2015 Château Valandraud Saint Emilion 1er Grand Cru Classé

• "Great wine" ~ 98pts, James Suckling
• Jean Luc Thunevin, original Right Bank "Bad boy"
• 2015 is an outstanding vintage for Merlot in Bordeaux

About the Wine

Thunevin was labeled the "Bad Boy" of Bordeaux by Robert Parker years ago. His "garagiste" style is akin to the great technology companies of Silicon Valley that grew up in a garage and disrupted the establishment. Jean-Luc did just that by making the best wines possible and releasing the wines at affordable prices. His efforts have been rewarded with high praise and consistent top scores. By way of price comparison, his wines are still largely affordable.

Learn more about Jean-Luc here.

Critical Reviews

Plenty of toasty oak and extract here. This has immensely concentrated fruits with powerful yet silky tannins. Blackberry and dark plum aromas dominate the nose with hints of dark chocolate and candied orange. Flavors follow suit amid fluid, muscular tannins that hold long into the finish. Great wine. Try from 2023. ~98 JS

The 2015 Chateau Valandraud is founded upon Jean-Luc Thunevin's ever-reliable Merlot parcels, and this year the blend is augmented with 10% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. It has a glorious and damn irresistible bouquet of crème de cassis, blueberry, crushed violets and a scintilla of citrus fruit, all beautifully defined and very precise. In 2015 it is determined to put a gap between itself and the Virginie de Valandraud. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, creamy in texture but not in the slightest cloying. The acidity is well judged with layers of caressing black fruit towards a finish for which I could only deploy the word - nubile. This will be a stunning Valandraud to savor over the next couple of decades, though it will be difficult to resist temptation in its youth. ~95-97 WA