Located in Saint Etienne de Lisse in Saint-Émilion, Château de Valandraud is one of Bordeaux’s producers of “garagiste” wines. This winery has produced some of the most sought-after vintage from the Bordeaux district, such as the Château de Valandraud 2014 Virginie de Valandraud.
Château de Valandraud was established by Jean-Luc Thunevin and his wife Murielle Andraud, a passionate couple who followed their biggest dream by the establishment of their own winery. In 1989 they purchased a small 0.6 hectares plot of land in the valley of Saint-Émilion, between La Clotte and Pavie-Macquin. They named their château “Valandraud” after the valley Vallon de Fongaban (“Val”) and the last name of Murielle “Andraud”. In 1991 the first vintage of Château de Valandraud was released, which was the kick-off of the winery’s undisputed success. Jean-Luc Thunevin became a true pioneer as one of the founders of garagiste wine, and was a big inspiration for his numerous followers.
Over the years, the estate has expanded to approximately 10 hectares of land, containing both red and white grape plants. The red vines are predominantly Merlot, and a smaller percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, Carmenère and Malbec. The white vines are divided by Sauvignon Gris, Semillion and Sauvignon Blanc. The fermentation process is carried out in oak barrels and the wine is matured for 18 months in new oak casks.
Château de Valandraud was rewarded with a premier grand Cru Classé B by the standards of the Saint-Émilion classification in 2012.
