2022 Chateau Valandraud Premier Grand Cru Saint-Emilion

100 points from Jeb Dunnuck, $150/bottle, and the best price in the nation out of 40+ sites. Need we say more?

In the 1990s, when an insurgent band of gifted Right Bank vintners took aim at the icons, Jean-Luc Thunevin and château Valandraud led the way.

Today, Valandraud holds once-thought-impossible Premier Grand Cru Classé B status. The 2022, with its perfect score, not only sits alongside Cheval Blanc, which goes for $780, but also ahead of priceless Pomerols Le Pin and Petrus, which go for $4,300 and $7,300! 

The old guard tried to smear vintners like Thunevin—farming their small, unglamorous parcels and working in makeshift facilities—as “garagistes.” The upstarts shrugged their shoulders, wore the title as a badge of honor, and went about making hedonistic, modern Bordeaux that dazzled the world’s most influential critics. Valandraud’s reputation was solidified when it topped the venerable Petrus in Robert Parker’s ratings. 

Since then, Valandraud has joined the big leagues, sharing Premier Grand Cru Classé B status with names like Canon and Pavie-Macquin. Miraculously, the wine is still a huge bargain, especially in years when it tops the charts—years just like 2022.

Full-bodied, deep, dark, and hedonistic, this is the exact kind of wine that wooed Parker back in the day. Whether you’re a dyed-in-the-wool garagiste fan or simply looking to get the biggest bang for your Bordeaux buck, cellaring this is a can’t-lose move—especially at this price.