Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.3

2018 vintage. Picked the last two bottles at Hi-Time Wine Cellars in Costa Mesa, CA for $119 a btl. Had not seen this producer in the wild since the 1994 vintage.The namesake producer passed away years ago and the daughter has been making the wines for some time now. The old wines I was familiar with were dialed slightly down from the Coche-Dury style but still oaky and fleshy. This was more delicate, light-medium body, with floral attributes and a splash of white pepper. Saved a glass' worth and tasted the following day. Wine had gained a little weight to medium body and the complexity fanned out like a spider web on the palate whereas, beforehand, it was a steady stream of solo notes. Should have decanted but will do so with the last bottle. And yes, I asked if they had any Chenevottes or Caillerets or Maltroye or the like in the back at the time of purchase. Alas...nein. 11.4.25. — 8 months ago

Cecilia Sánchez

9.0

Dic 15, 2021 Water Grill Restaurant, Costa Mesa, CA : Eugenia, Kevin, Keanu, Joaquin, Leo y yo (cena antes del Ballet Nutcracker) — 5 years ago

Daniel Bloom

9.0

N: Big red roses, pomegranates, cherries,Rhubarb.
a herbal, savory note like thyme.
P: Acidity out the wazoo. Bright red fruits, Cranberries, tartness, but balanced. Light tannic structure but chewy. Tart/sweet/savory .Big flowers — 5 years ago

with Sarah

Michael Walker

9.8

Major relief after all the CA Pinot fruit bombs....let open awhile — 6 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.3

A great CA sparkler. Pale lemon with aromas of stone fruits, citrus and biscuit notes. On the palate apples and lemon juice with toasty nutty notes and bread dough. Long finish ending with mineral and yeasty character. Very nice. Limited quantities! Had this twice, bought a few bottles, ages well. — 6 years ago

Benoit Duhamel

9.2

Un beau chambolle. Bouche soyeuse assez claire. Un nez de fruits rouges invitant avec une acidité présente qui integre tout. En finesse, ca pinotte bien. Tres charmeur. — 7 years ago

Ivar M

9.8

An amazing Amarone. Air or decant well before drinking. Full bouquet of overripe red fruits, leather and mint. Luscious, very full-bodied and with a very long finish. Great with truffle, mushrooms, porcini and beef Wellington. — 7 years ago

with Marcel and Hanneke

Doug Powers

8.9

Honey and lemon aromas and flavors in this solid aged CA Rhone Blanc, 75% Roussanne in this particular vintage, nice balance, good weight and depth, lingering finish, only thing missing is the oily, viscous component that many French Rhone Blanc made predominantly with Roussanne or Marsanne often exhibit. A bottle we had of this exact same wine back in February of this year showed much better. — 9 months ago

with Jim

Jay Kline

9.0

Popped and poured; consumed over two days. Best on day two. The 2019 “Ca’ del Buc” pours a slightly glass staining ruby; medium+ viscosity. On the nose, this is funky tart plums and cherries and something reminiscent of an alleyway on a warm day…but in a good way. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium tannin and medium+ acid. Tart dark and red fruits with minerals. Lip smacking finish. This is a rustic Barbera and a killer value with unmistakable Piedmontese sensibilities. I’m grabbing a case. — 4 years ago

Nicolas Duchesneau

9.3

Belle bouteille, très aromatique au nez et en bouche, fruits rouges croquants, ca evolue tout au long de la journée, les epices, le herbes (thym), petit cote terreux et animal. C’est complexe, belle acidité, bien structuré, on en veut plus. Excellent — 5 years ago

Nicolas Duchesneau

8.9

Tres fermé au nez, en bouche c’est un peu plus expressif, cerises acidulées, épices principalement la cannelle, amertume en fin de bouche, c’est tres bien fait, un beau futur devant lui mais comme l’à mentionné @Mario Vaillancourt c’est tres jeune — 6 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

I have mentally thought about doing this post for quite awhile. Opening this 2003 Verdignan brought on the appropriate moment. I am a believer in paying respects and it’s the basis of this post.

We learn to drink certain wines from the regions we live near or from the people we learn & enjoy wine with as we walk the road to understanding what we really enjoy. I started as an exclusive CA Chardonnay drinker for many years before moving on to nearly every varietal and regions offer. Next was Napa Cabernets which, led me to my true love, red Bordeaux. It was a bit of curve getting there but, once I had them with proper aging, I was hooked for life.

While my curiosity got me to Bordeaux wines, there one person that helped shape my Bordeaux palate and I agreed with more than anyone else’s, including every well known wine critics at that time and even today after spending 10 weeks learning from several Master Sommeliers on my way to passing the Court of Master Sommeliers exam and becoming a Sommelier myself. This person is Clyde Beffa Jr., Owner of K&L Wine Merchants.

Clyde has been traveling to Bordeaux for over 40 years and sometimes multiple times in a year. His palate and experience are second to none. Especially, when it comes to Bordeaux.

I owe him a lot. He taught me the importance of letting good Bordeaux’s age 20 years plus. What were the jewel value producers. Brought in Bordeaux wines direct from the Chateaus that had 10 years of bottle age and older. Bordeaux’s that critics did not like young but, he knew something special had taken place over time as he was tasting them much later in their lives and often. I bought and drank a lot of these wines. They also kept temptation at bay in me reaching for my too young and more expensive wines.

He is very kind and kind enough to allow me to travel with him & key staffers to the 2014 En Premier to taste what was a very difficult 2013 Bordeaux vintage. You can go to En Premier and then there is going with Clyde. You have all the key appointments, Chateau accommodations/dinners and taste somewhere around 1500 plus wines in 6 days. He is loved by the Bordelais and for good reason.

So, I dedicate this post to him. He is the one who told me to buy this little known 2003 Verdignan at the same “Affordable Bordeaux Tasting” I mentioned in my Chateau de Candale post on Friday. As of Friday, that was the wine of the tasting. Well…until I coravined this slowly over the weekend. This 2003 was under $25 and it is one of the very best Bordeaux’s I had in some time. As well, perhaps the best QPR in my over 20 years collecting wine. Clyde knew that day just how good it would become. He said, forget about this for 20 years. So, I am a little early here.

Clyde has recommended more great Bordeaux’s to me that most people don’t hear about, let alone try. He told me to buy the poorly reviewed 91 Pichon Lalande when he brought more into the store seven years ago Chateau direct. It was a very difficult vintage with spring frost, hail storm and a difficult growing season. He described as “Heaven in a Bottle” and It most certainly the case. To this day, Pichon Lalande is my favorite steak wine and the 91 is still my favorite vintage. I purchased a 3L from him recently that he brought in direct from the Chateau for my 60th next year. Can’t wait to open that with our good friends and celebrate.

As for the Verignan, the nose reveals; dark brooding & slightly bake fruits of; blackberries, black raspberries, dark cherries, black plum, some poached strawberries & haunting blue fruits. Black tea, forest floor with leaves, anise, limestone, moist clay, dry crushed rocks, dry stones, beautiful, mid intensity dark spice, dry tobacco, graphite, mixed dark berry cola, understated, well layered baking spices; clove, nutmeg, cinnamon & vanilla, dry herbs, mint with candied; dark, red, blue and purple florals.

The body is full, rich, lush, satiny with plenty of well rounded, soften tannins. The tension, structure, length and balance are excellent and will continue to improve. This will last another 15 years and beyond with proper storage. This is a very classic Bordeaux well balance in fruit and earth. It is sheer elegance on the palate. It’s why I love Bordeaux more than Napa and I love Napa Valley Cabernet. Dark brooding & slightly bake, ripe fruits of; blackberries, black raspberries, dark cherries, black plum, boysenberries, some poached strawberries & haunting blue fruits. Black tea, dark chocolate bar, touch of mocha powder, light caramel notes, Expresso notes, forest floor with leaves, anise, limestone, moist clay, dry crushed rocks, dry stones, beautiful, mid intensity dark Asian & Indian spices with just right amount of palate heat, dry tobacco, graphite, dry twigs with a little sap, mixed dark berry cola, understated, well layered baking spices; clove, nutmeg, cinnamon & vanilla, dry herbs/sage, mint with candied; dark, red, blue and purple florals. The acidity is round and nearly perfect. The long finish is, classic, elegant, well balance fruit and earthy Bordeaux that persists softly on the palate for minutes with just the right amount of spice.
This is a heady wine that you really think about as you slowly sip and it affects your whole body. Can’t wait to have another in five years.

Photos of; Chateau Vergignan in Medoc near St. Estephe, their vineyard that reveals where Bordeaux gets its earthiness, Owner Jean Miaihle who acquired the property in 1972 and a wide shot of their vines. — 6 years ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.5

2014 vintage. Last tasted 04.20.22 (9.5). Still tight but behind all the subterfuge, clouds, white lies, deception and smoke, there is a fantastic show slowly being assembled. All the performers are there and you've watched plenty of the rehearsals. Another 8-10 years will likely find this in the 9.6 and maybe 9.7 zone when the curtain finally rises. Built for future speed. If you've got the time and ca$hi$h, put a case aside and start tapping in 2035. This goes places wine doesn't have a right to. It's not asking for permission. 01.30.25. — a year ago

Mike Saviage

9.7

Tasted blind. Dark reddish tawny, almost opaque. "Wild ass nose" my notes say. Notes of red fruit, plums, spice, moist earth, a little mocha and some old leather. Lively fruit matched with a nice structure. I'm in old Bordeaux land with my guess of 61 Mouton. Table talk points out how ultra rare this bottle is, with those in the know viewing it as one of the best CA cabs ever made. Hard for me to argue that as it sits next to the 74 Heitz MV and goes toe to toe with it all night. — 3 years ago

Fredybeans

9.0

Vin assez simple manque de profondeur et ou de gourmandise
Je m attendais à vraiment mieux et 2005 enterré ce millesime en l état — 5 years ago

Ramon Pyramus

9.2

Heel bijzonder gedronken met Geerten, kan 2021. Gekocht in Jordaan zomer 2019 (ca €20) — 5 years ago

Adam Gäfvert

9.1

Roligt och seriöst vingårdslägesvin från bulkiga Valpolicella. Regionen (som mot ev. fördomar) har svalt klimat påverkat av de närliggande alperna. Vinbär, körsbär, sötlakrits, pipa, örter med lite balsamiska toner. Drickmoget med bra skjuts ner i strupen. — 6 years ago

Jordi Pazo

9.3

Hotel Majestic. La Gran Nit del Priorat.
28.02.20 — 6 years ago

John Hagood

9.0

From Schneider’s $30 in ca 2012 Drank on 7/24/19. Menthol eucalyptus. Grit is in the nose not in taste. Lean. Pine cones mulch black topsoil blackberry. Only fine sediment. — 7 years ago

Marc Melser

9.1

We had this on 1/30-31/18. A really good well balanced, full bodied wine with a smooth finish. Tastes of dark fruit and violets. Could be mistaken for a CA Cab. — 8 years ago