Garage Wine/Garagiste originated in Bordeaux in the mid-1990s.A group of winemakers emerged at that time committed to breaking the tradition of the new trend movement, adhering to the philosophy of "lower production, better quality", a number of mini wineries were born. Due to its small size, in order to save the cost of brewing, some wineries had to choose to be in the cellar/garage as the venue for brewing, hence the name of garage wine, Chateau de Valandraud is the charter of garage wine.
Jean-Luc Thunevin, who single-handedly founded Chateau de Valandraud, his life story is absolutely inspiring enough to be made into a movie for the big screen.Jean-Luc Thunevin was born in Algeria and was only a 9-year-old boy when he moved to France in 1960. He was a lumberjack at 16 and a bank teller at 25. All of this had nothing to do with wine.
Everything is arranged by itself. Before he started brewing, Jean Luc Thunevin opened a small restaurant and bar called TERTRE in St. Emilion. At that time, the bar had a regular customer who was an employee of Petrus. Jean Luc Thunevin was so attracted that he decided to write a letter to the owner of Petus, hoping to purchase two bottles of wine. Then he received an unexpected reply. The letter probably reads like this: Petrus never retails, the rules are unbreakable, but because of your care for the employees of Petrus, you are given two bottles of 1955 Petrus wine.
So Jean Luc Thunevin opened these two wines at his wife's birthday party, and it was this tasting experience that gave Jean Luc Thunevin the idea of brewing wine.
In 1989, Jean Luc Thunevin bought 0.6 hectares of land for €150,000 through a loan, when there was no place to brew, Jean Luc Thunevin and his wife joined forces to convert a garage into a left brewery. 1991 was the first grape harvest year, and the two worked together with relatives and friends from picking, destemming, breaking the skin, pressing, and fermenting. The process is all done by hand, aged in new French oak barrels.
Surprisingly, the exceptional quality Chateau Valandraud wines made Jean Luc Thunevin’s winery famous overnight, shocking the entire wine industry. Jean Luc Thunevin was interviewed by four famous European television stations in one day. All the people in the industry are scrambling to taste and talk about his wine. There is a saying that "once you climb the dragon's gate, the price will be tenfold".
In September 1996, the world's most famous wine auction house, Sotheby's, auctioned the 1991 Chateau Valandraud, and each bottle fetched a high price of $1,000. It sold in 1992 and 1993 at equally high prices. In the past decade, the selling price was 20% to 30% higher than that of Lafite. Now, although prices have leveled off, it remains one of the ten most expensive wines in Bordeaux. In 2000, the 1996 vintage of Chateau Valandraud was sold for $1,000 each in France, twice as much as the 1996 vintage Whitehorse. Since then garage wine has become synonymous with high quality and low production
Jean Luc Thunevin's boldness, talent, and innovative ideas led top wine critics to jokingly call his flower name - Badboy, and the title of Bordeaux bad boy followed Jean Luc Thunevin
Château Valandau was eventually included in Mr. Parker's book - The World's Greatest Wine Estates, along with more than 100 famous wineries in the world
The book reviews “Château Valandau, although not officially classified, has been rated as one of the best wineries in the Bordeaux region by many professional wine critics. Jean Luc Thunevin has made a huge contribution to the development of the Bordeaux region by motivating a new generation of young and energetic wine winemakers to produce increasingly high quality wines.
Eventually, in September 2012, Château Valandau was officially classified as Premier Grand Cru Classe B by the Bordeaux Regional Industry Association CIVB. In the traditional and conservative land of Bordeaux, more impossibility has been achieved by moving a group of conservative-minded wine aristocrats
Region
Domaine Valanzo boasts exceptional terroir, with soils primarily composed of limestone and clay. The red grape varieties planted include 65% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Malbec, and 1% Carmenere. The white grape varieties are mainly Sauvignon Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, and Semillon. To this day, the winery maintains unwavering commitment to high grape quality, employing extremely rigorous standards for manual selection, adhering to a "better to have less than better" philosophy, strictly controlling the source and selecting grapes at ideal ripeness for the winemaking process.
Winemaking
In winemaking, the winery combines traditional and modern techniques. Grapes are hand-harvested at optimal ripeness and undergo an initial selection process in the vineyard, followed by a highly rigorous second selection in the winery. After selection, the grapes undergo alcoholic fermentation in various containers (stainless steel tanks, concrete tanks, and oak barrels), followed by a three-week maceration period with manual treading to fully extract color, tannins, and flavor compounds. The wine then undergoes malolactic fermentation in oak barrels. Next, it ages for 18-30 months in 100% new French oak barrels, for which the winery invests heavily each year in replacing the barrels with expensive new ones. Finally, the wine is bottled unfiltered and unclarified.
Rating
Vinous 98 pts
One of the stars of the vintage, the 2017 Valandraud has turned out even better than I expected. It was magnificent in two separate tastings. Deep and sumptuous, the 2017 possesses off-the-charts intensity and power. Dark red cherry, red plum, chocolate, licorice and spice build as this explosive wine shows off its personality. The tannins are velvety and ultra-refined, acidity provides wonderful lift, leading to an epic, mineral-driven finish. There are only a few wines in 2017 that are truly exciting and viscerally thrilling. Valandraud is one of them.
James Suckling 96 pts
Lots of beautiful blueberry and blackberry fruits here. Medium to full body, round and very polished tannins and a flavorful finish. Wet-earth undertones. Velvety mouthfeel at the end. Intense, ripe dark plums and berries with graphite and stones, as well as fresh, cedary oak. This has powerful yet very seamless and intense fruit presence with a very concentrated array of ripe dark plums and rich, assertive fruit, which builds smoothly on the finish. Impressive poise here.
Wine Spectator 96 pts
Gorgeous blackberry, boysenberry and raspberry compote flavors flow out from the core, enveloping the apple wood, anise and black tea frame as they move. Offers a gorgeous feel, ample depth, lovely polish and fine underlying acidity throughout. Vibrant dark fruit gains subtle smoky and graphite inflections on the long finish, with ripe tannins wrapped neatly around every layer. A terrific, concentrated showing for the vintage.
Wine Enthusiast 96 pts
This richly extracted wine showcases the opulent, concentrated style that made Valandraud famous as the original garage wine. Jammy black plum and black cherry are front and center, accented by dark chocolate, anise, violet and damp soil notes. Tannins are velvety and finely grained, held in check by bright, zesty acidity that prevents heaviness. Deep, persistent mineral length defines the finish, with lingering oak spice. Powerful yet refined, built for long-term cellaring over two decades.
Wine Advocate 95 pts
The deep garnet-purple colored 2017 Valandraud gives up crushed blackcurrants, chocolate-covered cherries and espresso on the nose with hints of licorice, tar and smoked meats. The palate is medium-bodied with a solid frame of ripe, sweet tannins and just enough freshness to contain the bombastic fruit, finishing long and berry-laced. A majestic, sumptuous wine, the interplay of the rich red and raspberry fruit along with underlying tension give the 2017 explosive energy to balance its natural sumptuousness.
