Chateau Valandraud Premier Grand Cru Classe B, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru 2005

The 2005 Valandraud is off the charts. Easily one of the wines of the vintage, the 2005 Valandraud possesses tremendous richness from start to finish. Moreover, it has aged exquisitely. Inky red fruit, iron, smoke, dried herbs, menthol, licorice and blood orange infuse the 2005 with striking layers of nuance to play off all that unctuous fruit. This full-throttle Saint-Émilion is a prodigious effort from Jean-Luc Thunevin and Murielle Andraud.

Tasted blind at the Valandraud vertical at the property, the 2005 Valandraud is a blend of 75% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Franc aged in new oak for 22 months. It has a very precise bouquet with fine delineation: copious blackberry, raspberry and crisp strawberry fruit, impressive mineralité with subtle marine scents lapping against the shore. The palate is very composed on the entry. It has an almost Burgundy-like texture. This is very refined and cohesive, silky smooth with a powerful and intense bravura of a finish. Perhaps the most sophisticated wine that Jean-Luc Thunévin had made at that point, it comes highly recommended and is just beginning to drink now. Tasted December 2016.

(-) Saturated, deep ruby-red. Very complex aromas of plum, mocha, iron and minerals, lifted by a floral topnote. Wonderfully lush and smooth in the mouth, with fully ripe flavors of black raspberry, currant, licorice and mocha perfectly supported by ripe acidity. This boasts terrific balance and somehow manages to hide its 14.5% alcohol. Finishes impressively long, with big but thoroughly ripe tannins. The pH here is a very reasonable 3.6, notes Jean-Luc Thunevin. A splendid vintage for Valandraud, and likely to evolve slowly.