2006 Virginie de Valandraud

Dark ruby-red. Dark ruby-red. Reticent nose offers dark cherry, mocha, spices and smoky oak lifted by a note of violet. Sweet and supple, with moderate nuance but good thickness and verve to the cherry and licorice flavors. Finishes with a sweet dusting of tannins and a lingering suggestion of woodsmoke. Already quite accessible.

A separate estate, not a second wine, this is a soft, fruity wine that is much more accessible than the flagship Valandraud, but it possesses good quantities of red and black fruits along with some damp earth and roasted herb components. The wine is savory, broad, and best drunk over the next decade.

Dark crimson, round and sumptuous – difficult to believe this is a second wine. Very rich and round but with a tarry, rather Pavie note on the finish. Drying tannins. Very very good up to the finish. If you have guests who have no attention span – give them this – they won’t notice its delayed imperfections. (JR)