Château Valandraud

Jean-Luc Thunevin and Murielle Andraud, wine négociants in Saint-Émilion since 1988, decided to become producers themselves. The estate began on a 0.6-hectare vineyard in the Fongaban valley, near Château Pavie-Macquin and Château La Clotte, with a garage turned into a vinification cellar. The purchase date differs by source: The Wine Cellar Insider gives 1989, while Vintage by UGCB, the magazine of the Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux, gives 1990. The following year the couple bought nearly one more hectare in Saint-Sulpice-de-Faleyrens, a few weeks before a devastating frost destroyed 75% of their crop. With almost no money and no cellar of their own, they made their first vintage, 1,280 bottles in 1991, in a borrowed garage. The name Valandraud joins 'Val,' from the Vallon de Fongaban where the vines grow, with 'Andraud,' Murielle's surname, which appears in Saint-Émilion's registers as early as 1459. With no machines or vats, the couple sorted, destemmed and crushed the grapes by hand and fermented in new oak barrels, using their house and garage as a cellar, with early encouragement from Alain Vauthier of Château Ausone. Florence Cathiard of Château Smith-Haut-Lafitte is credited with coining the term 'garage wine' after visiting the estate; journalist Michel Bettane later popularized it internationally.

• Bought 0.6 hectares near Pavie-Macquin and La Clotte in the Fongaban valley in 1989 or 1990 (sources differ on the year)
• First vintage 1991: 1,280 bottles, after frost destroyed 75% of that year's crop, weeks after the couple added nearly one hectare in Saint-Sulpice-de-Faleyrens; made by hand in a borrowed garage, with no cellar of their own
• Name combines 'Val' (Vallon de Fongaban) and 'Andraud' (Murielle's surname, in Saint-Émilion's registers since 1459)
• Alain Vauthier of Château Ausone encouraged the couple early on; Florence Cathiard of Château Smith-Haut-Lafitte is credited with coining 'garage wine' after visiting the estate

Robert Parker followed the estate from the 1992 vintage, wrote that 'Valandraud symbolizes what can be done in Bordeaux when the limits of quality are pushed to the maximum,' and nicknamed Jean-Luc Thunevin the 'Bad Boy.' Valandraud's rise inspired other garage wines in Saint-Émilion, among them Châteaux Gracia, Croix de Labrie and Le Dôme, and Vintage by UGCB credits the garagistes' principles with being adopted across Bordeaux's great growths. Jean-Michel Cazes of Château Lynch-Bages in Pauillac said of Thunevin: 'He helped revolutionize Bordeaux.' Left out of the 2006 Saint-Émilion classification, the estate was awarded Premier Grand Cru Classé status in the 2012 classification, 20 years after its creation, after agreeing to remove some vineyard hectares not considered suitable for the rank. It kept that rank in the 2022 classification, one of 12 estates in the Premier Grand Cru Classé 'B' tier.

• Robert Parker followed the estate from the 1992 vintage; his verdict, 'Valandraud symbolizes what can be done in Bordeaux when the limits of quality are pushed to the maximum,' came with the 'Bad Boy' nickname for Thunevin
• Inspired other Saint-Émilion garage wines, including Châteaux Gracia, Croix de Labrie and Le Dôme; Vintage by UGCB credits the garagistes' principles with spreading across Bordeaux's great growths
• Jean-Michel Cazes of Château Lynch-Bages: 'He helped revolutionize Bordeaux'
• Not classified in 2006; Premier Grand Cru Classé from 2012 after trimming some vineyard hectares to qualify; kept that rank ('B' tier) in 2022

The vineyard has grown from its original 0.6 hectares to about 10.70 hectares on the clay-limestone terroir of Saint-Étienne-de-Lisse, planted to 70% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, with vines averaging 25 years old. Harvest is manual, with hand sorting followed by densimetric sorting on arrival at the estate's bioclimatic cellar. Vinification takes place in thermo-regulated stainless steel and wooden vats, with punching of the cap, pumping over and a three-week maceration; malolactic fermentation is completed in oak barrels. Ageing runs 18 to 30 months in 100% new oak barrels depending on the vintage, and the estate's technical team sets the final blend each year with help from Jean-Philippe Fort of the Rolland consulting team. Average annual production is around 30,000 bottles. Since the 2012 vintage, Jean-Luc Thunevin has also bottled a small quantity of Château Valandraud in 10-centiliter, test-tube-shaped bottles.

• About 10.70 hectares on clay-limestone soils in Saint-Étienne-de-Lisse; 70% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon; vines average 25 years old
• Manual harvest with hand sorting, then densimetric sorting by Tribaie on arrival at the bioclimatic cellar; vinification in thermo-regulated stainless steel and wooden vats with a three-week maceration
• Malolactic fermentation in oak barrels; 18-30 months in 100% new oak depending on the vintage; Jean-Philippe Fort of the Rolland consulting team assists with blending
• Average annual production around 30,000 bottles; since the 2012 vintage a small quantity is also bottled in 10cl, test-tube-shaped bottles

The estate's current lineup has two wines: Château Valandraud, listed both as Saint-Émilion Grand Cru and, separately, as Premier Grand Cru Classé, and the second wine, Virginie de Valandraud, a Saint-Émilion Grand Cru. Technical sheets for the Premier Grand Cru Classé label cover the 2012 through 2022 vintages. The range also includes a third wine, 3 de Valandraud, made from declassified fruit (accounts differ on which properties supply it), and a bottling named Valandraud Casher. Two white wines have 2024 and 2025 vintages: Blanc de Valandraud, a blend of Sauvignon Gris, Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon made by Murielle Andraud, and Virginie de Valandraud Blanc, a blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon.

• Château Valandraud: listed as both Saint-Émilion Grand Cru and Premier Grand Cru Classé; Premier Grand Cru Classé technical sheets for 2012-2022
• Virginie de Valandraud: the Saint-Émilion Grand Cru second wine
• 3 de Valandraud, a third wine from declassified fruit, and a bottling named Valandraud Casher
• Two whites, both with 2024 and 2025 vintages: Blanc de Valandraud (Sauvignon Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon), made by Murielle Andraud, and Virginie de Valandraud Blanc (Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon)

The Wine Cellar Insider names 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2012, 2010, 2009, 2004, 2000, 1998 and 1995 as the estate's best vintages. Tasting the 2025 in May 2026, it scored Château Valandraud 97-99 points, finding 'licorice, smoke, black cherries, flowers, blackberries, plums, licorice, chocolate, and espresso' on the nose and a palate of 'perfectly ripe, black cherries, plums, spice, espresso, mocha, and dark chocolate,' with a drinking window of 2030-2060. The 2024, a blend of 85% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6% Cabernet Franc at 13.5% ABV picked between September 26 and October 7, scored 94-96 points, its palate 'fresh, creamy, supple, forward, and rounded.' Good vintages need at least 8 to 10 years of aging and reach peak maturity 10 to 30 years after the vintage; young vintages benefit from 2 to 3 hours of decanting.

• Best vintages (The Wine Cellar Insider): 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2012, 2010, 2009, 2004, 2000, 1998, 1995
• 2025 (tasted May 2026): 97-99 points, The Wine Cellar Insider; drinking window 2030-2060
• 2024: 94-96 points, The Wine Cellar Insider; 85% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Cabernet Franc, 13.5% ABV, harvested September 26-October 7
• Aging: at least 8-10 years for good vintages, peak maturity 10-30 years after the vintage; decant young vintages for 2-3 hours

Jean-Luc Thunevin owns the estate with co-owner Murielle Andraud; Christophe Lardière is vineyard manager and Rémi Dalmasso is cellar master. Murielle Andraud has been fully responsible for winemaking since the 2008 vintage, after making the 2007 with assistance. Gregory Leymarie is managing director across the wider Thunevin group, which includes Château Valandraud. He arrived in October 2024, having previously been director of Pernod Ricard Africa, with over ten years spent in South Africa and Ghana, and took a more active role across the Thunevin properties in 2025.

• Jean-Luc Thunevin, owner; Murielle Andraud, co-owner; Christophe Lardière, vineyard manager; Rémi Dalmasso, cellar master
• Murielle Andraud fully responsible for winemaking since the 2008 vintage, after making the 2007 with assistance
• Gregory Leymarie, managing director across the Thunevin group including Château Valandraud, arrived in October 2024 and took a more active group role in 2025
• Leymarie was previously director of Pernod Ricard Africa, spending over ten years in South Africa and Ghana

Primary sources (the estate's own site, valandraud.fr): home, our story/history, our wines, the Château Valandraud and Premier Grand Cru Classé product pages, and contact. Secondary sources: Les Vins de Saint-Émilion (the appellation's own classification body), covering the 2022 classification listing and the estate's own profile page; The Wine Cellar Insider, covering the 2022 classification tally and a full producer profile with recent tasting notes; Vintage by UGCB (Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux), covering the estate's founding history; and Bordeaux critic Jane Anson, covering the 2024-2025 management change. Last verified 2026-10-12. Where the estate's own site and a secondary source disagree, the estate's own site governs; where two secondary sources disagree and the estate's site is silent, both accounts are stated with their sources named.