Barrel Sample. This is a sumptuous wine, with dark tannins and powerful fruits. It is concentrated and dense, with sweet acidity, fine spice and luscious berry flavors that are framed by fine, lasting tannins.

Displays beautiful fruit from the start, with cassis, raspberry and boysenberry notes moving together seamlessly, carried by a polished structure through the caressing finish. Seriously pure. (Barrel Tasting)

The 2015 Chateau Valandraud is founded upon Jean-Luc Thunevin's ever-reliable Merlot parcels, and this year the blend is augmented with 10% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. It has a glorious and damn irresistible bouquet of crème de cassis, blueberry, crushed violets and a scintilla of citrus fruit, all beautifully defined and very precise. In 2015 it is determined to put a gap between itself and the Virginie de Valandraud. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, creamy in texture but not in the slightest cloying. The acidity is well judged with layers of caressing black fruit towards a finish for which I could only deploy the word - nubile. This will be a stunning Valandraud to savor over the next couple of decades, though it will be difficult to resist temptation in its youth.