Château Valandraud

Jean-Luc Thunevin and Murielle Andraud, who had been working as wine negociants in Saint-Émilion since 1988, decided to become producers themselves. Château Valandraud's own site describes the estate starting humbly on a 0.6-hectare vineyard with a garage turned into a vinification cellar. Secondary sources place that first plot near Château Pavie-Macquin (The Wine Cellar Insider and Vintage by UGCB) and Château La Clotte (The Wine Cellar Insider), and give slightly different purchase years: The Wine Cellar Insider dates the purchase to 1989, while Vintage by UGCB, the magazine of the Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux, dates it to 1990 and describes a further purchase of nearly one hectare in Saint-Sulpice-de-Faleyrens the following year, shortly before a devastating spring frost destroyed 75% of that year's crop. Having almost no money and no cellar of their own, the couple made their first vintage, 1,280 bottles in 1991, in a borrowed garage, per The Wine Cellar Insider. The name Valandraud combines 'Val,' from the Vallon de Fongaban where the vines are planted, with 'Andraud,' Murielle's surname, which appears in Saint-Émilion's own registers as early as 1459. With no machines or vats, the couple sorted, destemmed and crushed grapes by hand and fermented in new oak barrels in their house and garage, with early encouragement from Alain Vauthier of neighboring Château Ausone. The term 'garage wine' is credited to Florence Cathiard of Château Smith-Haut-Lafitte, who coined it after visiting the estate and was later popularized internationally by journalist Michel Bettane.

• Purchased 0.6 hectares near Pavie-Macquin and La Clotte in the Fongaban valley; The Wine Cellar Insider dates the purchase to 1989, Vintage by UGCB to 1990
• First vintage 1991: 1,280 bottles, after a spring frost destroyed 75% of that year's crop; wine made by hand in a borrowed garage with no cellar of their own
• Name combines 'Val' (Vallon de Fongaban) and 'Andraud' (Murielle's surname, recorded in Saint-Émilion's own registers since 1459)
• Alain Vauthier of Château Ausone encouraged the couple in their early years; Florence Cathiard of Château Smith-Haut-Lafitte is credited with coining the term 'garage wine' after visiting the estate

Robert Parker began following the estate as of the 1992 vintage and wrote that 'Valandraud symbolizes what can be done in Bordeaux when the limits of quality are pushed to the maximum,' giving Jean-Luc Thunevin the nickname 'Bad Boy.' Valandraud's rise inspired other small-production 'garage wine' estates in Saint-Émilion, among them Châteaux Gracia, Croix de Labrie and Le Dôme, and, according to Vintage by UGCB, the couple's approach eventually shaped practices adopted more broadly across Bordeaux's classified growths. Jean-Michel Cazes of Château Lynch-Bages in Pauillac said of Thunevin's influence: 'He helped revolutionize Bordeaux.' The estate was not included in the 2006 Saint-Émilion classification but was awarded Premier Grand Cru Classé status in the 2012 Saint-Émilion Classification, 20 years after its creation, after agreeing to remove some vineyard hectares not considered suitable for the rank. The Wine Cellar Insider's 2022 classification tally places Valandraud among the 12 estates informally ranked Premier Grand Cru Classé 'B'; the appellation body's own 2022 classification listing confirms Valandraud among its Premiers Grands Crus Classés.

• 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,' gave Thunevin the 'Bad Boy' nickname
• Inspired other Saint-Émilion garage wines including Châteaux Gracia, Croix de Labrie and Le Dôme
• Jean-Michel Cazes of Château Lynch-Bages: 'He helped revolutionize Bordeaux'
• Not classified in 2006; awarded Premier Grand Cru Classé in 2012 after the estate trimmed some vineyard hectares to qualify; retained that rank (informally 'B' tier) in the 2022 classification

The estate's own history page states 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; the appellation body's own producer profile independently confirms the same three-variety split and gives an average vine age of 25 years. Harvest is manual, with grape sorting by hand 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 varies by vintage, running 18 to 30 months in 100% new oak barrels, and the final blend is set each year by the estate's own technical team with help from Jean-Philippe Fort of the Rolland consulting team. Annual average production is around 30,000 bottles. Since the 2012 vintage, Jean-Luc Thunevin has also produced 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 estate's bioclimatic cellar
• Malolactic fermentation in oak barrels; aged 18-30 months in 100% new oak depending on the vintage; blending assisted by Jean-Philippe Fort of the Rolland consulting team
• Annual average production around 30,000 bottles; since the 2012 vintage a small quantity is also bottled in 10cl, test-tube-shaped bottles

The estate's own wines page currently lists two wines: Château Valandraud, shown under both a Saint-Émilion Grand Cru listing and a separate Premier Grand Cru Classé listing, and the second wine, Virginie de Valandraud, listed as Saint-Émilion Grand Cru. The estate's Premier Grand Cru Classé product page publishes technical sheets for the 2012 through 2022 vintages under that label, consistent with the estate's 2012 classification promotion. The Wine Cellar Insider, which has tasted the estate's wines through the 2025 vintage, also describes a third wine, 3 de Valandraud, made from declassified fruit (the source gives two differing accounts of which properties the fruit comes from), plus a kosher bottling, Valandraud Casher; that same source's tasting notes for the 2024 and 2025 vintages confirm two white wines, Blanc de Valandraud (a blend of Sauvignon Gris, Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon) and Virginie de Valandraud Blanc (a blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon), both still in current production, with Murielle Andraud responsible for the white winemaking.

• Château Valandraud: listed under both a Saint-Émilion Grand Cru and a Premier Grand Cru Classé heading on the estate's wines page; Premier Grand Cru Classé technical sheets published for 2012-2022
• Virginie de Valandraud: Saint-Émilion Grand Cru second wine, on the estate's own wines page
• Per The Wine Cellar Insider: 3 de Valandraud, a third wine from declassified fruit, and a kosher bottling, Valandraud Casher
• Per The Wine Cellar Insider's 2024-2025 tasting notes: two white wines currently in production, Blanc de Valandraud and Virginie de Valandraud Blanc, both made by Murielle Andraud

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 vintage in May 2026, the same publication scored Château Valandraud 97-99 points, describing '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 recommended drinking window of 2030-2060. The 2024 vintage, 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, described as 'fresh, creamy, supple, forward, and rounded.' The publication recommends at least 8 to 10 years of aging for good vintages, with peak maturity between 10 and 30 years after the vintage, and suggests decanting young vintages for 2 to 3 hours.

• Best vintages per 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; blend 85% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Cabernet Franc, 13.5% ABV, harvested September 26-October 7
• Recommended aging: at least 8-10 years for good vintages, peak maturity 10-30 years after the vintage; young vintages benefit from 2-3 hours decanting

Jean-Luc Thunevin (owner) and Murielle Andraud (co-owner) remain the public face of the estate; the estate's own team page names Christophe Lardière as vineyard manager and Rémi Dalmasso as cellar master, working under the couple's direction. The Wine Cellar Insider reports that Murielle Andraud has been fully responsible for winemaking since the 2008 vintage, after making the 2007 vintage with assistance. Both The Wine Cellar Insider and Bordeaux critic Jane Anson report that Gregory Leymarie was appointed managing director across the wider Thunevin group, which includes Château Valandraud; Anson dates his arrival to October 2024 and notes his prior career included more than a decade as a director at Pernod Ricard Africa, while The Wine Cellar Insider describes him taking a more active role across the Thunevin properties in 2025.

• Jean-Luc Thunevin, owner, and Murielle Andraud, co-owner; Christophe Lardière, vineyard manager; Rémi Dalmasso, cellar master (estate's own site)
• Murielle Andraud fully responsible for winemaking since the 2008 vintage, per The Wine Cellar Insider
• Gregory Leymarie named managing director across the Thunevin group, including Château Valandraud; arrival dated to October 2024 by critic Jane Anson, described by The Wine Cellar Insider as taking a more active group role in 2025
• Leymarie previously spent over a decade as a director at Pernod Ricard Africa, per Jane Anson

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 2026-09-14. 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.