Château Valandraud
About Château Valandraud
The current succession of exceptional wines produced by this Premier Grand Cru Classé B is the result of something of a career pivot. Owner Jean-Luc Thunevin was a highly successful négociant in the most important fine wine region on Earth until 1989, when he purchased a small 0.6-hectare plot of land close to Château Pavie Macquin with his wife Murielle Andraud. This was followed by another 1.6-hectare plot further East to forge Château Valandraud - a contraction of “Val”, from Vallon de Fongaban where the vines are planted, and of course Murielle’s surname “Andraud”.
Valandraud is an estate that has had to work very hard indeed for its fabulous success. With almost no capital to spend on facilities in the early vintages, Murielle crafted barely 100 cases of wine from their 2.2 hectares in a borrowed garage – this was the original “garagiste” wine!
Things have changed dramatically over the past decades, and Château Valandraud has expanded in both its vineyard holdings and winemaking facilities. Today, 9 hectares are planted with 65% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Malbec. With no imperious castle designating their base of operations on their behalf, Jean-Luc and Murielle were free to purchase only the best, wherever that may have been dotted across the appellation. As a result, the estate encompasses a huge variety of Right-Bank terroirs, from thick clay to hard limestone.
Branded by the powers that be in the 1990s as something of an enfant terrible, Jean-Luc retains an air of rebellion that pervades the style of his and his wife’s wines to this day. Rallying against the monolithic, austere wines of Bordeaux which, one assumes, he had himself been finding hard to sell as a négociant, from the very first vintage it was clear that Valandraud would be in the vanguard of fresher, riper and more approachable Bordeaux full of life and character. As certain as night follows day, style changes and this deeply concentrated yet the generous style is the norm and Valandraud has ascended to its rightful place in the official St-Émilion classification system.
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Jeb Dunnuck (99)
The local bad boy of Bordeaux, Jean-Luc Thunevin, continues to fashion truly brilliant wines, and his 2019 is no exception. Based largely on Merlot with small amount of Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2019 Château Valandraud is a deep purple-hued beauty offering up a kaleidoscope-like bouquet of black and blue fruits, scorched earth, chocolate, gravelly earth, spicy oak, and sappy flowers. Deep, rich, full-bodied, and wonderfully concentrated, it has insane purity of fruit, brilliant tannins, a stacked mid-palate, and just has everything in the right places. It's up with the top wines of the vintage and a tour de force that readers should snatch up. It shows a very different style than the sexier 2018, but it's every bit as good. It needs 4-5 years of bottle age and will evolve for 2-3 decades.Inc. VAT£1,439.71 -
Jeb Dunnuck (99)
The local bad boy of Bordeaux, Jean-Luc Thunevin, continues to fashion truly brilliant wines, and his 2019 is no exception. Based largely on Merlot with small amount of Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2019 Château Valandraud is a deep purple-hued beauty offering up a kaleidoscope-like bouquet of black and blue fruits, scorched earth, chocolate, gravelly earth, spicy oak, and sappy flowers. Deep, rich, full-bodied, and wonderfully concentrated, it has insane purity of fruit, brilliant tannins, a stacked mid-palate, and just has everything in the right places. It's up with the top wines of the vintage and a tour de force that readers should snatch up. It shows a very different style than the sexier 2018, but it's every bit as good. It needs 4-5 years of bottle age and will evolve for 2-3 decades.Inc. VAT£651.46 -
Jeb Dunnuck (95-97)
Another brilliant white from Jean-Luc Thunevin, the 2019 Château Valandraud Blanc has a stunning array of pineapple and melon fruit as well as complex notes of spice, white flowers, and a chalky, earthy mineral character. It's beautifully balanced, full-bodied, has integrated acidity, and a great, great finish. I'd put it up with the top whites in the vintage.Inc. VAT£452.86 -
James Suckling (94)
Blackberry, chocolate and hazelnut character on the nose, following through nicely to a medium body with integrated tannins and a fresh finish. Tight at the end, suggesting more to come with bottle age. Hints of mushrooms and earth. Second wine of Valandraud. Hint of wood at the end that will dissipate with age. Drink after 2024.Inc. VAT£241.24
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Jeb Dunnuck (99)
The local bad boy of Bordeaux, Jean-Luc Thunevin, continues to fashion truly brilliant wines, and his 2019 is no exception. Based largely on Merlot with small amount of Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2019 Château Valandraud is a deep purple-hued beauty offering up a kaleidoscope-like bouquet of black and blue fruits, scorched earth, chocolate, gravelly earth, spicy oak, and sappy flowers. Deep, rich, full-bodied, and wonderfully concentrated, it has insane purity of fruit, brilliant tannins, a stacked mid-palate, and just has everything in the right places. It's up with the top wines of the vintage and a tour de force that readers should snatch up. It shows a very different style than the sexier 2018, but it's every bit as good. It needs 4-5 years of bottle age and will evolve for 2-3 decades.In Bond£1,160.00 -
Jeb Dunnuck (99)
The local bad boy of Bordeaux, Jean-Luc Thunevin, continues to fashion truly brilliant wines, and his 2019 is no exception. Based largely on Merlot with small amount of Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2019 Château Valandraud is a deep purple-hued beauty offering up a kaleidoscope-like bouquet of black and blue fruits, scorched earth, chocolate, gravelly earth, spicy oak, and sappy flowers. Deep, rich, full-bodied, and wonderfully concentrated, it has insane purity of fruit, brilliant tannins, a stacked mid-palate, and just has everything in the right places. It's up with the top wines of the vintage and a tour de force that readers should snatch up. It shows a very different style than the sexier 2018, but it's every bit as good. It needs 4-5 years of bottle age and will evolve for 2-3 decades.In Bond£523.00 -
Jeb Dunnuck (95-97)
Another brilliant white from Jean-Luc Thunevin, the 2019 Château Valandraud Blanc has a stunning array of pineapple and melon fruit as well as complex notes of spice, white flowers, and a chalky, earthy mineral character. It's beautifully balanced, full-bodied, has integrated acidity, and a great, great finish. I'd put it up with the top whites in the vintage.In Bond£357.50 -
James Suckling (94)
Blackberry, chocolate and hazelnut character on the nose, following through nicely to a medium body with integrated tannins and a fresh finish. Tight at the end, suggesting more to come with bottle age. Hints of mushrooms and earth. Second wine of Valandraud. Hint of wood at the end that will dissipate with age. Drink after 2024.In Bond£185.00