Château Valandraud 2022

In Bordeaux, there was one man who broke all the rules and created wines that kept industry giants on their toes.  His name was Jean-Luc Thunevin.  His wine? Château Valandraud.  Though an undeniably excellent wine, Château Valandraud is important not simply because of the contents in the bottle but because of the story behind it.  It was a wine that changed a lot of established traditions in Bordeaux -- a wine for oenophiles and renegades alike.

Château Valandraud is the home property of the dynamic husband and wife duo Jean-Luc Thunevin and Murielle Andraud.  Prior to becoming a vigneron Jean-Luc was a successful négociant.  In 1989, Jean-Luc and Murielle purchased a tiny 0.6-hectare plot close to Château Pavie Macquin.  They bought an additional 1.2 hectares of vines further east in Saint Sulpice.  The name “Valandraud” is an interesting one.  The “Val” portion comes from where the grapes are planted, a place called Vallon de Fongaban.  The latter part of the name, “Andraud,” is the last name of Jean-Luc’s wife, Murielle.  Murielle is the gifted individual who makes all the wine for Château Valandraud, and Jean-Luc runs the business and is the face of the operation.

Château Valandraud was the property that started the Garagiste movement in modern winemaking.  Jean-Luc Thunevin and Murielle started their winemaking operation with virtually no money, so they made their first few vintages in a garage, hence the name Garagiste.  Jean-Luc Thunevin and Murielle Andraud started breaking the rules fairly early on.  In the 2002 vintage, Jean-Luc covered his vines with plastic tarping to protect them from potential water damage during the rainy season before harvest.  The French National Institute of Appellations forbade this practice and declassified his wine as a table wine in retaliation.  They also forbade Jean-Luc and Murielle from putting their name on the bottles.  No matter for the plucky power couple, as they simply sold their wines as "L’Interdit de V…D."  The label literally translates as "The Forbidden of V & D." Its use was pioneered by the fashion house Givenchy as a brand for a new perfume launched in 1957.  Who is to be fooled?  Everybody who knew Château Valandraud knew this clever labeling hack would be their way of skirting around the rules and regulations.  This earned Jean-Luc the title of the Bad Boy, of Saint-Émilion.

The plantings of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, and Carmenere thrive in clay and limestone terroir.  Château Valandraud also produces a white wine, which comes from a 2-hectare plot planted with Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, and Sauvignon Gris.  The wine is vinified depending on the needs of each varietal, and the materials vary from temperature-controlled wooden vats, stainless steel, or concrete fermenters.  Everything at Château Valandraud is specialized to create the best wine possible, and the techniques are working – Château Valandraud was classified as a Premiere Grand Cru Classé Class B estate in 2012, joining the ranks of Château Figeac and Château Troplong Mondot.  Without a doubt, Château Valandraud produces not one but a series of world-class wines that cater to the oenophile and rule breaker in all of us.  

"The 2022 Château Valandraud is sensational, offering a massive array of blackcurrants, chocolate, smoked tobacco, baking spices, and truffly earth. Full-bodied and deeply layered, it has a velvety mouthfeel, polished tannins, and remarkable purity. It reminds me of a hypothetical blend of the 2020 and 2019. Based on 85% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc, and 7% Cabernet Sauvignon, it was vinified and aged 22 months in new barrels. It will evolve gracefully for 20-30 years." - Jeb Dunnuck, (02/27/2025) Ratings: 99, Drink: 2025-2055 

"Intensely deep colour, this is ink laid over ink. Manages to somehow deliver a stunning depth of black and blue fruits while still allowing some air in among the concentration. Has purity, depth and intelligence in its approach and construction. Be prepared for the waves of exuberant complexity, a wine where you brain beings to say no, but the oyster shell mouthwatering finish, and the clear grain to the tannic frame, convinces you otherwise. Limestone working its magic. 3.5.ph, 100% new oak. Harvest September 15 to October 8, becquse these are cooler terroirs." - Jane Anson, (04/14/2023), Ratings: 97, Drink: 2032-2048

"The 2022 Valandraud is magnificent. Rich and sumptuous to the core, the 2022 offers up inky red/purplish fruit, blood orange, spice, mocha and espresso, with nearly seamless texture and fabulous balance. Bright acids and beams of tannin lend shape and energy. Jean-Luc Thunevin and Muriel Andraud crafted a wine that captures the textural opulence that first turned heads here, but with an added kick of energy that reflects a more contemporary approach and also the style of the year. There is absolutely no sign of the 100% new oak, always a good measure of balance. I imagine this full throttle Saint-Émilion will need a number of years to shed some of its considerable baby fat. The 2022 showed beautifully at Thunevin, but showed even better in a large comparative tasting. Yields were a very generous 50 hectoliters per hectare, very much on the high side here. Jean-Luc Thunevin adds that he may opt for slightly shorter élevage in barrel than the norm of around 18 months." - Antonio Galloni, Vinous, (05/09/2023), Ratings: 96-98, Drink: 2032-2052

"Smells intensely perfumed and fragrant on the nose. Keeps much more of a linear, tense and focussed palate, with tangy fruit that has both sharp and crystalline aspects as well as toasted spice, liquorice and clove giving some savoury aspects. Nice detail and precision, you can feel each of the fine tannins and the fruit has clarity as well as concentration. Nicely intense, tannins are great and this has good persistence. Feels young of course and a bit compact but there's lots to like with layers of flavour and texture and a long finish." - Georgina Hindle, Decanter, (05/25/2023), Ratings: 96