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1998 Valandraud, St-Emilion

1998 Valandraud, St-Emilion

95RP
95VN
94JD
94WS
$274.99

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95

Wine Advocate

Reviewed February 2017
Tasted blind at the Valandraud vertical at the property, the 1998 Valandraud has a sweet ripe bouquet with scents of dark berries, salted licorices, tobacco and cedar that is very intense and powerful. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin. Bizarrely, it almost seems Left Bank in style with cedar and tobacco notes infusing the black fruit, the mintiness suggesting a Pauillac! I love the drive here, the focus and the slight aloofness, a wine that demands respect and is worthy of it. What a great 1998: elegant yet intense, classy yet approachable. Tasted December 2016. (NM)

Professional Reviews

95

Vinous

Review Date: 05/2018
The 1998 Valandraud was poured blind and repeated previous showings. It has what might be termed a "blockbuster" nose, a phrase that does not really appeal to me...it is just very opulent with telltale signs of liquorish and tobacco. The palate is very well balanced and just as I discerned before, you could almost imagine it being a Left Bank in terms of flavour profile, were it not for its plush texture on the finish. Jean-Luc Thunevin made a helluva wine in this year and at 20 years it is still going strong. Tasted in London at a private lunch. (NM)

94

Jeb Dunnuck

Review Date: 05/2022
Drinking brilliantly today, the 1998 Château Valandraud offers an almost Médoc-like array of ripe black fruits, cedarwood, tobacco, and lead pencil-like aromatics. This trait carries over to the palate as well, where the wine is more medium to full-bodied, has a beautifully balanced, elegant mouthfeel, beautiful tannins, and a great finish. It's certainly a more restrained wine compared to Valandraud today, but it’s still a beautiful, elegant wine to enjoy over the coming decade.

94

Wine Spectator

Review Date: 01/2001
Exotic and a bit of the rough right now, but you have to like it. Intense aromas of tobacco, mineral and cedar, with ripe fruit. Lots of toasted oak. Full-bodied, with big tannins, lots of fruit and a chewy finish. Best Valandraud ever. Best after 2008. 1,000 cases made.

Notes

Neil Martin of Vinous proclaimed this 1998 the best Valandraud ever. According to Robert Parker: "Proprietor Jean-Luc Thunevin deserves credit for serving as an inspiration for other St.-Emilion producers. The success he has enjoyed with Valandraud has undoubtedly fueled many of the qualitative efforts going on elsewhere. The opaque ruby/purple-colored 1998 Valandraud offers a gorgeous nose of black cherries, earth, and vanillin. It is supple, velvety-textured, and voluptuous, with high, but sweet tannin. As the 1998 sits in the mouth, flavors of dried herbs, new saddle leather, and meat emerge. This rich, beautifully-textured, long, concentrated wine is a top-notch effort."

Details

OriginSaint Emilion, Bordeaux, France
Type/VarietalCabernet Sauvignon and Blends
SKU993635