2020 Chateau Valandraud, Blanc, Bordeaux 1x75cl

Robert Parker 92

If the 2019 vintage at this address was something of a guilty pleasure, the 2020 Valandraud is simply guilty as charged. Exhibiting aromas of jammy black fruits mingled with toasted coconut, spices and caricatural slatherings of new oak, it’s full-bodied, rich and chewy, with generously extracted tannins that clamp down on the finish. All that oak and extract impedes access to the wine’s generous fruit, rendering it less demonstrative and gourmand than its 2019 counterpart, and that’s a pity, as recent vintages of Valandraud have been among the more successful of the few remaining hold-out "garagiste" wines of the Right Bank. [William Kelley, 06/04/2023]

Anticipated maturity: 2025-2043

Jean-Marc Quarin 94

Couleur vert pale et brillante. Nez fruite et subtil. Legerement reduit. Un brin perlant a l’attaque, le vin se developpe ensuite gras et puissant, avec un beau toucher, du gout et une nuance de fruits exotiques en finale. Ensemble dynamique, long et tres bon. Le bois s’est fondu. [JMQ, 01/03/2023]

Anticipated maturity: 2023-2030