Professionele reviews
James Suckling (97)
96-97
Lots of dark fruit with an edge, supported by chalky tannins. Compact and concentrated, with a fresh medium body. The crunchy, chalky tannins help balance the wine’s exuberance. This shows an attractive combination of power, focused tannins, freshness and exuberant fruit, with hints of black mushrooms and ink. Aged for 20 months in 90% new oak and 10% foudres. 84% merlot, 9% cabernet sauvignon and 7% cabernet franc.
Vinous (98)
96-99
The 2025 Valandraud is breathtaking. Its the first vintage made by Jean-Luc Thunevin and Marie Lefévère together. It therefore represents a changing of the guard, now that Lefévère and her husband, Christophe, have taken full ownership of the property after many years holding a minority stake. Vibrant and explosive in the glass, the 2025 Valandraud offers an exotic mélange of dark blue/purplish fruit, lavender, spice and mocha. There's gorgeous precision here, much of that coming from more finesse in the tannins. The 2025 is utterly magnificent.
Jeb Dunnuck (98)
97-99
Based on 84% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc, and 7% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2025 Château Valandraud is aging in 90% new French oak and has a dense purple hue as well as captivating aromatics of juicy red, blue, and black fruits, graphite, spring flowers, and an ultra-classic lead pencil character. Hitting 14% natural alcohol with a pH of 3.5, it’s concentrated and full-bodied on the palate, with incredible purity and a more restrained, elegant style than previous vintages. It has plenty of classic Valandraud greatness.
Decanter (96)
A new take on Valandraud this year after Jean-Luc Thunevin sold his majority stake to Christophe et Marie Lefévère (Château Sansonnet, Château Moulin du Cadet, Château Villemaurine. With Grégory Leymarie now managing director he said this is the perfect vintage to tell a new story with a new vision and a reduction in production by 20-25%. Gorgeous heady scents on the nose, ripe blackcurrant, cherries and strawberries. Chalky, velvety, ripe but not overly so, you have that intensity and concentration of fruit – but there’s such finesse. Elegance is here in spades, this is soft and approachable already. A juicy, clean and crystalline core with a soft salty, oyster shell mineral bite. I love this for its calmness, roundness and general softness. You still have the signature fruit aspect – the spiced aromatics and the clean blackcurrant, plum and black cherry fruit – the signature of the estate is still recognisable but with a lot more delicacy. Ageing 100% new oak. 3.48pH, 4g total acidity.
Falstaff (96)
Deep dark ruby garnet, opaque core, violet reflections, delicate rim brightening. Fine cassis, black cherry fruit, a hint of roasted aromas, attractive bouquet. Complex, juicy, dark berry fruit, good freshness, ripe, supporting tannins, salty touch, red berry nuances in the aftertaste, animating style, good ageing potential.
