Readers of the Wine Advocate and collectors of the micro-produced "garage" wines of Saint Emilion know Valandraud to be the first of these remarkable specialty wines to be made in Bordeaux. Fashioned with an attention to detail impossible at larger estates, Valandraud is one of the most intense, complex and dramatic red wines made in France. First encounters are almost shocking, as if the wine were made at Harlan or Screaming Eagle but drier and more refined. Proprietor Jean-Luc Thunevin and wife Murielle were perspicacious enough to make 100 cases of the very first 'garage' Kosher wine in the world! Deeply colored. Rich, tight, brooding nose at first but the 2001 slowly unfolds to reveal very enticing black raspberry and bitter chocolate aromas. Sweet, supple and broad but not at all over the top. Rich flavors of cocoa powder and spices. Decidedly modern in style on the palate, with well-extracted fruit. The wine's big, rich, chewy tannins are a bit stern, but the wine's length is impressive. Excellent acidity keeps everything moving like a wagon train across the palate.
As hard as it may be to believe, Valandraud’s 2001 is better than their 2000. One of the great efforts from proprietors Murielle Andraud and Jean-Luc Thunevin, the 2001 Valandraud boasts a saturated plum/purple color as well as a sumptuously sweet nose of Varhona chocolate intertwined with espresso roast, blackberries, cherry jam, and currants. Full-bodied, opulent, voluptuously textured, pure, rich, and seriously endowed, this is a brilliant effort from Bordeaux’s leading revolutionary. Anticipated maturity: 2007-2020.
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