Valandraud 2008

St Emilion, Grand Cru

Excel download

View All Vintages of this Wine

Units Size Case size GBP Price: Quantities Buy
Tasting Notes

A big time sleeper of the vintage, the dense purple-colored 2008 offers charcoal-infused blackberry and cassis fruit, sweet tannin, spicy oak and a full-bodied, concentrated, layered mouthfeel. Evolved and forward by Valandraud’s standards, it can be drunk now and over the next 15+ years. Bravo!

Score: 94

Robert Parker, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Maturity: 2011-2026 03 May 2011

The 2008 Valandraud’s dense ruby/purple hue is followed by beautiful aromas of charcoal, toasty oak, blackberries, and cassis. It is a full-bodied effort displaying powerful, dense, ripe, velvety tannins, a textured mouthfeel, and a backward but promising personality. This 2008 should evolve for twenty years or more.

Score: 92 - 94

Robert Parker, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Maturity: 2009 - 2029 30 April 2009

A ripe, sappy nose: Morello, wild strawberry, redcurrant and well integrated creamy oak. Nice and pure. Good lift. The palate is well balanced with good acidity, wild strawberry, red cherry and cranberry, nice focus, linear with good length. A very “correct” Valandraud, perhaps more conservative than usual but certainly well crafted and adorned with silky tannins on the red-berried, cranberry and raspberry-tinged finish. This is a very natural, graceful Valandraud.

Score: 91 - 93

Neal Martin, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com 01 April 2009

This was a controversial wine when I tasted it , under owner Jean-Luc Thunevin’s watchful eye, with Julia, Jeannie Cho Lee MW and Fiona Morrison MW.The last two very much liked it. So did Thunevin, funnily enough. Whereas although I admired the nose very much, I found it extremely hard work, positively austere, on the finish as did Julia. Dark crimson. Malted milk nose and then pretty green tannins on the palate. Uncomfortable to taste. 3.6 pH apparently. I look forward to retasting this.

Score: 17

Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com Maturity: 20?? 01 April 2009

Offers a classy nose of subtle toasty oak and currant, with blackberry. Medium- to full-bodied, with fine tannins and a clean, fresh finish. —J.S.

Score: 89 - 92

James Suckling, Wine Spectator 01 April 2009