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92 By Robert Parker
17 By Rene Gabriel
88 By Wine Spectator
Tasted blind at the Valandraud vertical at the property, the 2007 Valandraud was a big surprise given that this is supposed to be an off-vintage. It has a rounded and opulent bouquet, especially considering the growing season, with quite precocious kirsch, mulberry and cassis scents interlaced with cigar box and smoke aromas. You ask yourself whether there is any Cabernet Franc here and the answer is none - the 2007 is 100% Merlot. The palate is medium-bodied with fine delineation, precise and elegant with wild strawberry and raspberry fruit that is seamlessly integrated with the oak. Considering this is a 2007, this is just a beautifully crafted wine that is probably à point, though shows absolutely no sign of any decline. Tasted December 2016.<br/>
Producer
Château Valandraud

It all started humbly on a 0.6 ha vineyard and a garage turned into a vinification cellar. Since then, Chateau Valandraud has grown to a 10.70 ha vineyard based on the clayey limestone terroir of Saint Etienne de Lisse. The vineyard is a mix if various grape varieties : 70% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. Manual harvest with grape sorting by hand, followed by a densimetric sorting by Tribaie upon the harvest arrival in our bioclimatic cellar. Thermo regulated stainless steel and wooden vats. Punching of the cap, pumping over, 3 weeks maceration. Malolactic fermentation in oak barrels. Ageing varies with each vintage, from 18 to 30 months in 100% new oak barrels. The final blending also varies according the each vintage, result of the rigorous selection by our own technical team, helped in this task by Jean Philippe Fort from the Rolland team.
Dozens are working all year long to look after every vintage of Valandraud, in the vineyard and the cellars, with the same goal to achieve every year : delivering the best possible wine. Christophe Lardière manages the vineyard team, and Rémi Dalmasso, our in-house oenologist, heads the cellar team. Murielle Andraud and Jean Luc Thunevin are also on the ground, supervising all operations.