Château Valandraud
Encyclopedia
Château Valandraud, or Château de Valandraud, is an unclassed Bordeaux wine
producer situated in the Saint-Émilion
appellation
. The winery
is located on the Right Bank of France’s Bordeaux wine region in the commune of Saint-Émilion.
The winery also produces the second wine
s, Virginie de Valandraud and 3 de Valandraud, and the Kosher wine
Château Valandraud Kosher.
. Further plots in the region were acuired over the years, in locations such as Saint-Sulpice-de-Faleyrens
and Saint-Étienne-de-Lisse
, and a former garage to be used as a winery, releasing the first vintage in 1991 of 1,500 bottles priced at €
13. Exemplified as a typical "microchâteau", Thunevin is closely associated with the "garagiste"
movement, and the wine is described as the pioneer "Vin de garage". In 1995, Valandraud was given a better rating by Robert Parker
than Château Pétrus
, and by 1997 the Valandraud bottle price was set at €91. The 2005 vintage was set at €165.
The Thunevins have since taken on several projects, including the first "garage wine"' of Médoc
, Marojallia
, and acting as négociant distributor for several estates from Bordeaux, Languedoc-Roussillon
and elsewhere, including Château Ausone
, Gracia
, Harlan Estate
and Dominio de Pingus
.
Jean-Luc Thunevin is among the wine personalities satirised
next to Robert Parker in the 2010 bande dessinée comic book
, Robert Parker: Les Sept Pêchés capiteux.
, 30% Cabernet Franc
, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon
and 5% Malbec
. The annual production of the Grand Vin is typically 15,000 to 20,000 bottles.
Other labels produced include the Virginie de Valandraud, 3 de Valandraud, Château Valandraud Kosher, Blanc de Valandraud N° 1 and N° 2, Bad Boy, and the declassified non-vintage vin de table
L’Interdit de V……d which was not allowed by INAO
to vintage date the 2000 harvest or be designated as a Saint-Émiliion wine.
Château Valandraud, or Château de Valandraud, is an unclassed Bordeaux wine
producer situated in the Saint-Émilion
appellation
. The winery
is located on the Right Bank of France’s Bordeaux wine region in the commune of Saint-Émilion.
The winery also produces the second wine
s, Virginie de Valandraud and 3 de Valandraud, and the Kosher wine
Château Valandraud Kosher.
. Further plots in the region were acuired over the years, in locations such as Saint-Sulpice-de-Faleyrens
and Saint-Étienne-de-Lisse
, and a former garage to be used as a winery, releasing the first vintage in 1991 of 1,500 bottles priced at €
13. Exemplified as a typical "microchâteau", Thunevin is closely associated with the "garagiste"
movement, and the wine is described as the pioneer "Vin de garage". In 1995, Valandraud was given a better rating by Robert Parker
than Château Pétrus
, and by 1997 the Valandraud bottle price was set at €91. The 2005 vintage was set at €165.
The Thunevins have since taken on several projects, including the first "garage wine"' of Médoc
, Marojallia
, and acting as négociant distributor for several estates from Bordeaux, Languedoc-Roussillon
and elsewhere, including Château Ausone
, Gracia
, Harlan Estate
and Dominio de Pingus
.
Jean-Luc Thunevin is among the wine personalities satirised
next to Robert Parker in the 2010 bande dessinée comic book
, Robert Parker: Les Sept Pêchés capiteux.
, 30% Cabernet Franc
, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon
and 5% Malbec
. The annual production of the Grand Vin is typically 15,000 to 20,000 bottles.
Other labels produced include the Virginie de Valandraud, 3 de Valandraud, Château Valandraud Kosher, Blanc de Valandraud N° 1 and N° 2, Bad Boy, and the declassified non-vintage vin de table
L’Interdit de V……d which was not allowed by INAO
to vintage date the 2000 harvest or be designated as a Saint-Émiliion wine.
Château Valandraud, or Château de Valandraud, is an unclassed Bordeaux wine
producer situated in the Saint-Émilion
appellation
. The winery
is located on the Right Bank of France’s Bordeaux wine region in the commune of Saint-Émilion.
The winery also produces the second wine
s, Virginie de Valandraud and 3 de Valandraud, and the Kosher wine
Château Valandraud Kosher.
. Further plots in the region were acuired over the years, in locations such as Saint-Sulpice-de-Faleyrens
and Saint-Étienne-de-Lisse
, and a former garage to be used as a winery, releasing the first vintage in 1991 of 1,500 bottles priced at €
13. Exemplified as a typical "microchâteau", Thunevin is closely associated with the "garagiste"
movement, and the wine is described as the pioneer "Vin de garage". In 1995, Valandraud was given a better rating by Robert Parker
than Château Pétrus
, and by 1997 the Valandraud bottle price was set at €91. The 2005 vintage was set at €165.
The Thunevins have since taken on several projects, including the first "garage wine"' of Médoc
, Marojallia
, and acting as négociant distributor for several estates from Bordeaux, Languedoc-Roussillon
and elsewhere, including Château Ausone
, Gracia
, Harlan Estate
and Dominio de Pingus
.
Jean-Luc Thunevin is among the wine personalities satirised
next to Robert Parker in the 2010 bande dessinée comic book
, Robert Parker: Les Sept Pêchés capiteux.
, 30% Cabernet Franc
, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon
and 5% Malbec
. The annual production of the Grand Vin is typically 15,000 to 20,000 bottles.
Other labels produced include the Virginie de Valandraud, 3 de Valandraud, Château Valandraud Kosher, Blanc de Valandraud N° 1 and N° 2, Bad Boy, and the declassified non-vintage vin de table
L’Interdit de V……d which was not allowed by INAO
to vintage date the 2000 harvest or be designated as a Saint-Émiliion wine.
Bordeaux wine
A Bordeaux wine is any wine produced in the Bordeaux region of France. Average vintages produce over 700 million bottles of Bordeaux wine, ranging from large quantities of everyday table wine, to some of the most expensive and prestigious wines in the world...
producer situated in the Saint-Émilion
Saint-Émilion
Saint-Émilion is a commune in the Gironde department in Aquitaine in southwestern France.-History:Saint-Émilion's history goes back to prehistoric times and is a World Heritage site, with fascinating Romanesque churches and ruins stretching all along steep and narrow streets.The Romans planted...
appellation
Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée
Appellation d’origine contrôlée , which translates as "controlled designation of origin", is the French certification granted to certain French geographical indications for wines, cheeses, butters, and other agricultural products, all under the auspices of the government bureau Institut National...
. The winery
Winery
A winery is a building or property that produces wine, or a business involved in the production of wine, such as a wine company. Some wine companies own many wineries. Besides wine making equipment, larger wineries may also feature warehouses, bottling lines, laboratories, and large expanses of...
is located on the Right Bank of France’s Bordeaux wine region in the commune of Saint-Émilion.
The winery also produces the second wine
Second wine
Second wine is a term commonly associated with Bordeaux wine to refer to a second label wine made from cuvee not selected for use in the Grand vin or first label...
s, Virginie de Valandraud and 3 de Valandraud, and the Kosher wine
Kosher wine
Kosher wine is grape wine produced according to Judaism's religious law, specifically, Jewish dietary laws .To be considered kosher, Sabbath-observant Jews must be involved in the entire winemaking process and any ingredients used, including finings, must be kosher...
Château Valandraud Kosher.
Jean-Luc Thunevin
In 1989 Jean-Luc Thunevin and his wife Murielle Andraud bought a 0.6 hectares (1.5 acre) plot in Saint-Émilion near Château Pavie-MacquinChâteau Pavie-Macquin
Château Pavie-Macquin is a Bordeaux wine from the appellation Saint-Émilion, ranked Premier grand cru classé B in the Classification of Saint-Émilion wine. The winery is one of three Pavie estates, along with Château Pavie and Château Pavie-Decesse, located in the Right Bank of France’s Bordeaux...
. Further plots in the region were acuired over the years, in locations such as Saint-Sulpice-de-Faleyrens
Saint-Sulpice-de-Faleyrens
Saint-Sulpice-de-Faleyrens is a commune in the Gironde department in Aquitaine in southwestern France.It is one of eight municipalities forming the jurisdiction of Saint-Emilion, which is a UNESCO World Heritage of Humanity for its historic vineyard landscape that has survived intact and in...
and Saint-Étienne-de-Lisse
Saint-Étienne-de-Lisse
Saint-Étienne-de-Lisse is a commune in the Gironde department in Aquitaine in southwestern France.-Population:-References:*...
, and a former garage to be used as a winery, releasing the first vintage in 1991 of 1,500 bottles priced at €
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
13. Exemplified as a typical "microchâteau", Thunevin is closely associated with the "garagiste"
Garagistes
The garagistes refers to a group of innovative winemakers in the Bordeaux region, producing "Vins de garage", "Garage wine". A group emerged in the mid 1990s in reaction to the traditional style of red Bordeaux wine, which is highly tannic and requires long ageing in the bottle to become drinkable...
movement, and the wine is described as the pioneer "Vin de garage". In 1995, Valandraud was given a better rating by Robert Parker
Robert M. Parker, Jr.
Robert M. Parker, Jr. is a leading U.S. wine critic with an international influence. His wine ratings on a 100-point scale and his newsletter The Wine Advocate, with his particular stylistic preferences and notetaking vocabulary, have become very influential in American wine buying and are...
than Château Pétrus
Château Pétrus
Pétrus is a Bordeaux wine estate located in the Pomerol appellation near its eastern border to Saint-Émilion. An estate of limited size, it produces a limited production red wine almost entirely from Merlot grapes, on occasion with small amounts of Cabernet Franc, and produces no second wine...
, and by 1997 the Valandraud bottle price was set at €91. The 2005 vintage was set at €165.
The Thunevins have since taken on several projects, including the first "garage wine"' of Médoc
Médoc
The Médoc is a region of France, well known as a wine growing region, located in the département of Gironde, on the left bank of the Gironde estuary, north of Bordeaux. Its name comes from Medullicus, or "country of the Medulli", the local Celtic tribe...
, Marojallia
Château Marojallia
Château Marojallia is a Bordeaux winery belonging to the appellation Margaux, in the commune of Arsac. A "microcuvée", the wine produced has been described as Médoc's first "garage wine".The estate also produces a second wine, Clos Margalaine.- History :...
, and acting as négociant distributor for several estates from Bordeaux, Languedoc-Roussillon
Languedoc-Roussillon
Languedoc-Roussillon is one of the 27 regions of France. It comprises five departments, and borders the other French regions of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, Rhône-Alpes, Auvergne, Midi-Pyrénées on the one side, and Spain, Andorra and the Mediterranean sea on the other side.-Geography:The region is...
and elsewhere, including Château Ausone
Château Ausone
Château Ausone is a Bordeaux wine from Saint-Émilion appellation, one of only two wines, along with Château Cheval Blanc, to be ranked Premier Grand Cru Classé in the Classification of Saint-Émilion wine...
, Gracia
Gracia (Saint-Émilion)
Gracia a Saint-Émilion unclassed microcuvéee winery, emerging in the late 1990s as one of the best known "Vins de garage".The winery also produces the second wine Angelots de Gracia....
, Harlan Estate
Harlan Estate
Harlan Estate is a California wine estate producing Bordeaux style blends. The estate is located on the west hills of Oakville, California within the Oakville AVA, in the Napa Valley AVA zone....
and Dominio de Pingus
Dominio de Pingus
Dominio de Pingus is a Spanish winery in the La Horra area of the Ribera del Duero region. The wine produced, Pingus, is considered a "cult wine", sold at extremely high prices while remaining very inaccessible....
.
Jean-Luc Thunevin is among the wine personalities satirised
Satire
Satire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement...
next to Robert Parker in the 2010 bande dessinée comic book
Franco-Belgian comics
Franco-Belgian comics are comics that are created in Belgium and France. These countries have a long tradition in comics and comic books, where they are known as BDs, an abbreviation of bande dessinée in French and stripverhalen in Dutch...
, Robert Parker: Les Sept Pêchés capiteux.
Production
The vineyard area currently extends 4.5 hectares (11.1 acre), with the grape varieties composed of 65% MerlotMerlot
Merlot is a darkly blue-coloured wine grape, that is used as both a blending grape and for varietal wines. The name Merlot is thought to derive from the Old French word for young blackbird, merlot, a diminutive of merle, the blackbird , probably from the color of the grape. Merlot-based wines...
, 30% Cabernet Franc
Cabernet Franc
Cabernet Franc is one of the major black grape varieties worldwide. It is principally grown for blending with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in the Bordeaux style, but can also be vinified alone - as in the Loire's Chinon...
, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the world's most widely recognized red wine grape varieties. It is grown in nearly every major wine producing country among a diverse spectrum of climates from Canada's Okanagan Valley to Lebanon's Beqaa Valley...
and 5% Malbec
Malbec
Malbec is a purple grape variety used in making red wine. The grapes tend to have an inky dark color and robust tannins, and are long known as one of the six grapes allowed in the blend of red Bordeaux wine. The French plantations of Malbec are now found primarily in Cahors in the South West...
. The annual production of the Grand Vin is typically 15,000 to 20,000 bottles.
Other labels produced include the Virginie de Valandraud, 3 de Valandraud, Château Valandraud Kosher, Blanc de Valandraud N° 1 and N° 2, Bad Boy, and the declassified non-vintage vin de table
Table wine
Table wine is a wine term with two different meanings: a wine style; and a quality level within wine classification.In the United States, table wine primarily designates a wine style - ordinary wine which is neither fortified nor sparkling....
L’Interdit de V……d which was not allowed by INAO
Institut National des Appellations d'Origine
The Institut National des Appellations d'Origine is the French organization charged with regulating French agricultural products with Protected Designations of Origin . Controlled by the French government, it forms part of the Ministry of Agriculture...
to vintage date the 2000 harvest or be designated as a Saint-Émiliion wine.
External links
Château Valandraud, or Château de Valandraud, is an unclassed Bordeaux wine
Bordeaux wine
A Bordeaux wine is any wine produced in the Bordeaux region of France. Average vintages produce over 700 million bottles of Bordeaux wine, ranging from large quantities of everyday table wine, to some of the most expensive and prestigious wines in the world...
producer situated in the Saint-Émilion
Saint-Émilion
Saint-Émilion is a commune in the Gironde department in Aquitaine in southwestern France.-History:Saint-Émilion's history goes back to prehistoric times and is a World Heritage site, with fascinating Romanesque churches and ruins stretching all along steep and narrow streets.The Romans planted...
appellation
Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée
Appellation d’origine contrôlée , which translates as "controlled designation of origin", is the French certification granted to certain French geographical indications for wines, cheeses, butters, and other agricultural products, all under the auspices of the government bureau Institut National...
. The winery
Winery
A winery is a building or property that produces wine, or a business involved in the production of wine, such as a wine company. Some wine companies own many wineries. Besides wine making equipment, larger wineries may also feature warehouses, bottling lines, laboratories, and large expanses of...
is located on the Right Bank of France’s Bordeaux wine region in the commune of Saint-Émilion.
The winery also produces the second wine
Second wine
Second wine is a term commonly associated with Bordeaux wine to refer to a second label wine made from cuvee not selected for use in the Grand vin or first label...
s, Virginie de Valandraud and 3 de Valandraud, and the Kosher wine
Kosher wine
Kosher wine is grape wine produced according to Judaism's religious law, specifically, Jewish dietary laws .To be considered kosher, Sabbath-observant Jews must be involved in the entire winemaking process and any ingredients used, including finings, must be kosher...
Château Valandraud Kosher.
Jean-Luc Thunevin
In 1989 Jean-Luc Thunevin and his wife Murielle Andraud bought a 0.6 hectares (1.5 acre) plot in Saint-Émilion near Château Pavie-MacquinChâteau Pavie-Macquin
Château Pavie-Macquin is a Bordeaux wine from the appellation Saint-Émilion, ranked Premier grand cru classé B in the Classification of Saint-Émilion wine. The winery is one of three Pavie estates, along with Château Pavie and Château Pavie-Decesse, located in the Right Bank of France’s Bordeaux...
. Further plots in the region were acuired over the years, in locations such as Saint-Sulpice-de-Faleyrens
Saint-Sulpice-de-Faleyrens
Saint-Sulpice-de-Faleyrens is a commune in the Gironde department in Aquitaine in southwestern France.It is one of eight municipalities forming the jurisdiction of Saint-Emilion, which is a UNESCO World Heritage of Humanity for its historic vineyard landscape that has survived intact and in...
and Saint-Étienne-de-Lisse
Saint-Étienne-de-Lisse
Saint-Étienne-de-Lisse is a commune in the Gironde department in Aquitaine in southwestern France.-Population:-References:*...
, and a former garage to be used as a winery, releasing the first vintage in 1991 of 1,500 bottles priced at €
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
13. Exemplified as a typical "microchâteau", Thunevin is closely associated with the "garagiste"
Garagistes
The garagistes refers to a group of innovative winemakers in the Bordeaux region, producing "Vins de garage", "Garage wine". A group emerged in the mid 1990s in reaction to the traditional style of red Bordeaux wine, which is highly tannic and requires long ageing in the bottle to become drinkable...
movement, and the wine is described as the pioneer "Vin de garage". In 1995, Valandraud was given a better rating by Robert Parker
Robert M. Parker, Jr.
Robert M. Parker, Jr. is a leading U.S. wine critic with an international influence. His wine ratings on a 100-point scale and his newsletter The Wine Advocate, with his particular stylistic preferences and notetaking vocabulary, have become very influential in American wine buying and are...
than Château Pétrus
Château Pétrus
Pétrus is a Bordeaux wine estate located in the Pomerol appellation near its eastern border to Saint-Émilion. An estate of limited size, it produces a limited production red wine almost entirely from Merlot grapes, on occasion with small amounts of Cabernet Franc, and produces no second wine...
, and by 1997 the Valandraud bottle price was set at €91. The 2005 vintage was set at €165.
The Thunevins have since taken on several projects, including the first "garage wine"' of Médoc
Médoc
The Médoc is a region of France, well known as a wine growing region, located in the département of Gironde, on the left bank of the Gironde estuary, north of Bordeaux. Its name comes from Medullicus, or "country of the Medulli", the local Celtic tribe...
, Marojallia
Château Marojallia
Château Marojallia is a Bordeaux winery belonging to the appellation Margaux, in the commune of Arsac. A "microcuvée", the wine produced has been described as Médoc's first "garage wine".The estate also produces a second wine, Clos Margalaine.- History :...
, and acting as négociant distributor for several estates from Bordeaux, Languedoc-Roussillon
Languedoc-Roussillon
Languedoc-Roussillon is one of the 27 regions of France. It comprises five departments, and borders the other French regions of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, Rhône-Alpes, Auvergne, Midi-Pyrénées on the one side, and Spain, Andorra and the Mediterranean sea on the other side.-Geography:The region is...
and elsewhere, including Château Ausone
Château Ausone
Château Ausone is a Bordeaux wine from Saint-Émilion appellation, one of only two wines, along with Château Cheval Blanc, to be ranked Premier Grand Cru Classé in the Classification of Saint-Émilion wine...
, Gracia
Gracia (Saint-Émilion)
Gracia a Saint-Émilion unclassed microcuvéee winery, emerging in the late 1990s as one of the best known "Vins de garage".The winery also produces the second wine Angelots de Gracia....
, Harlan Estate
Harlan Estate
Harlan Estate is a California wine estate producing Bordeaux style blends. The estate is located on the west hills of Oakville, California within the Oakville AVA, in the Napa Valley AVA zone....
and Dominio de Pingus
Dominio de Pingus
Dominio de Pingus is a Spanish winery in the La Horra area of the Ribera del Duero region. The wine produced, Pingus, is considered a "cult wine", sold at extremely high prices while remaining very inaccessible....
.
Jean-Luc Thunevin is among the wine personalities satirised
Satire
Satire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement...
next to Robert Parker in the 2010 bande dessinée comic book
Franco-Belgian comics
Franco-Belgian comics are comics that are created in Belgium and France. These countries have a long tradition in comics and comic books, where they are known as BDs, an abbreviation of bande dessinée in French and stripverhalen in Dutch...
, Robert Parker: Les Sept Pêchés capiteux.
Production
The vineyard area currently extends 4.5 hectares (11.1 acre), with the grape varieties composed of 65% MerlotMerlot
Merlot is a darkly blue-coloured wine grape, that is used as both a blending grape and for varietal wines. The name Merlot is thought to derive from the Old French word for young blackbird, merlot, a diminutive of merle, the blackbird , probably from the color of the grape. Merlot-based wines...
, 30% Cabernet Franc
Cabernet Franc
Cabernet Franc is one of the major black grape varieties worldwide. It is principally grown for blending with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in the Bordeaux style, but can also be vinified alone - as in the Loire's Chinon...
, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the world's most widely recognized red wine grape varieties. It is grown in nearly every major wine producing country among a diverse spectrum of climates from Canada's Okanagan Valley to Lebanon's Beqaa Valley...
and 5% Malbec
Malbec
Malbec is a purple grape variety used in making red wine. The grapes tend to have an inky dark color and robust tannins, and are long known as one of the six grapes allowed in the blend of red Bordeaux wine. The French plantations of Malbec are now found primarily in Cahors in the South West...
. The annual production of the Grand Vin is typically 15,000 to 20,000 bottles.
Other labels produced include the Virginie de Valandraud, 3 de Valandraud, Château Valandraud Kosher, Blanc de Valandraud N° 1 and N° 2, Bad Boy, and the declassified non-vintage vin de table
Table wine
Table wine is a wine term with two different meanings: a wine style; and a quality level within wine classification.In the United States, table wine primarily designates a wine style - ordinary wine which is neither fortified nor sparkling....
L’Interdit de V……d which was not allowed by INAO
Institut National des Appellations d'Origine
The Institut National des Appellations d'Origine is the French organization charged with regulating French agricultural products with Protected Designations of Origin . Controlled by the French government, it forms part of the Ministry of Agriculture...
to vintage date the 2000 harvest or be designated as a Saint-Émiliion wine.
External links
Château Valandraud, or Château de Valandraud, is an unclassed Bordeaux wine
Bordeaux wine
A Bordeaux wine is any wine produced in the Bordeaux region of France. Average vintages produce over 700 million bottles of Bordeaux wine, ranging from large quantities of everyday table wine, to some of the most expensive and prestigious wines in the world...
producer situated in the Saint-Émilion
Saint-Émilion
Saint-Émilion is a commune in the Gironde department in Aquitaine in southwestern France.-History:Saint-Émilion's history goes back to prehistoric times and is a World Heritage site, with fascinating Romanesque churches and ruins stretching all along steep and narrow streets.The Romans planted...
appellation
Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée
Appellation d’origine contrôlée , which translates as "controlled designation of origin", is the French certification granted to certain French geographical indications for wines, cheeses, butters, and other agricultural products, all under the auspices of the government bureau Institut National...
. The winery
Winery
A winery is a building or property that produces wine, or a business involved in the production of wine, such as a wine company. Some wine companies own many wineries. Besides wine making equipment, larger wineries may also feature warehouses, bottling lines, laboratories, and large expanses of...
is located on the Right Bank of France’s Bordeaux wine region in the commune of Saint-Émilion.
The winery also produces the second wine
Second wine
Second wine is a term commonly associated with Bordeaux wine to refer to a second label wine made from cuvee not selected for use in the Grand vin or first label...
s, Virginie de Valandraud and 3 de Valandraud, and the Kosher wine
Kosher wine
Kosher wine is grape wine produced according to Judaism's religious law, specifically, Jewish dietary laws .To be considered kosher, Sabbath-observant Jews must be involved in the entire winemaking process and any ingredients used, including finings, must be kosher...
Château Valandraud Kosher.
Jean-Luc Thunevin
In 1989 Jean-Luc Thunevin and his wife Murielle Andraud bought a 0.6 hectares (1.5 acre) plot in Saint-Émilion near Château Pavie-MacquinChâteau Pavie-Macquin
Château Pavie-Macquin is a Bordeaux wine from the appellation Saint-Émilion, ranked Premier grand cru classé B in the Classification of Saint-Émilion wine. The winery is one of three Pavie estates, along with Château Pavie and Château Pavie-Decesse, located in the Right Bank of France’s Bordeaux...
. Further plots in the region were acuired over the years, in locations such as Saint-Sulpice-de-Faleyrens
Saint-Sulpice-de-Faleyrens
Saint-Sulpice-de-Faleyrens is a commune in the Gironde department in Aquitaine in southwestern France.It is one of eight municipalities forming the jurisdiction of Saint-Emilion, which is a UNESCO World Heritage of Humanity for its historic vineyard landscape that has survived intact and in...
and Saint-Étienne-de-Lisse
Saint-Étienne-de-Lisse
Saint-Étienne-de-Lisse is a commune in the Gironde department in Aquitaine in southwestern France.-Population:-References:*...
, and a former garage to be used as a winery, releasing the first vintage in 1991 of 1,500 bottles priced at €
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
13. Exemplified as a typical "microchâteau", Thunevin is closely associated with the "garagiste"
Garagistes
The garagistes refers to a group of innovative winemakers in the Bordeaux region, producing "Vins de garage", "Garage wine". A group emerged in the mid 1990s in reaction to the traditional style of red Bordeaux wine, which is highly tannic and requires long ageing in the bottle to become drinkable...
movement, and the wine is described as the pioneer "Vin de garage". In 1995, Valandraud was given a better rating by Robert Parker
Robert M. Parker, Jr.
Robert M. Parker, Jr. is a leading U.S. wine critic with an international influence. His wine ratings on a 100-point scale and his newsletter The Wine Advocate, with his particular stylistic preferences and notetaking vocabulary, have become very influential in American wine buying and are...
than Château Pétrus
Château Pétrus
Pétrus is a Bordeaux wine estate located in the Pomerol appellation near its eastern border to Saint-Émilion. An estate of limited size, it produces a limited production red wine almost entirely from Merlot grapes, on occasion with small amounts of Cabernet Franc, and produces no second wine...
, and by 1997 the Valandraud bottle price was set at €91. The 2005 vintage was set at €165.
The Thunevins have since taken on several projects, including the first "garage wine"' of Médoc
Médoc
The Médoc is a region of France, well known as a wine growing region, located in the département of Gironde, on the left bank of the Gironde estuary, north of Bordeaux. Its name comes from Medullicus, or "country of the Medulli", the local Celtic tribe...
, Marojallia
Château Marojallia
Château Marojallia is a Bordeaux winery belonging to the appellation Margaux, in the commune of Arsac. A "microcuvée", the wine produced has been described as Médoc's first "garage wine".The estate also produces a second wine, Clos Margalaine.- History :...
, and acting as négociant distributor for several estates from Bordeaux, Languedoc-Roussillon
Languedoc-Roussillon
Languedoc-Roussillon is one of the 27 regions of France. It comprises five departments, and borders the other French regions of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, Rhône-Alpes, Auvergne, Midi-Pyrénées on the one side, and Spain, Andorra and the Mediterranean sea on the other side.-Geography:The region is...
and elsewhere, including Château Ausone
Château Ausone
Château Ausone is a Bordeaux wine from Saint-Émilion appellation, one of only two wines, along with Château Cheval Blanc, to be ranked Premier Grand Cru Classé in the Classification of Saint-Émilion wine...
, Gracia
Gracia (Saint-Émilion)
Gracia a Saint-Émilion unclassed microcuvéee winery, emerging in the late 1990s as one of the best known "Vins de garage".The winery also produces the second wine Angelots de Gracia....
, Harlan Estate
Harlan Estate
Harlan Estate is a California wine estate producing Bordeaux style blends. The estate is located on the west hills of Oakville, California within the Oakville AVA, in the Napa Valley AVA zone....
and Dominio de Pingus
Dominio de Pingus
Dominio de Pingus is a Spanish winery in the La Horra area of the Ribera del Duero region. The wine produced, Pingus, is considered a "cult wine", sold at extremely high prices while remaining very inaccessible....
.
Jean-Luc Thunevin is among the wine personalities satirised
Satire
Satire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement...
next to Robert Parker in the 2010 bande dessinée comic book
Franco-Belgian comics
Franco-Belgian comics are comics that are created in Belgium and France. These countries have a long tradition in comics and comic books, where they are known as BDs, an abbreviation of bande dessinée in French and stripverhalen in Dutch...
, Robert Parker: Les Sept Pêchés capiteux.
Production
The vineyard area currently extends 4.5 hectares (11.1 acre), with the grape varieties composed of 65% MerlotMerlot
Merlot is a darkly blue-coloured wine grape, that is used as both a blending grape and for varietal wines. The name Merlot is thought to derive from the Old French word for young blackbird, merlot, a diminutive of merle, the blackbird , probably from the color of the grape. Merlot-based wines...
, 30% Cabernet Franc
Cabernet Franc
Cabernet Franc is one of the major black grape varieties worldwide. It is principally grown for blending with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in the Bordeaux style, but can also be vinified alone - as in the Loire's Chinon...
, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the world's most widely recognized red wine grape varieties. It is grown in nearly every major wine producing country among a diverse spectrum of climates from Canada's Okanagan Valley to Lebanon's Beqaa Valley...
and 5% Malbec
Malbec
Malbec is a purple grape variety used in making red wine. The grapes tend to have an inky dark color and robust tannins, and are long known as one of the six grapes allowed in the blend of red Bordeaux wine. The French plantations of Malbec are now found primarily in Cahors in the South West...
. The annual production of the Grand Vin is typically 15,000 to 20,000 bottles.
Other labels produced include the Virginie de Valandraud, 3 de Valandraud, Château Valandraud Kosher, Blanc de Valandraud N° 1 and N° 2, Bad Boy, and the declassified non-vintage vin de table
Table wine
Table wine is a wine term with two different meanings: a wine style; and a quality level within wine classification.In the United States, table wine primarily designates a wine style - ordinary wine which is neither fortified nor sparkling....
L’Interdit de V……d which was not allowed by INAO
Institut National des Appellations d'Origine
The Institut National des Appellations d'Origine is the French organization charged with regulating French agricultural products with Protected Designations of Origin . Controlled by the French government, it forms part of the Ministry of Agriculture...
to vintage date the 2000 harvest or be designated as a Saint-Émiliion wine.
External links