Rhonely Boy

9.1

Tasty, nice acidity and Green Valley terroir. — a year ago

Rhonely Boy

9.1

2020 Frediani - Valdiguie

Enjoy now.

I am a fan of Valdiguie, and from the few I have had (J. Lohr, Lusu Cellars), I highly recommend Ridge Valdiguie.

Spot on, fruity, lighter-med bodied red. Gamay-ish as far as body and young fruitynotes.

More, please!


— 5 years ago

Meg Herring

8.9

This wine is under their Silt brand. I wish more wineries would make rosé of valdiguie! — 6 years ago

Ely Cohn

9.0

My second vineyard of Cruse sparkling Valdiguie and it’s good but it’s definitely the less interesting of the two. Where Deming was a pretty hazy white strawberry, Rancho Chimiles is more upfront - visuals and flavors of bright Jolly Rancher watermelon and pink strawberry starburst. A little overpriced at $35.

Still searching for Ultramarine in Texas - help? — 6 years ago

JKT

9.0

Surprising and refreshing Cali red. First taste of Valdiguie. Color like Gamay. Nose palate finish all lively and fresh and excellent with food. Good Acker buy. — 7 years ago

Garret Walter

9.1

Get this was more complex that his previous valdiguie petnats. Still has watermelon on the palette, but much more restrained. Pale orange in the glass. Touch of brioche. Slightly bitter finish. — 8 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

It’s a weekend of 95’s. We had a bottle of their 96 about a year ago. Time to try the 95. On the nose; I get dark currants, a cognac/eau de vie character, ripe; blackberries, dark cherries, stewed black plum, black raspberries, blueberries, anise, cinnamon, vanilla, light spice, black tea, dark cola, light eucalyptus, bay leaf, dry top soil, crushed dry rocks, dry stems and fresh & dry dark florals. The body is medium with soft, round Rutherford dusty tannins. It’s very integrated, layered and complex. The fruits are fresh, ripe and juicy. Blackberries, dark cherries, stewed black plum, black raspberries, blueberries, strawberries paint the background, cognac/eau de vie character, mocha, caramel, dark spice, light clove, cinnamon, vanilla, suede style leather, dart crushed rocks, dry top soil, dry stems, eucalyptus, bay leaf, mint, steeped tea, violets and fresh & dry dark florals. The acidity is excellent. The structure is still rather big for a wine that’s been in the bottle 20 years. Great length and balance. The long finish is gorgeously lush and beautiful. This 95 might be a touch better than the 96 from a year ago. Still has another 7-10 years of good drinking ahead. Appreciate the 13.5% alcohol. Much more palatable than the 14.5/15-15+ in today’s Napa Cabernet’s. I am more and more convinced that not only is the Tapestry a great value, but you should wait 20 years in the right vintages to enjoy them. There’re just simply that much better! Photos of; the tasting building on Hwy 29, Founder Georges de Latour, sunset road signage and their tasting room. Since they are one of the first Napa wineries, here are their historical and producer notes. BV took its name from the French translation of the term “Beautiful Place”. BV was founded in 1904 by Georges de Latour when he obtained 40 acres of vines cultivated in the late 1870’s. His first purchase in California came when Latour bought the Ewer and Atkinson Winery. The purchase came with a vineyard first cultivated in 1880. Those purchases became larger in 1907 when he obtained the Hastings vineyard just east from Rutherford. Around the time of those purchases, Georges de Latour moved from France to California. He was no stranger to the wine industry as he was well known for selling phylloxera resistant root stock to growers in California. The vineyard started to come together in 1900, when Georges de Latour began purchasing vines in Rutherford. The initial wines released by BV were made from purchased grapes, or wines that were produced by other growers, as their vineyards were not yet productive. Georges de Latour was a person who never passed on a good opportunities. During Prohibition, he purchased vineyards at reduced prices, as they were being abandoned. BV managed to thrive during Prohibition due to their production of wine for religious services. BV was one of the first Napa Valley estates to begin using modern, French wine making techniques. They also credited for making the first wine produced from mostly Cabernet Sauvignon, BV Private Reserve. None of this could have been accomplished without the assistance of Andre Tchelistcheff. Andre was hired by Georges de Latour and moved to California from France in 1938. Andre was responsible for introducing many of the modern wine making techniques that were used in Europe. It was Andre who began thinking about frost protection during the growing season. He also pioneered the need for proper sanitation and the use of small, French oak barrels for aging of the wine. He also insisted that malolactic fermentation become part of the wine making process. Andre eliminated pasteurization and introduced the technique of cold fermentation to increase the color and concentration of the wine. As well, Andre introduced modern, viticulture practices of Europe. He began replanting the vineyards with higher levels of density, reducing the amount of sulfur used in the vineyards. More importantly, Andre focused on planting high quality French grape varietals. It was Andre that helped Cabernet Sauvignon get its start in the Napa Valley. He was also responsible for bringing Pinot Noir to Napa, but soon agreed that the cooler climates of Sonoma was better for growing Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Geroges de Latour passed away in 1940. After his passing, day to day operations were taken over by his wife and daughter, with the continued aid of Andre Tchelistcheff. The company continued to grow and by the early 1960’s BV was selling nearly a 100,000 cases of wine per year. In 1969, BV was sold to Heublin. The winery was later purchased by Diageo, who in turn sold the vineyards to Australia’s Treasury Wine Estates in 2015. BV is one of the largest land owners in Napa Valley with more 1,100 acres under vine. Their best parcels are located in the Rutherford appellation. They’ve planted of all the major Bordeaux varieties, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot. Additionally some, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Zinfandel and Petite Sirah. They also maintain a vineyard that is used to experiment with a wide variety of different grape varieties including; Carignane, Petite Sirah and Valdiguie. — 9 years ago

Neil Blaze

9.3

Big, juicy, candied fruits abound here. Aromas of cherries and blueberries, and flavors of plum and black raspberry. All around a very enjoyable bottle of wine and a terrific pairing with pulled pork! 93% Carignane, 7% Valdiguie. 6/1/22. — 4 years ago

Brian Kaufman

9.2

I am continually impressed with the wines from this small family run winery in Calistoga. Their Valdiguie is one of my favorites. — 5 years ago

Erik Helms

Sommelier/Wine & Beer Buyer Whole Foods Oakland

9.1

Fresh and light, just 11%. Love Broc’s hands off style. Mostly Valdiguie, with some zin and trousseau this vintage. Nice zip and texture to it. — 6 years ago

Ely Cohn

8.9

Broc is the gateway drug to natural wine. He makes very good stuff, but not necessarily innovative or boundary pushing. And for me, his star horse is and always has been Chenin. So it goes with the 2018 Valdiguie Pet Nat. It’s good but not excellent. Fine for fun. Bright pink and candied red fruit, grapefruit, bitter citrus. Jovial and celebratory. — 6 years ago

Ely Cohn

9.2

Pineau d’Aunis is cultish now, finding its way into any situation that has previously worked for Gamay, Valdiguie, Grolleau, or Pinot Noir. Glowing shade of cranberry and a little bit murky with gorgeous aromatics. Perfumed Palo Santo incensed with dark red cherries, spruce, pine, menthol, and cinnamon. The texture has a little weight, plenty of minerals, and pyrazine from some stem inclusion.

And I love the end - pine and iodine and red candied cherry. — 7 years ago

Ben Christen

9.0

Always solid - broc valdiguie — 8 years ago

Neil Blaze

8.9

Tart cranberry and cherry flavors and racy acidity. There was also a sour, yeasty component on the back palate that was slightly redolent of sourdough bread. Interesting. Nonetheless an enjoyable bottle for all its funkiness. 100% Valdiguie. 7/4/22. — 4 years ago

Adam Beasley

9.0

Paso Valdiguie. Deeper and fuller bodied than any other valdiguie I have ever had, but maintains a M+ level acid...with ripe blueberry, tart raspberry, and blackberry cobbler. Even with the full body it’s still super easy-drinking... reminded me of a warm year Sonoma Pinot. Very fairly priced at $20. — 6 years ago

Ty Agens

9.6

Live Red. Carignan, valdiguie and Syrah blend. Super delicious and fun. — 6 years ago

Matt Sterr

8.9

Nero D’avola, Zinfandel and Valdiguie. Oldest Nero vines in Cali (33 Years). Made in a young, fresh style. Nouveau-ish. — 7 years ago

Jeffrey Zhao

9.0

Fresh berries, pomegranate, black currants, with hint of cacao and chalkiness on the finish. Light and easy to drink with mild tannins. Valdiguie shines through. — 7 years ago

Jake Rubash

9.3

The Valdiguie was kind of meh, got better with air but the Carignan... this is a wild f’in wine. I honestly don’t know what’s happening in my mouth but it’s some combination of red fruit and salted meat. Kind of stopped me in my tracks as I said “wtf is this” — 8 years ago

Pete Turley

9.0

Blackberries and cherries... lots of fruit up front... Nuge and light, great with food. — 9 years ago