A blend of 90% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Cabernet Sauvignon brought up in new barrels, the 2017 Chateau Valandraud is up with the creme de la creme of the vintage. Killer notes of creme de cassis, graphite, white flowers, and violets all emerge from the glass, and this beauty has a wonderful sense of purity, full-bodied richness, ultra-fine tannins, and a great finish. It opens up beautifully with time in the glass and is a remarkable effort in the vintage. Give it 3-4 years if you can and enjoy any time over the following two decades.

Intense, ripe dark plums and berries with graphite and stones, as well as fresh, cedary oak. This has powerful yet very seamless and intense fruit presence with a very concentrated array of ripe dark plums and rich, assertive fruit, which builds smoothly on the finish. Impressive poise here. A blend of 90% merlot, 7% cabernet franc and 3% cabernet sauvignon.

Gorgeous blackberry, boysenberry and raspberry compote flavors flow out from the core, enveloping the apple wood, anise and black tea frame as they move. Offers a gorgeous feel, ample depth, lovely polish and fine underlying acidity throughout. A terrific effort. - James Molesworth, winespectator.com, April 2018

A majestic, sumptuous wine, the 2017 Valandraud has so much to offer. The interplay of the rich red and raspberry fruit along with elements of underlying tension give the 2017 explosive energy to balance its natural sumptuousness. Hints of rose petal, mint and licorice develop in the glass, but it is the wine' vibrancy that is most compelling today. The 2017 Valandraud is exceptionally beautiful. I won't be surprised if it turns out even better than this note suggests. Sadly, production is down to around 25,000 bottles from the more typical 40,000 or so. - vinous.com, May 2018

The deep garnet-purple colored 2017 Valandraud gives up crushed blackcurrants, chocolate-covered cherries and espresso on the nose with hints of licorice, tar and smoked meats. The palate is medium-bodied with a solid frame of ripe, sweet tannins and just enough freshness to contain the bombastic fruit, finishing long and berry-laced.

The 2017 Valandraud was 30% impacted by the frost on the lower reaches of vines, which were either deselected into the troisième vin or sold off. The wine was picked from 10 October and then sporadically over the next week, relatively late. It is matured in 100% new oak as usual. It has a very intense, voluptuous bouquet with layers of crème de cassis, boysenberry and blueberry fruit, a little glossier than I was anticipating, what you might call a “ravishing” nose. The palate is full-bodied with saturated tannin, rounded in texture with layers of black cherry, blueberry and cassis fruit. This is a bold Valandraud that shrugs off the effects of the frost and goes full-throttle towards the finish whilst maintaining sufficient freshness and tension that it never palls in the mouth.
Vinous.com, May 2018

Very dark, black core. Sweet and perfumed, rich in black fruit and a hint of violets supported by oak's sweet spice. Full in the mouth, compact tannins but lots of fruit at the core. Dense and generous at the same time. Needs plenty of time. - Julia Harding, jancisrobinson.com, April 2018

90% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc, 3% Cabernet Sauvignon. Very dark with black core. Charry blackcurrant on the nose. Dry in texture but has lots of refined and scented black fruit on the palate. Almost sober in its dark, rocky flavours on the palate. The alcohol shows less than you might expect because the fruit is full and pure. Needs a lot of time. (JH)

Tasted blind. Deep ruby colour. Smoky, meaty fruit on the nose here. Quite distinctive and ripe. Fleshy and ripe on the palate, this is bold and structured without being overworked. Muscular and dark fruited, there is a lingering liquorice flavour on a long, slightly dry finish. It will need a few years to settle. (TP)