Paul T- Huntington Beach

9.5

A steal on auction
I wouldn’t consider it a 🥩 wine but great with charcuterie
Web info
Chateau Valandraud is represented by the passion of a couple: Jean-Luc Thunevin and Murielle Andraud. Following the great success with the wine merchant business in Saint Emilion, they opened their own vineyard to produce their own wine.
In 1989, they bought a small parcel of 0.6 hectare (1.48 acres) located in a small valley near Saint Emilion between Pavie-Macquin and La Clotte. The origin of the wine name is as much geographic (Val: Vallon de Fongaban), as sentimental (Andraud: Murielle’s maiden name). Thus Chateau Valandraud was born.
Little by little, Jean-Luc and his wife purchased several other parcels of vines, and now, the domain represents a total surface of 10 hectares (24.71 acres), located in various areas of Saint Emilion. The diversity of soils and varietals permit the production of 6 different wines: Chateau Valandraud, Chateau Valandraud Casher, Virginie de Valandraud and the 3 de Valandraud (the second wine of Chateau Valandraud and Virginie de Valandraud), Blanc de Valandraud N° 1 and N° 2.
The final blending of the various parcels occurs in the month of March, following a blind tasting with the help of the world famous oenologist, Michel Rolland. — a year ago

Ming L

9.5

I think this is the best yet I have tasted from the winery. The depth, balance, and poise... wow! New world power with old world elegance.

A side note: I was looking up this particular bottle, I just realized that all bottles I have tasted from this winery were actually not made by Pott, as he did not join the winery as wine maker until the early 2010’. And the youngest bottle I’ve tasted from the winery is 09. Makes me wonder who’s behind these wines before Pott, because they are all awesome! — 3 years ago

Kevin Løk

8.9

Who knew they made great wine in the Lehigh Valley? This is the top grape in the region according to the producer. Shockingly good. Ripe berries, delicious soil, and well balanced. Will be buying again. Thanks to Peggy @ Earth for hooking it up. A very nice first Pennsylvanian wine for me. — 3 years ago

with Caroline

Dan Michael

9.5

The belle of the ball, what an extraordinary bottle of Napa Cab. I wish we still made them like this one, 12.5% alcohol and beautifully cellared, this wine was really shining. Elegant, balanced, classic and beautiful in every way. With some really interesting wines on the table, we kept going back to this one. I wish more people had the pleasure of tasting aged Cabernet from a benchmark winery like Phelps to experience how great they can be. Thanks, Mom for buying great wine and laying it down for nights like this. — 2 years ago

Jan de Weerd

9.1

Dark, dry, high tannin wine made from whole cluster fermentation and low temperature; no oak. We visited this small charming winery a few years back just south of Mendoza. A small family operation. The father had worked for years for one of the large wineries. Then saved enough money to start his own on just a few hectares. Stacking in the grape plants with double and triple levels of cordons for maximum light interception in this tight area. I could swear they had named each of their grape plants. Well crafted wines, very balanced. — 2 years ago

with Tammy

Rhonely Boy

9.1

2016 Sparkling Pinot Gris orange wine.

Ryan, yes, more please and thank you!
A fan of the orange Pinot Gris, geeked to of received an email regarding the release of a personal winemaker stash of sparkling orange Pinot Gris.

“To quickly explain, an “orange wine” is made from white grapes, but instead of pressing the white grapes and discarding the skins like normal white wine production, they are kept in contact (just like red wine production) with the juice for 21 days extracting the orange of color. For fun, I produced a small personal batch that was made like a traditional method champagne. Perhaps the only one of its kind.

I hope you enjoy!

Ryan”



Perfect amount of bubbles, lightly carbonated, any more and it would of been a bit rough.

— 3 years ago

David Shaw

9.2

Tasting a more recent vintage, 460 cases produced, 16.7% alc/vol (seriously?!) So how does it compare with previous vintages? Purple red, highly extracted pigment. Wood in nose, wood, black cherry and black currant in mouth initially. Letting it breathe... Mint and blackberry flavors emerge after 30 minutes, and there’s got to be some RS in this. Well made, balanced, surprisingly not hot or alcoholic (which explains the sweet fruitiness), slightly syrupy in mouthfeel. A really nice wine. Reminds me why, growing up, Zin was always my favorite. Moderate chewy tannins emerge after 60 minutes, but acceptably so; they later dissipate. Fresh fig and tar emerge after that, greatness! Makes me wonder if, with global warming, the future of Zinfandel is here in the Pacific Northwest — 3 years ago

Jan de Weerd

9.4

Starting to fall in love with these Montepulciano reserves. This is a great one. Dark penetrating extracts of prune and dark tart cherry that unfold in your mouth like a 500 page book. Subtle, fine grained tannins carry the wine for a 3 minute lingering finish. Montepulciano wines are made from a special Sangiovese selection called Prugnolo gentile, a smaller berry with thinner skin than the larger berries from the Sangiovese grosso selection used in Brunello wines from Montalcino. Destiny flavor, needs a bit of an acquired taste , but once adapted they become addictive. — 2 years ago

with Tammy

Daniel M

9.0

After some 2300 km in the trunk of my car, this is now served (after a much deserved 3 weeks rest in my cellar) at cellar temperature (about 16°C). I'm of course biased but man, this is good for the €€€.

The nose is violet, red forest fruits and that irony thing which might well be a terroir thing (the soil they grew their vines upon are reddish which tells me they could well be full of iron). The palate is well balanced, with a good acid backbone but some matter too and I see some evolution in the way this wine is made as earlier vintages were much thiner and acid driven and here there's acid, yes, but there is sufficient matter and a very nice mouthfeel, and fruit all along to balance it perfectly. Some lively tannins, kicking things up a notch and a rather long finish with fruits, that irony thing and a bit of bitterness which is very much a varietal thing. I love it, but I'm biased 🙃. — 3 years ago

Bob McDonald

8.9

Delectable - this is the Craighall Vineyard Pinot Noir - not offered in your choices. This wine had a lovely vibrant colour of dark crimson. Aromas of cherry but somewhat latent and still promising much. My experience with Dry River Pinots is that they need at least 10 years and I cannot understand the Drinking Window from the winery as 2019-2022. I have made a note to drink my 2nd one in 2025. This is a big full bodied concentrated Pinot with plenty of Tannin. Only 649 bottles of the Craighall made. The next day still solid, dense and ungiving - without nuance. Needs cellaring time. — 3 years ago