this estate in a long time, as it reflects not only the dark ripe fruit one expects, but also an extra dimension of freshness, with blood red orange lift on the finish. Let's not get ahead of ourselves: the attack (with similar aromas) reflects beguiling blackberry liqueur and cassis creaminess, along with red liquorice and iodine freshness. I still get oak stave aspects from the 100% new oak (which begs some caution, given the 15% alcohol), but superb mid-palate depth combined with that fine finish augurs well for the future. Strong potential for a higher score after bottling."

FALSTAFF: "Dunkles Rubingranat, tiefer Kern, violette Reflexe, zarte Randaufhellung. Dunkle Waldbeeren, Lakritze, schwarze Kirschen, feine Kräuterwürze und Edelholz. Sehr kraftvoll, nach Nugat und Nussöl, reife Tannine, schokoladig, opulenter Stil, feine Süße im Abgang, eindrucksvoll, aber nicht elegant, etwas Bitterschokolade im Abgang."

JANCIS ROBINSON: "Deep, bright purple hue. Ripe and concentrated on the nose with confit fruit notes. Plush and bold on the palate but there’s freshness and a certain restraint as well. Big tannic frame. Well made in a modern vein. Drink 2030 – 2045"