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2021 Château Valandraud

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Latest Sale Price

September 28, 2025 - $140

Estimate

RATINGS

96James Suckling

Black berry, pine nut, bark and dark mushroom aromas follow through to a medium body with creamy tannins that caress the palate and give a complexity and subtlety at the finish. Extremely fine velvety texture here.

94Vinous / IWC

Loam and potpourri scents eventually emerge. The palate is medium-bodied with an uncharacteristically low-key entry, but the acidity is finely tuned and it feels elegant and natural.

94Decanter Magazine (points)

Perfumed and potent on the nose with wood and toast tones. Lively on the palate...shot tangy acidity and high-toned raspberry fruit before green peppercorns and clove spice...

94+ Jeb Dunnuck

...brilliant aromatics of ripe blackberries, currants, smoked tobacco, graphite, and an undeniable sense of minerality...ripe, medium to full-bodied...layered, balanced mouthfeel, nicely integrated background oak...gorgeous finish.

93.1CellarTracker

92Wine Spectator

Boasts a blackberry and black currant fruit core...chalky structure and notes of sweet tobacco and bay leaf fill in nicely through the finish.

90The Wine Advocate

...offers up aromas of minty berries framed by a generous application of creamy new oak. Medium to full-bodied, with a creamy attack that segues into a mid-palate built around chalky barrel tannins, it concludes with a vanillin-inflected and discreetly herbal finish.

15.5Jancis Robinson

Relatively rich nose. Sleek tannins are there in the background...

PRODUCER

Château Valandraud

Château Valandraud is an unclassified Bordeaux in the Saint-Emilion appellation and it is considered one of the original “vins de garage.” Unlike most historic estates in Bordeaux, Valandraud is a relatively young estate, having been founded in 1989 by Jean-Luc Thunevin and his wife Mureille Andraud. The couple started with a tiny 1.5 acre plot and have since added more vineyards for a total of 11 acres, which means it still remains extremely small by regional standards. In wine world jargon Valandraud is known as a “microchateau” or “garagiste” producer. Valandraud’s first release was 1991. Its Grand Vin is typically a blend of 65% Merlot 30% Cabernet Franc, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Malbec. Up to 20,000 bottles are produced annually. A former wine merchant and restaurateur, Thunevin has been called “highly talented” by Robert M. Parker Jr., who applauds Valandraud as “enormously rich, concentrated, and beautifully well delineated.”

REGION

France, Bordeaux, St.-Émilion

Saint-Émilion is on the east side of the Dordogne River. At 13,400 acres it is one of Bordeaux’s largest appellations, and perhaps its most picturesque. It is also home to what has been called “the garagiste” movement of upstart, tradition-defying winemakers who produce artisanal wines in styles that are unconventional for the appellation. The village of Saint-Émilion dates from the middle ages and it sits on low hills, surrounded by ancient walls. Like its neighbor Pomerol, Saint-Émilion was not included in the famous Bordeaux classification system of 1855. But a century later a ranking system was put in place, and unlike the classification system for the Medoc, the Saint-Émilion system is reviewed every ten years, meaning that estates can be upgraded or downgraded. There are three rankings: Grand Cru Classé, Premier Grand Cru Classé B and Premier Grand Cru Classé A, with the final ranking being the best. Such legendary Saint-Émilion estates as Châteaux Ausone and Cheval-Blanc are Premier Grand Cru Classé A, along with Châteaux Pavie and Angélus, both added to the classification in 2012. Wines in this appellation are primarily Merlot, mixed with Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon.

VINTAGE

2021 Château Valandraud

"Valandraud is unquestionably Bordeaux's finest success story to date...(it has) become the micro-treasure sought by...wine collectors throughout the world." - Robert M. Parker, Jr