Drank 6/18/22.
Nose of cherry, blueberry, smoke, earth, and hint of cedar. On the palate, morello cherry, leather, tar, with long, dry finish. Give it another 5-10 years to shine.
4/23/9/5/5 +50 = 96 pts , but needs time
Special wine geek note. This was tasted along with the 2009 pontet, and the 2000 Dominus. This was the best of the lot. Sorry, no pics — 9 days ago
It is time for some Merlot on this #MerlotThursday.
Dark ruby in color with a short reddish rim.
Nose of black currants, plums, cooked cherries, oak, cloves, vanilla, licorice, herbs, tobacco leaf, black tea, black pepper, coffee, pencil lead and earth.
Medium plus in body with medium acidity.
Dry on the palate with plums, cherries, currants, oak, light vanilla, spices, dark chocolates, earth, peppercorn, herbs, tobacco leaf and light forest floor.
Medium finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.
This is a tasty Merlot blend from Graves. A unique blend for this region.
Showing nice complexity with a nice mouthfeel. Tangy and interesting.
Good right out of the bottle and better after 2 hours of airtime.
Will continue to age nicely in the next 10 years.
A good food wine and good by itself too. Will pair nicely with BBQ Meats.
A blend of 60% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc and 5% Malbec. Aged for 15 months in French oak barrels.
12.5% alcohol by volume.
91 points.
$30. — 11 days ago
Dazzling aroma on this 32 year old #bordeaux - stewed plums with warming spices, caramel, honeyed almonds, dried figs. Medium-light body on palate, primary fruit has faded almost completely; lots of acidity left and tannins are ghostly soft. This bottle proves a well-stored regular Bordeaux from a reputable online auction site can still deliver plenty of enjoyment from a good vintage. — 9 days ago
Star bright pale straw. Inviting nose of citrus rind and raw almond. Echoed on the medium palate which adds ginger, underripe mango, and birch. Tangy, medium plus acidity runs from entry to moderate finish. The second white of Valandraud is a lighter, brighter expression of "upper middle-scale" Bordeaux Blanc Sec. Great entry into the style for the New Zealand or modern California SB drinker. Pair with fresh water fish of course, but also fried chicken, roast suckling pig, or vegetarian fare. Drink now through 2025. — 20 days ago
Deep and sexy. A hint of dried wood. Dark plum and underbrush. Gnarly and delicious. Seems a bit brutish alongside a perfectly stored 90. Very good though. — 4 days ago
Peter Sultan
Kinda forgot how white Bordeaux is a bit of a sleeper when it comes to summer whites. A bit sleeker & more crystalline than my top dog White Bordeaux, but still fresh white flowers, some marzipan, & distant cut grass. Heavier on Semillion blend, which is my preference. — 8 days ago