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Viinin Kuvailu
The Story
To say Château Valandraud has an unusual history is a massive understatement. This unique estate was built completely from scratch, fueled by the sheer passion and grit of its self-taught founder, Jean-Luc Thunevin—a former banker and Saint-Émilion wine merchant—and his wife, Murielle Andraud.
Determined to make wine strictly on their own terms, the couple started small, buying a tiny 0.6-hectare plot in Saint-Émilion’s Fongaban valley. Th...
Wine Information
In 1989, Jean-Luc Thunevin and Murielle Andraud bought a small 0.6-hectare plot of vines, with the dream of making great St. Emilion wine. The name of the estate is personal: Valandraud is a combination of the location and something more meaningful. The Val comes from Vallon de Fongaban, the second part, Andraud, is Murielle’s maiden name.
Things have changed at the estate since its birth. They Andraud’s have acquired more land and, perhap...
Vuosikerta 2011
The 2011 vintage is not easy to handle.
Smith Haut Lafitte not only makes great white and red wine from Bordeaux in Pessac Léognan, they are also at the cutting edge of technology. They were one of the first Bordeaux wine producers to begin using optical sorting, which came in handy with the difficult 2011 Bordeaux harvest. Fabien Teitgen, long-time general manager, joined us for a long detailed conversation about what happened at Smith Hau...
