2003 Chateau de Valandraud, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru, France 750ml

The home property of Jean-Luc Thunevin, the inspirational spirit for Bordeaux's garagiste movement, is Valandraud. The 2003 is a full-bodied, powerful St.-Emilion offering up notes of espresso roast, chocolate, sweet currants and cherries, and hints of minerals as well as cedar. Expressive and pure, with copious tannins lurking behind the cascade of fruit and glycerin, this wine requires 2-4 years of bottle age, and should drink well for two decades or more.

Impressive ruby-red color. Lively aromas of violet, mint and licorice, further lifted by a mineral component. Sweet, silky and nicely delineated, with little of the roasted aspect of the year. (The pH is a reasonable 3.7 without acidification, says Jean-Luc Thunevin.) Finishes with lovely sweetness and thickness (the wine is close to 15% alcohol), with a layer of sweet tannins saturating the palate. This would be better for a few years of patience and should last for a couple of decades.

The first Saint Emilion that shows real, bona fide quality. A tempered nose of raspberry, redcurrants, damsons and a touch of fennel. A very elegant nose, plump and with great delineation. Very focused with good weight, this is a wine that has brushed aside the limitations of the 2003 growing season to produce a seamless, delectable wine in a 'traditional' style (written blissfully ignorant of its identity!) Wonderful. Drinking 2008-2018. Tasted January 2007.