Chateau Valandraud 2009

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "Deep garnet colored, the 2009 Valandraud is truly strutting its stuff right now with a bold, flamboyant nose of Black Forest cake, molten licorice, blackberry preserves and baked plums plus touches of kirsch, candied violets, star anise, unsmoked cigars, incense and a compelling waft of smoked meats. Full-bodied, the palate is a pedal-to-the-metal, fruit-n-spice blockbuster with a full-on sexy texture of beautifully plush, rounded tannins and tons of freshness to lift the very long, very perfumed finish."

JAMES SUCKLING: "Stunning aromas of black truffles and blueberries, with Valrona milk chocolate undertones. Full body, with a wonderful core of fruit. This just dances on your palate. A wine that makes you smile. Superb. Best Valandraud ever?"

WEINWISSER: "80 % Merlot, 20 % Cabernet Sauvignon. Extrem dunkles Purpur mit lila und violetten Reflexen. Tiefes Bouquet, Rauchnoten, Korinthen, Teer, Trüffel und viel Brombeeren und Cassis, die Schichten sind sehr eng und delikat parfümiert. Am Gaumen seidig, parfümierte Blaubeeren, eine florale, fast schon veilchenhafte Frische aufweisend, Szechuanpfeffer im satten, jetzt komplett schwarzbeerigen Extrakt, Darjeeling und Earl-Grey-Noten sowie Vanillemark im Finale. Kein massiver Bulldozer wie die früheren Valandraud-Jahrgänge, sondern ein richtig grosser, eigenständiger Cru von einer so nicht erwarteten Klasse."

FALSTAFF: "Frische rotbeerige Nuancen, einladende Röstaromen, etwas Preiselbeeren, Orangenzesten. Komplex, salzig-mineralische Textur, präsente, feine Tannine, elegant, bereits sehr ausgewogen, angenehme Extraktsüße, finessenreich, Potenzial."

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "This is so youthful, it is hard to believe it is already a decade old. Over the years, the wine has filled out, softened and gained in complexity and length. Rich, powerful and loaded with layers of ripe, dark, juicy fruits, licorice and smoke, there is still some oak in the finish that needs to fully integrate. Give it another 3-5 years and the wine will be even better! Quite dark in color, the wine is concentrated, lush and powerful. The nose, with its licorice, flowers, smoke, chocolate and boysenberry is impossible to ignore. The fruit packs a punch with its volume and intensity. The tannins are ripe, the texture is opulent and on the palate the fruit is dense, deep and fresh. But it is the decadently textured, full bodied blast of fruit on the palate that knocks this out of the park."

WINE ENTHUSIAST: "Big, floral, ripe and juicy, this epitomizes the richness of the 2009 vintage. It offers firm tannins and generous, forward fruits."

WINE SPECTATOR: "Racy and beautifully defined, with a sleek graphite frame to the mouthwatering loganberry, blackberry and linzer torte flavors. Shows lots of toasted spice on the finish, but is well-integrated, with a gorgeous mouthfeel. This has ample fruit, but remains very suave. Best from 2013 through 2025. 1,080 cases made."