Château VALANDRAUD
1er grand cru classé
- 2021
- Saint-Émilion
Self-taught, Jean-Luc Thunevin and his wife Murielle got their start in the Bordeaux vineyards when they bought a tiny 0.6 hectare plot in Saint-Émilion, near Pavie-Macquin. Produced in minute quantities, vinified with the means at hand but with meticulous care, Valandraud soon made a name for itself, to the point of giving rise to the 'garage wine' movement in the 1990s.
Now with a vineyard of almost 11 hectares on the cooler limestone terroirs of Saint-Etienne de Lisse (on the eastern edge of the appellation) and a bioclimatic cellar allowing gravity-fed vinification, Valandraud is now a Premier Grand Cru Classé in its own right.
The 2021 vintage in the press:
La Revue du Vin de France (Guide 2025): 92/100 “On the palate, the wine is dressed up by the enveloping ageing (the Thunevin touch), and the body is more straight than full.”
- To keep or to drink :
- Wait 3 to 5 years
- Apogée :
- 2027-2042
From the same producer
-
The great white wine of Ch. Valandraud, with a sparkling sap and balance. With only 4000 bottles produced, it is a nugget that will do wonders on the table in 5 years (to take advantage of its youthful brilliance) or in 15 years.
A blend of predominantly Sauvignon Gris and Sauvignon Blanc grapes, topped up with Semillon.
The 2019 vintage in the press:
J-M. Quarin (April 2020): 93/100 “Delicate from the moment it enters the mouth and immediately melts, with a beautiful touch and body, the wine stretches out spicy, before bouncing back on the finish, very tasty, beautiful and unapproachable.
Bravo!”More- To keep or to drink:
- Ready to drink
- Apogée:
- 2022-2030
-
With today 11 ha, the vineyard of Valandraud allows Mr. Thunevin to tighten his selections for the great wine and his second, Virginie de Valandraud (there is a 3rd, Clos Badon, and even a 4th wine!). Rich in colour, always delicious with an elegant tannic structure, Virginie de Valandraud makes those who think that second wines have no soul lie.
More- To keep or to drink:
- Ready to drink
- Apogée:
- 2022-2033
-
With today 11 ha, the vineyard of Valandraud allows Mr. Thunevin to tighten his selections for the great wine and his second, Virginie de Valandraud (there is a 3rd, Clos Badon, and even a 4th wine!). Rich in colour, always delicious with an elegant tannic structure, Virginie de Valandraud makes those who think that second wines have no soul lie.
More- To keep or to drink:
- Ready to drink
- Apogée:
- 2017-2028
- Potential alcohol:
- 14.5%