Sign In

2016 Virginie de Valandraud

Removed from a professional wine storage facility

2 available
Bid
Ends Sunday, 7pm Pacific

RATINGS

94James Suckling

...ripe and attractive with beautiful plum and dark-berry aromas that follow through to a full body, firm and medium, velvety tannins and a flavorful finish.

94Wine Enthusiast

...tannins are firm...delicious black fruits and acidity, giving a streak of freshness to the solid texture and structure.

94Jeb Dunnuck

...deep, full-bodied, opulent beauty that knocks it out of the park...notes of crème de cassis, black raspberries, spicy oak, and licorice. With ripe tannins, a great texture, and a sexy, pleasure-bent style...

93Vinous / IWC

Beautifully layered and expressive...Sweet tobacco, licorice, spice and pine give the 2016 lovely aromatic top notes to play off the sumptuous fruit.

92The Wine Advocate

...offers gorgeous black cherries, mulberries and black raspberry scents with hints of star anise, violets and cumin seed. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is firmly structured with firm, velvety tannins and tons of freshness, lifting the perfumed black fruits to a long finish.

91Wine Spectator

Very stylish, offering warmed raspberry and blackberry confiture notes infused with anise and black tea accents, all flowing nicely through the gently toasty finish.

15.5+ Jancis Robinson

PRODUCER

Château Valandraud (Second Label)

Virginie de Valandraud is the second wine of Chateau Valandraud. It was created in 1992 and is named after the owners’ daughter. It is 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Franc. Chateau Valandraud is an unclassified Bordeaux in the Saint-Emilion appellation and it is considered one of the original “vins de garage.” Unlike most historic estates of Bordeaux, Valandraud is a relatively young estate having been founded in 1989 by Jean-Luc Thunevin and his wife Mureille Andraud. The couple started with a tiny 1.5 acre plot and have since added more vineyards for a total of 11 acres, which means it still remains extremely small by regional standards. In wine world jargon Valandraud is known as a “microchateau” or “garagiste” producer. A former wine merchant and restaurateur, Thunevin has been called “highly talented” by Robert M. Parker Jr.

REGION

France, Bordeaux, St.-Émilion

Saint-Émilion is on the east side of the Dordogne River. At 13,400 acres it is one of Bordeaux’s largest appellations, and perhaps its most picturesque. It is also home to what has been called “the garagiste” movement of upstart, tradition-defying winemakers who produce artisanal wines in styles that are unconventional for the appellation. The village of Saint-Émilion dates from the middle ages and it sits on low hills, surrounded by ancient walls. Like its neighbor Pomerol, Saint-Émilion was not included in the famous Bordeaux classification system of 1855. But a century later a ranking system was put in place, and unlike the classification system for the Medoc, the Saint-Émilion system is reviewed every ten years, meaning that estates can be upgraded or downgraded. There are three rankings: Grand Cru Classé, Premier Grand Cru Classé B and Premier Grand Cru Classé A, with the final ranking being the best. Such legendary Saint-Émilion estates as Châteaux Ausone and Cheval-Blanc are Premier Grand Cru Classé A, along with Châteaux Pavie and Angélus, both added to the classification in 2012. Wines in this appellation are primarily Merlot, mixed with Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon.

VINTAGE

2016 Virginie de Valandraud

This is a second label of Château Valandraud