Overview

These past days we drank :
Gevrey Chambertin Aux Etelois 2005 from Rossignol-Trapet. The owners of Château de Carles really liked it. In my opinion, it was shut tight. I will taste again the next bottle in 3 to 4 years ?
Eglise Clinet 2002, delicious, a gourmet wine, a real pleasure with such balance. The glasses were quickly emptied.
Balestard 2000, probably the best Bordeaux in this vintage, powerful with contained softness. Such purity and youth will help this wine age for many more years. Too bad we drank it by itself with no famous opponent to compare it with.

I recently read 2 good books:
“Birmane” (Burmese) from Christophe Ono also called Biot, (Plon éditions). Easy and very digestible!
And especially a book by the Swedish writer Stieg Larsson. I couldn’t put this book down. I had to finish it for the story is so surprising: “ Men who didn’t like women” (1st opus from a series of 3), published by Acte Sud.

As for the Roussillon: I read a very good (and useful) translation of David Schildnecht’s article (Wine Advocate), done by Eric Monné on the site of Clot de l’Oum

Back to Bertrand Le Guern’s statistics (average of wine ratings)
If you take Jancis Robinson, vintages 2000 to 2004: Valandraud reaches the110th position. However, I think there is a mistake for the 2003 note, which Jancis really liked (for it got the highest note in the Right Bank with Ausone).

Robert Parker , 1998 to 2004 Valandraud reaches 19th
Stephen Tanzer, 1998 to 2004 Valandraud reaches 18th
Grand Jury Européen, 1998 to 2004 Valandraud reaches 5th
Wine Spectator, 2000 to 2004 Valandraud reaches 34th

The problem with averages is that if you get one bad note then you drop to the 38th place!
When I tell you that my Valandraud deserves better!