Chateau Valandraud

Château de Valandraud is a producer in Saint-Émilion classified as Premier Grand Cru Classé B. The Merlot-dominant grand vin is part of a relatively large portfolio which includes a number of red wines made from the classic Bordeaux blend, as well as a couple of white wines made from Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon.

The estate was formed in 1989, when wine merchant Jean-Luc Thunevin and Murielle Andraud (who has been the fulltime winemaker since 2008) bought a 0.6-hectare (1.5-acre) plot of vines near Château Pavie Macquin. There are now 10ha (25 acres) of vines – Merlot is the predominant variety, followed by Cabernet Franc and small amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Carmenère. The 2ha (5 acres) planted to white varieties are split evenly between Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon and Sauvignon Gris.

Château de Valandraud is regarded as one of Bordeaux's pioneering "garagiste" wines, made in a richer, more international style than many other Bordeaux wines, and has attracted high prices in the region from the very beginning. The wine came under the spotlight in 2002 when plastic sheeting was placed over 2ha (5 acres) of vines to protect from water damage, requiring a declassification to Vin de Table. However, Valandraud's sustained quality was officially recognised with an upgrade in the 2012 Saint-Émilion Classification to Premier Grand Cru Classé B.