A significant Right Bank release this morning in the form of the impressive Valandraud at £1125. This is well below the current market price for the comparable 2010, 2009 and 2005 vintages.
One is never quite sure quite what the estate’s rebellious and free-willed team of Jean-Luc Thunevin and his wife Muriella will produce, and indeed the chateau didn’t really live up to billing until quite recently. But since 2008 it has been on the ascendancy and this 2015 appears to be the pinnacle of their achievement to date, even possibly surpassing the 2009 and 2010.
The 2015 clearly stacks up in terms of quality – indeed James Suckling opines that it is the “Greatest Valandraud Ever”. It’s certainly one of the best examples of the new restraint in St. Emilion winemaking and falling below the middle of our spread, we think it stacks up on price too.