Château Valandraud Winery
"From garage vineyard to 1er Grand Cru Classé!"
Jean-Luc and Murielle Thunevin
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Few wine estates have experienced such a rise in recent years as Château Valandraud. Jean-Luc and Murielle Thunevin have made it from a 0.6-hectare garage vineyard to the front line of Grands Crus Classés.
The Thunevin couple's success story began in 1990 in a small side valley called Vallée de Fonbagden. Back then, Jean-Luc and Murielle Thunevin invested all their savings in 0.6 hectares of vines and produced their first wine in 1991. Although the family of Murielle Thunevin, née Andraud, has been based in Saint-Émilion since 1459, this couple was the first to devote themselves entirely to viticulture. The name of the estate is a combination of the name Andraud and the valley from which the first vines came. Their wine was successful, but did not belong to the Saint-Émilion appellation. In a second step, the two therefore acquired parcels of land in the Saint-Étienne-de-Lisse area and were now able to call their wine "Saint-Émilion".
Today, the vineyard covers 8.8 hectares in the cooler area of the Saint-Émilion plateau. Around 65 % of the vineyards are planted with Merlot, the rest with 26 % Cabernet Franc as well as Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec. The wines are produced in the brand new state-of-the-art cellar in Saint-Étienne-de-Lisse. The wine ferments in thermo-regulated stainless steel and wooden vats with a three-week maceration. Maturation in 100 % new oak barrels varies from 18 to 30 months with each vintage.
photos: Château Valandraud