Jean-Luc Thunevin and Murielle Andraud
Chateau Valandraud was created in 1989 when Murielle and Jean-Luc Thunevin bought a small parcel of 0.6 ha of vines on the outskirts of Saint-Emilion, up the hill near Pavie Macquin. After several purchases, they have today's app. 10-ha big vineyard with parcels placed in various areas of the St.Emilion appellation. Before they started as vignerons, they owned three restaurants in Saint-Émilion and created their wine merchant business, which is still very successful. Neither had any wine courses, and when they started making wine, Alain Vauthier from Chateau Ausone helped them with some advice and borrowed wine equipment. However, this 0.6 ha parcel doesn't have the best soil around it.
I admit that I wasn't impressed with Jean Luc's Valandraud when I tasted it for the first time in Spring 1998. It was vintages 1995 and 1996. At that time, everybody spoke of garage wines. The old guard of vignerons on the Left and Right Bank was left sleepless, looking at great reviews of Valandraud by Robert Parker. Jean-Luc Thunevin was called names like "black sheep" or "Bad Boy" for making technical wines without the character of the soil. This was at least what many wine journalists, including myself, thought. Looking back, I confess I was too quick in judgment and forgot one important thing - you don't build Rome in one day; everything takes time, and you can't put your style on the wine by being a winemaker for a short time.
The funny thing was that several old-guard vignerons and younger ones criticized Jean-Luc in the '90s for bringing in new stuff in winemaking. I remember a young vigneron from the famous property in Saint-Émilion saying to me during the visit, "I'll always traditionally make wine, no new gimmicks and no copy of Valandraud style of winemaking, blah, blah..." during my stay in 1996, and then reverting completely half a year later to modern style. I won't mention his name here.
Then Valandraud and Jean-Luc weren't my main priorities when visiting due to f.i. obligation to write specific articles for wine magazines and research other properties, mainly Pomerol.
First, in 2007, I decided to revisit the wines of Jean-Luc and taste the 2006-2005-2004 vintages of Valandraud. I was impressed by the stunning quality of these wines and how much style and character of terroir these wines possessed. And this incredible quality has continued since then, which I've witnessed during my visits (twice a year) since 2007. I'm pleased to have rediscovered Valandraud.
Jean-Luc Thunevin is an extraordinary wine personality with a great sense of humor, blisteringly quick remarks, and a witty tongue. He passed his winemaking duties to his wife, Murielle, in 2007, instead choosing to promote his wines worldwide. Murielle's first vintage was in 2008, and she told me during the visit in April 2011 that Valandraud was a complete wine thanks to Jean-Luc's winemaking skills before she stepped in. Still, she wanted to add more softness and richness and succeeded exceptionally well. She already participated a lot during the 2007 harvest, when she tried to learn as much as possible, working with her husband Jean-Luc, before taking over 100% for the 2008 harvest. She wants to harvest late when grapes have reached full phenolic ripeness. Woman touch - try to taste f.i. vintages 2010-2009-2008!
She also oversees the harvest and vinification of white wine. "White" vineyard is situated after the cellars of Chateau Fleur Cardinale, and she started with white wine in 2003. M. Fakonellis (associated with Michel Rolland), who was consulting famous domains in Burgundy, is consulting here, and vinification is made after the Burgundy method (batonnage de lie, etc.).
Murielle is also a fabulous chef de cuisine and could work at any famous restaurant worldwide. Everybody who's had the chance to participate in lunch/dinner at Murielle and Jean-Luc's home can confirm that.
Chateau Valandraud as seen from the vineyards of Fleur Cardinale (October 2018)
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In August 2019, courtesy of Pekka Nuikki (founder of Fine Wine magazine and tastingbook.com), tasting all the vintages of Valandraud produced and bottled, meaning 1991 to 2016 in Helsinki (Finland) was possible. Pekka Nuikki wanted to celebrate his 30th anniversary of love with wine, and it was very appropriate to do it with Valandraud's vertical as he had all the bottles. Jean-Luc and Murielle also started their wine business in 1989. The tasting took place in his summer house near Helsinki, Finland. It was indeed an exciting tasting. Different styles were shown because of separate parcels going into Grand Vin in some vintages (very informative reading about this in Neal Martin's article about the vertical of Valandraud in December 2017) and needing more wine equipment initially. NB! All wines were tasted with the label, and most participants agreed not to rate 2016 as we considered it a faulty bottle.
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2023 (barrel sample) 97p
Tasted in April 2024. It has a very complex nose with an intense aroma of morello cherries and fragrant violets. There is a refreshing acidity that connects exceptionally well with lush fruit and velvety tannin. Splendid complexity and fabulous structure, great midpalate, and long aftertaste. Highly impressive.
2022 (barrel sample) 98p
I tasted it in April 2023. It had an intense nose of high-quality black cherries and fresh coffee beans, with excellent purity, precision, focus, great complexity, fabulous structure, great midpalate, sophisticated touch, and great length. It was highly impressive.
2021 (barrel sample) 94+p
I tasted it in April 2022. It is a big, intense, and concentrated wine with plenty of morello cherries, raspberries, and violets. It is layered, has great complexity, and has finely-grained tannin, structure, and length. It was just unanimously called a superb effort!
2020 (barrel sample) 98p
I tasted it in May 2021. It had a classy nose of high-quality black cherries and fresh coffee beans, excellent purity, precision, and focus, great complexity and fabulous structure, a sophisticated touch, and great length. It makes a beautiful addition to the 2018 and 2019 vintages! Highly impressive.
2019 96-97p
I tasted it twice, the last time in November 2021. Consistent notes. 90% Merlot + 7% C. Franc + 3% C. Sauvignon. It's not a powerhouse in 2019, but it's still a wine with pure elegance and finesse. It's also refined and sophisticated, with a velvety texture. It has remarkable complexity and a long, lingering finish. Sheer class and refined style are what we have here!
2018 98p
Tasted three times - last time in April 2021. Consistent notes. 90% Merlot + 4% Cabernet Franc + 3% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Malbec. There's a fabulous nose of high-quality black cherries, excellent purity, precision, focus, great complexity and finesse, a sophisticated touch, and great length. Sheer class. Highly impressive.
2017 95p
Tasted twice last time in October 2019. Consistent notes. It is in the bottle, and the initial impression from the tasting barrel sample is confirmed. Powerful, polished, and juicy with silky fruit, tannin, and delicate complexity. It's splendid for the vintage.
2016 97p
Tasted four times - last time in October 2019. Consistent notes. It was a potent wine with excellent complexity, structure, depth, and a rich and sophisticated touch. A winner. Same impression on all occasions. It also tasted in August 2019 during Valandrauds vertical in Helsinki, Finland, but the bottle was off.
2015 96p
Tasted four times - last time in August 2019. Consistent notes. Powerful and intense, with excellent structure, length, and finish. Great class. Chewy and fat texture. A winner! This was in April 2018, and it closed when tasted in August 2019, but displayed enormous potential.
2014 93+p
Tasted four times - last time in August 2019. Consistent notes. Very seductive and intense næse of rich, multi-layered blackberries with great acidity and length. It is a very stylish vintage wine for the property.
2013 91p
Tasted twice - last time in August 2019. Consistent notes. This wine was well made with splendid complexity, ripe fruit and ripe tannin, silky texture, and a long, smooth finish. On the light side, it is very nice for the vintage but will mature quickly.
2012 93+p
I tasted it four times, the last time in August 2019. It has consistent notes: very ripe fruit, strong, fresh, big, ripe tannin, sappy, and lush. Intelligent winemaking made this a big success for the vintage.
2011 94p
I tasted it four times, the last time in August 2019. The notes were not consistent. It offered an extremely complex nose of black cherries with great intensity, length, depth, and structure on the palate. It is a vibrant and complex wine. This was in March 2015. In August 2019, this wine seemed closed and edgy.
2010 96+p
Tasted six times - last time in August 2019. Consistent notes. This wine had a seamless composition, a long, deep, exquisite blend of black cherries and chocolate, a sophisticated touch, sweet fat tannins, impeccable balance, and a long caressing finish. It is sublime stuff and the best wine ever made here.
2009 95+p
Tasted four times - last time in September 2012. Consistent notes. This wine had a more intense nose than 2010 but less richness. However, there is nothing to complain about - extremely well-made, fat, rich and sensual wine. Kudos to Murielle Thunevin!
2008 94+p
I tasted it five times, the last time in August 2019. Consistent notes. It has a great nose of black cherries (cérise noir) and blackberries, a strong backbone, great structure and concentration, and length. It is an exquisite wine with finesse. This is the first vintage in which Murielle Thunevin was 100% involved in making it.
2007 92p
Tasted three times - last time in August 2019. Consistent notes. Very aromatic cherry fruit, round, silky fruit, silky tannin, and finishing soft and tasty. Very seductive wine with delightful balance.
2006 93p
Tasted four times - last time in August 2019. Consistent notes. Beautifully composed wine, ripe berries, superb balance, chewy, complex, fine concentration, and length. It was a great effort despite Merlot not achieving full ripeness. It is one of the best wines in Saint-Emilion in this vintage, and that's for sure.
2005 96p
Tasted five times - last time in August 2019. Consistent notes. Black red. There is great intensity on the nose of black cherries, blueberries, and blackberries. Great power, concentration of sweet, perfectly ripe berries, and impressive fatness and length. This wine is a real treat for wine lovers. All five times I've tasted this wine, it has been breathtaking and a fantastic tribute to the vintage!
2004 90p
Tasted twice - last time in August 2019. Not consistent notes. It is a very seductive wine with aromatic cherries and immediate appeal. This was in October 2007. Almost eight years later, this wine was closed and had yet to reveal much. I don't know if it's experiencing a bad period or will stay like that for several years.
2003 87p
Tasted in August 2019. Slightly licorice, relatively light, fruity, warm vintage as fruit displays heated flavors. I believe this vintage won't make old bones here.
2002 91p
Tasted in August 2019. Fruit drops, nice concentration and intensity, good structure and complexity, good balance, and a smooth fruity finish. It was a fine effort for the vintage.
2001 94p
Tasted in August 2019. I was surprised at how well this vintage showed when compared to 2000! Potent with a lot of tasty fruit and ripe tannin, complex and fresh, delicate complexity, and length. Smooth and fruity finish. It was a fabulous effort, no doubt about it!
2000 94-95p
Tasted twice - last time in August 2019. Consistent notes. Creamy black fruit on the nose, very aromatic. Creamy black fruit on the palate, tight and concentrated, with great complexity, balance, and length. Smooth and long aftertaste. Impressive stuff from Jean-Luc Thunevin. This was in December 2013. It holds its ground well almost six years later and will improve with age. It makes a great pair with 1998!
1999 87p
Tasted in August 2019. Some grapes in this vintage came from the acquired property in 1999, Bel-Air Ouÿ in Saint-Etienne de Lisse, neighbor to Fleur Cardinale. Concentrated and rough, it could have benefited from more ripeness. It's slightly dry tannin, and I'm not convinced it'll age and get better.
1998 94-95p
Taste twice - last time in August 2019. Consistent notes. Very aromatic on the nose and palate, sweet fruit, elegant and well-balanced. It is a seductive wine with soft fruit and tannin, a velvety texture. It is at its apogee and delightful to drink now. This was in September 2015. It tasted even better in August 2019. Excellent winemaking skills from Thunevins in this vintage!
1997 89p
This wine was tasted in August 2019. Although the weather didn't allow the winemaker to get the vintage going, the result is OK, meaning the ripeness of Merlot was better than in 1996. This wine is well-constructed with perfect structure and length. It has a nice complexity and a fruity finish.
1996 86p
It was tasted in August 2019. It is oaky. Merlot didn't do well on the Right Bank and hadn't reached full ripeness. It lacks freshness and complexity.
1995 90p
I tasted it in August 2019. It is a gentle and elegant wine, tasty and well-balanced, complex with a fine structure and a smooth finish. It is well-made.
1994 88p
It was tasted in August 2019. It has rough edges, strong tannin, and strong acidity. I need some time here to help soften the edges.
1993 89p
I tasted it in August 2019. Despite not favorable weather conditions, Jean-Luc and Murielle made much more than respectable wine. The wine had nice fruitiness and structure, pleasant complexity, good balance, and length.
1992 87p
It was tasted in August 2019. This Bordeaux vintage followed the frost-affected 1991 but experienced difficult weather conditions. However, this wine was still alive but tannic, a bit rustic, and otherwise OK. Some of the other participants in the tasting were convinced that this bottle was corked, but I disagreed with that.
1991 86p
I tasted it in August 2019. There were no clean flavors; this wine was probably chaptalized, still alive, and a bit jammy. OK, one. However, the terrible spring frost didn't have any adverse effect here. This is the first vintage of Valandraud.