A blend of 75% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Malbec, brought up in new barrels, the 2016 3 de Valandraud from the Thunevin team is a brilliant bottle of wine that delivers beautiful notes of cassis, saddle leather, black raspberries, and spicy oak. It's balanced, medium to full-bodied, has a layered, pure, open style, and delivers serious pleasure for not much buck. It's well worth seeking out and will keep for a decade.