Valandraud Blanc 2021

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 2021 Château Valandraud Blanc is brilliant stuff and offers a gorgeous perfume of honeyed limes, mint, spicy herbs, and just a kiss of background oak. With medium-bodied richness, a focused, chiseled texture, and a gorgeous finish, it does everything right. It has bright acidity and rock-solid concentration and will benefit from a year or three in the cellar and have a decade or more of longevity." - Jeb Dunnuck, Bordeaux 2021 From Bottle, (04/03/2024), Ratings: 96, Drink: 2025-2038

"A delicious wine with supple and mouthwatering juice on the finish, supple mango, slate and white peach met step by step by clear salinty and fresh juicy citrus. Great quality, strikes a welcoming gourmet note in the vintage. September 7-20, 80% new oak, 20% jars." - Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux, (12/07/2023), Ratings: 96, Drink: 2024-2034

"The Grand Vin 2021 Château Valandraud Blanc is mostly Sauvignon Gris but includes 30% Sauvignon Blanc and a splash of Semillon. Crushed stone, pineapple, and bright citrus give way to a medium-bodied, concentrated, incredibly pure, precise white displaying everything that makes this vintage so promising for the whites. As with all the whites here, it has a low pH, racy acidity, yet terrific mid-palate depth, beautiful balance, and a gorgeous finish. This will stand up to the best whites in the vintage." - Jeb Dunnuck, (06/02/2022), Ratings: 95-97

"The 2021 Valandraud Blanc was picked September 7–20 and matured in 80% new oak. The nose is well defined and complex, featuring apple blossom, honeysuckle, white chocolate and white linen scents that gently unfold with time. The palate is fresh, vibrant, powerful and judiciously spiced, with a slight waxiness to the texture, and it fans out beautifully on the finish. Superb. Just 3,500 bottles produced." - Neal Martin, Vinous, (05/12/2022), Ratings: 94-96