Château Valandraud

In 1989, Jean-Luc Thunevin, a former bank clerk turned wine merchant, and his wife Murielle Andraud purchased a modest 0.6-hectare parcel of vines in the Fongaban valley near Château Pavie-Macquin and Château La Clotte. With limited funds, they fermented their first grapes in a garage, with all vineyard work done entirely by hand. Further plots were subsequently acquired in Saint-Sulpice-de-Faleyrens and Saint-Étienne-de-Lisse, gradually expanding to around 9 hectares. The name Valandraud blends 'Val,' referring to the Fongaban valley, with 'Andraud,' the surname of Murielle, whose family name appears in Saint-Émilion records as far back as 1459. The 1991 inaugural vintage released roughly 1,500 bottles at 13 euros, and the wine's success inspired a generation of small-production Right Bank producers.

• Purchased 0.6 hectares in 1989 near Pavie-Macquin; first vintage 1991 released approximately 1,500 bottles at 13 euros per bottle
• Name combines 'Val' (Fongaban valley location) and 'Andraud' (Murielle's family surname, recorded in Saint-Émilion since 1459)
• Château Ausone's director Alain Vauthier advised the Thunevins in their early years and lent equipment during the first harvests
• Total vineyard holdings grew to approximately 9 hectares spread across multiple Saint-Émilion communes with clay-limestone soils

Château Valandraud is widely regarded as the founding estate of the garagiste movement, a term coined in the early 1990s in Saint-Émilion to describe small-scale, intensely crafted wines made outside the traditional classified-growth system. The Thunevins demonstrated that meticulous viticulture, low yields, and stylistic ambition could produce wines commanding critical acclaim and prices beyond many historic classified growths. In 1995, Robert Parker rated Valandraud higher than Château Pétrus, and by 1997 the release price had climbed to 91 euros per bottle. Despite repeated rejection by the Saint-Émilion classification authorities, partly due to the wine's unconventional modern style, Valandraud was ultimately elevated to Premier Grand Cru Classé B in 2012. As Jean-Michel Cazes of Château Lynch-Bages noted of Thunevin: 'He woke us up and helped revolutionise Bordeaux.'

• Widely identified as the estate that defined and popularised the garagiste movement in Bordeaux in the early 1990s
• In 1995, received a higher Robert Parker rating than Château Pétrus, with the bottle release price reaching 91 euros by 1997
• Repeatedly rejected from the Saint-Émilion classification system for its non-traditional style before gaining Premier Grand Cru Classé B in 2012
• Jean-Michel Cazes of Château Lynch-Bages credited Thunevin with waking up and helping to revolutionise Bordeaux winemaking

Valandraud's vineyards are planted at roughly 6,500 vines per hectare on clay-limestone soils and managed with double Guyot pruning, desuckering, leaf-stripping, and green harvesting to control yields. Harvesting is entirely manual, with an initial sorting carried out in the vineyard to select only fully ripe clusters. Vinification takes place in a combination of thermo-regulated wooden, stainless steel, and concrete vats. Malolactic fermentation is completed in French oak barrels, and the wine is then aged in 100% new French oak barrels for 18 to 30 months depending on vintage character. Bottling is done without fining or filtration. Murielle Andraud has been fully in charge of winemaking since the 2008 vintage, directing a style that emphasises phenolic ripeness, opulent fruit, and silky tannin structure.

• Red grapes: 65% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Malbec, 1% Carmenère; one of very few Saint-Émilion estates with all five Bordeaux red varieties
• Malolactic fermentation in French oak barrels; aged 18-30 months in 100% new French oak depending on vintage quality
• Bottled without fining or filtration; manual harvest with vineyard-level sorting to select only ripe clusters
• Murielle Andraud has been solely responsible for winemaking since the 2008 vintage, succeeding Jean-Luc Thunevin

The 2005 Valandraud received 100 points from Vinous critic Antonio Galloni, who described it as possessing tremendous richness from start to finish, aged exquisitely, and representing one of the wines of that legendary vintage. The 2022 vintage earned 99 points from Jeb Dunnuck. The first vintage of 1991, released into a notoriously difficult year, received 83 points from Robert Parker on release, later revised upward to 86 points in 2017, making it the highest-scoring Saint-Émilion of that vintage after Château Pavie. The Wine Cellar Insider's recommended drinking window for good Valandraud vintages begins at 8 to 10 years, with peak maturity extending to 30 years after the vintage.

• 2005: 100 points from Antonio Galloni (Vinous, April 2021); described as one of the wines of the vintage with tremendous richness
• 2022: 99 points from Jeb Dunnuck; 85% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc, 7% Cabernet Sauvignon, aged 22 months in 100% new oak
• 1991 inaugural vintage: 83 points from Robert Parker on release, revised to 86 points in 2017, highest-scoring Saint-Émilion of that difficult year after Pavie
• Best vintages per The Wine Cellar Insider include 2000, 2009, 2010, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022, and 2023

Château Valandraud catalysed what came to be called the garagiste or 'New Bordeaux' movement, inspiring a wave of small-production properties across the Right Bank including La Mondotte, La Gomerie, Le Dôme, Rol Valentin, and Quinault L'Enclos. Jean-Luc Thunevin became a celebrity consultant, advising estates in Bordeaux, Languedoc-Roussillon, and beyond on viticulture and winemaking philosophy. The Thunevins also created the first garage wine of the Médoc, Marojallia, and have acted as négociant distributors for estates including Harlan Estate and Dominio de Pingus. Valandraud's promotion to Premier Grand Cru Classé B in 2012 validated the principle that quality and critical standing could supersede historical pedigree in the Saint-Émilion hierarchy. The estate's annual turnover is reported at between 12 and 15 million euros.

• Directly inspired the garagiste movement; contemporaries include La Mondotte, Le Dôme, Rol Valentin, and Quinault L'Enclos
• Thunevins created Marojallia, the first garagiste wine of the Médoc, and distribute wines including Harlan Estate and Dominio de Pingus
• 2012 Premier Grand Cru Classé B promotion validated quality-over-pedigree principle; Valandraud was previously rejected multiple times for its modern style
• The estate produces several cuvées: Premier Grand Cru Classé Château Valandraud, second wine Virginie de Valandraud, third wine 3 de Valandraud, Château Valandraud Kosher, and a white wine launched with the 2003 vintage

Valandraud is a wine of purity, richness, and opulent texture. The predominance of Merlot contributes its signature suave, round character, while new oak aging over 18 to 30 months lends pronounced notes of toasted wood, vanilla, mocha, and dark chocolate alongside concentrated aromas of blackcurrant, black cherry, and plum. Early vintages were criticised for excessive oak and high alcohol, but Murielle Andraud's stewardship since 2008 has directed the style toward greater freshness, silkier tannin integration, and more nuanced complexity. The wine is bottled without fining or filtration, giving it an authentic, textured weight on the palate. Peak drinking is typically reached 10 to 30 years after the vintage in good years.

• Style: rich, concentrated Merlot-dominant Saint-Émilion with opulent dark fruit, mocha-chocolate oak notes, silky tannins, and full body
• 100% new French oak for 18-30 months gives prominent vanilla and spice; bottled without fining or filtration
• Blend varies by vintage: the 2022 was 85% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc, 7% Cabernet Sauvignon; the 2012 was 88% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc
• Best served at 15.5 degrees Celsius; good vintages benefit from at least 8-10 years of ageing and peak between 10 and 30 years