Valrhona's chocolate factory is based in the small town of Tain l'Hermitage, in a wine growing district near Lyon. Valrhona's products are "vintage chocolates" some being "made from beans of a single year's harvest in exceptional plantations."
The Guanaja Grué is part of Valrhona's elegant Grands Crus range. It contains 70% cacao and contains grués de cacao - small chocolate nibs nestled in the bar. The grués remain in the mouth, after the chocolate square has melted and therefore prolong the pleasure of the experience.
Unwrap the bar and you will get a whoosh of chocolatey aroma mixed with red-fruits notes and a sniff of ink. Each square is rather large, looks glossy and has a good, soft snap . At 70 %, this chocolate tastes bitter-sweet with undertones of molasses. I didn't quiet get the vanilla but it is on the list of ingredients.
That may be the problem with such a complex chocolate: doesn't matter how many time you try, you won't nail all the nuances and not one person will get the same experience which could be part of the fun too. This bar's texture is smooth, unctuous and the experience intense thanks to the crunchy nibs which live on.
