Virginie de Valandraud 2025

Characteristics and tasting tips for Virginie de Valandraud 2025

Tasting

Appearance
This wine reveals a bright and particularly luminous colour.

Nose
The aromatic bouquet opens with remarkably pure fruit. It exudes seductive notes of crisp red and black fruits, delicately underlined by subtle floral hints.

Palate
From the very first sip, the wine is juicy and airy. The substance is carried by supple tannins that give it immediate accessibility. The whole shines through its natural balance, great subtlety and the lovely purity of its fruit.

Food and wine pairings
This cuvée pairs wonderfully with roasted red meats, such as beef fillet with cep mushrooms or tournedos. It will also brilliantly accompany lamb dishes flavoured with herbs, roasted poultry such as guinea fowl or duck, as well as slow-cooked dishes or mushroom risottos. For cheeses, opt for aged hard varieties such as Comté or Gouda.

Serving and cellaring
To fully appreciate Virginie de Valandraud 2025, it is recommended to serve it slightly chilled, at around 16°C. Decanting for two to three hours in its youth will help soften its structure. With significant cellaring potential, this vintage can be kept in the cellar for around ten years.

The elegance of a second wine from Saint-Émilion crafted by Château Valandraud

The estate
The story of Château Valandraud began in 1989 when Jean-Luc Thunevin and Murielle Andraud, the current owners, acquired a small plot in the Fongaban valley. Having become the symbol of "garage wines" in Bordeaux, this estate has experienced a meteoric rise, reaching the rank of Premier Grand Cru Classé. Today, the property extends over around ten hectares of red grape vines. A true hallmark of the Right Bank, the estate stands out for its innovative approach, recently illustrated by the creation of an environmentally friendly bioclimatic cellar.

The vineyard
The grapes used for this cuvée come exclusively from the limestone plateau located in the communes of Saint-Étienne-de-Lisse and Saint-Christophe-des-Bardes, at the heart of the Saint-Émilion appellation. The harvested area covers 10 hectares, with vines averaging 30 years old. To cope with the heat of the year, vineyard management was carefully adapted to preserve the balance of the berries, favouring measured leaf removal, rigorous grass cover management and natural foliage protection.

The vintage
The year began with a mild winter that allowed excellent water reserves to build up, leading to an early start of the vegetative cycle. The mild spring then encouraged steady growth of the vine. While the hot, dry summer temporarily slowed the plant's development, the return of rain and more moderate temperatures at the end of August relaunched the ripening process. The harvest took place from 9 to 23 September in impeccable sanitary conditions.

Vinification and ageing
Following careful vinification, the wine benefits from 18 months of ageing. This process takes place mainly in new barrels, accounting for 90%, while the remaining 10% is aged in large wooden casks. Alcohol content: 13.5% vol.

Grape varieties
90% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon.