Customer reviews of Vignerons d’Exception

Dear Sir, first of all, thank you for taking the time to give your opinion on the site and on the wines you bought, both of which you described as "average". The first, Stéphane Ogier's "Le Temps est Venu", €11, here's my comment: "Stéphane Ogier's other "little" Côtes du Rhône, mostly Grenache for a change from the illustrious "Ogier Syrah". The quality-price ratio becomes indecent, but don't expect a "little" light Côtes du Rhône... It's really a superb southern Rhône that can be kept for 5 years". I still think that this wine, a great winemaker's classic that has been adopted by many customers who buy it - and repurchase it vintage after vintage - by the dozen, is excellent value for money, especially when left to age a little in the cellar. I'm sorry if you don't agree and find it "average"... but personally, I find it far superior to most of the Grenache-majority Côtes du Rhônes I've tasted throughout the year. This is also true of Stéphane Ogier's other cuvée "La Rosine" (€22), which you also found "average" (and which I invite you to taste again in a few months or years' time - you'll be pleasantly surprised, I hope). Our comments: "Rosine made the initial reputation of Domaine Stéphane Ogier. These old, unappointed Syrahs, adjacent to his Côte-Rôtie plots (and aged for 1 year in the same barrels), have helped him a great deal! Please note, this is not a "petit vin", it's a wine that can be kept for 5 years". I've been tasting thousands of wines every year for the past thirty years, and only select the ones I like with Marion and Edouard, my two tasting partners. Naturally, I'm enthusiastic about all the wines I sell because I've selected them because I particularly like them. Most of the time, I try to avoid publishing my own comments and prefer to quote reputable guides, but unfortunately the latter don't always publish comments on the "small vintages" and concentrate on the big ones when they visit a great winemaker like Stéphane Ogier. Admittedly, tasting is a very personal exercise, but given this winemaker's success around the world, I dare to hope that I'm not the only one who appreciates his wines. I sincerely hope you'll give these wines a second chance in the future... and that you'll enjoy them as much as we do. Please don't hesitate to ask us for advice if you want to find wines better suited to your tastes. We spend a lot of time on the phone with our customers, guiding them towards wines that correspond to what they're looking for. Thank you again for your feedback, which will undoubtedly enable me to temper my enthusiasm for wines that are simply good. Tristan Depauw, founder of Vignerons d'Exception.

Hello, first of all thank you for your trust and for taking the time to give us your opinion. I hope you enjoy the wines we've just delivered. Just a small point about the high shipping costs of €20 inc. VAT (we only collect €16.67, the rest goes to the taxman): the carriers charge us much more than the €16.67 we charge for delivery. The problem is that many online retailers are prepared to lose money by delivering everything virtually free of charge (and thus passing off €20 as a "high" or even exorbitant delivery charge) just to achieve "volume", without having to worry about moving a truck for each small order (because when you pay almost nothing for delivery, you're more likely to order small quantities). Unfortunately, we don't have the means, let alone the will. Certainly for reasons of profitability, but also for environmental reasons: we feel we should charge "at least a little" for delivery (unfortunately, this is still too much for you, I understand and I'm sorry!). We're convinced that it's absurd for web giants to make a €20 delivery seem "expensive", when in fact it costs even more! In order to minimize the number of deliveries and maximize the number of groupage orders, we offer the option of keeping wines free of charge while waiting for a larger groupage order, and thus paying nothing at all for delivery (offered >400€). This way, everyone, including the planet, benefits: many customers no longer order 5 times 1 box (paying €20 each time) but rather 1 time 5 boxes (paying nothing for delivery /1 truck trip instead of 5). In short, I hope you understand why we charge €20 for delivery, and that you'll group your orders so you don't have to pay anything at all :-) Once again, thank you for your trust... and your understanding... and above all, happy tasting! Tristan Depauw, founder of Vignerons d'Exception