Customer reviews of Vignerons d’Exception

Trust Attestation
9,7 /10
Overall rating: 9,7 out of 10
Based on 2 780 published reviews

Summary of reviews

The online store Vignerons d'Exception is celebrated for its exceptional selection of wines, with customers frequently highlighting the remarkable quality and variety available. Many express their satisfaction with the thoughtful advice provided, which helps them discover new and exquisite wines that cater to their tastes. Delivery services are consistently praised for being fast and reliable, with many orders arriving on time and in excellent condition.

Reviews 1 and 3 stars

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Yvon F.
Rating: 3 out of 5
following a purchase from 15/12/2025
The wine is excellent but delivery by carrier is complicated if one is a bit absent. Why not use a pickup point?
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Response from Vignerons d’Exception
Thank you, Sir, for your comment. We work every day to try to make delivery smoother, but indeed it is sometimes (thankfully quite rarely) difficult to deliver expensive and fragile fine wines directly to our clients when they are not often at home. Unfortunately, the pickup point is often limited to a few bottles, does not respect the wine at all, and our clients would hold it against us in case of defects, even if they themselves left their wine for a week in an overheated tobacco shop before picking it up. Not to mention the packages that come back to us (at our expense) because clients simply did not go to pick them up. We do not (yet) have the means to bear the additional costs incurred by this solution, which is poorly suited to the quality of the wines we sell, and we are sorry about that. However, we are trying to improve the communication from carriers (SMS, calls, choice of delivery days) and are working hard to improve their service in 2026. We hope it will be well received. Thank you again for your trust and sincerity. Tristan Depauw.
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régis M.
Rating: 1 out of 5
following a purchase from 31/10/2025
Delivery is really problematic
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Response from Vignerons d’Exception
Dear Sir, first of all thank you for your loyalty, and thank you for taking the time to give a first review for your fourteenth order. I hope that the first thirteen deliveries went well, and I owe you an apology for the fourteenth, which displeased you. Indeed, during the busy Christmas period, the carriers (at least the few who still accept to deliver to individuals, who are not always at home) do not systematically respect our requests, and yours for a call the day before to set a reduced and precise delivery time slot was not respected. I am sorry and I ask you again to excuse us for this. Rest assured that we will be extra vigilant if you renew your trust so that the next delivery goes smoothly, as we try to do for all our customers. Best regards, Tristan Depauw
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Xavier M.
Rating: 1 out of 5
following a purchase from 23/03/2025
The delivery by your carrier is a deal breaker for a new purchase (call the same morning at 7 am to deliver in the morning, wrong address from the driver...).
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Response from Vignerons d’Exception
Dear Sir, we are sorry for the driver's rudeness regarding the delivery of your fifth order with us. I imagine that the first four went well since 2021 as you have never left a review. We sincerely apologize for the early morning call from the delivery person; he is generally not allowed to contact customers before 8 am, and we will investigate this issue to prevent it from happening again. As for the 'wrong address', we provide the exact address given by our customers at the time of their order to the delivery drivers, an address that we reproduce in the order confirmation email for final validation and any last-minute corrections before shipping. We do not quite understand why the driver would have looked for a 'wrong' address, but since he did not respect his scheduled commitments, he may have indeed invented another address... We will look into this to prevent it from happening again in the future. Fortunately, the vast majority of delivery drivers follow the instructions. If you would be kind enough to forgive us for this blunder and consider us again for your next order, please know that we will do everything to ensure your delivery goes smoothly. The only excuse we could find for the delivery company is that many active customers in the Paris region appreciate early morning deliveries before heading to work... So the drivers are not quite sure how to differentiate. That said, this does not excuse a morning call at 7 am, of course, if it was not agreed upon in advance, as it should have been. I also thank you for the 4*/5 ratings given to the wines you ordered, and I appreciate that you have distinguished between the deplorable service you experienced and the quality of the wines received. Thank you again for your trust, and enjoy your tastings. Tristan Depauw
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didier D.
Rating: 3 out of 5
following a purchase from 11/01/2024
On the positive side, the selection of wines is sharp and rare vintages are available. On the other hand, the packaging is a little light for the quality of the bottles ordered and, above all, the delivery time is too long (11 days) and there's no way of tracking the order. Compared to what is done elsewhere, these last points need to be improved.
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Response from Vignerons d’Exception
Hello Sir, and thank you for taking the time to give us feedback. We're sorry about the exceptionally long time it took our DB Schenker carrier to deliver to you. It's true that it's difficult to deliver perfectly in the south of France (in this case the Herault, but also sometimes the Bouches du Rhône), but in this case we've broken records and we apologize. When questioned, the carrier couldn't even explain why... Our average delivery time in France is 4 to 5 working days, and more like 2 in Paris... but these are average times. In the event of a new delivery (in other words, if you were to renew your confidence in us), we would insist on prompt delivery and would monitor this closely. As far as packaging is concerned, we use the winemakers' original cartons. They are the ones who choose their cartons, wooden crates, etc. and as a matter of principle, we don't throw away the winegrowers' brand-new cartons to repackage the bottles in new, sturdier packaging, sometimes with polystyrene. Of course, in the event of the slightest problem (and indicated on the delivery note at the time of delivery), as the wines are insured, they are replaced or reimbursed. But this is very rare, as the wines are handled by a carrier deliberately chosen for its specialization in "old-fashioned" wine delivery, so while online tracking is impossible, the cartons are handled with care at every stage, and not just when they're delivered to your door. To reassure you, we do have a computerized tracking system, and we are happy to inform our customers by telephone of the progress of their delivery, just as we advise them on their choices... Again, the old-fashioned way :-). But it's true that we don't control everything - the proof is in the time it takes to deliver... but we still think, as is very rare (once again, apologies, it was you), that it's preferable to go through industrialized behemoths who have automated online tracking, but with whom it's impossible to have the slightest human contact in the event of a grain of sand in the wheels and who, incidentally, (mis)handle the wine on conveyor belts, which can let them "fall" from quite a height (the UPS standard is 2 meters, hence the fact that they impose specific packaging). A vast debate... which is obviously not over, and delivery and packaging are an ongoing concern, the result of "least bad" trade-offs more than anything else... Tristan Depauw, President and Founder of Vignerons d'Exception, who, after 30 years of home delivery, still hasn't found the ideal service provider!
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pierre P.
Rating: 1 out of 5
following a purchase from 16/01/2024
On two identical cartons of wine. The wines are different. Return from the seller, no problem circulé y rien à voir!
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Response from Vignerons d’Exception
Dear Sir, thank you for taking the time to write your comment. I am very surprised by it, as we had a long conversation on the phone... Following a meal in a restaurant where you enjoyed the wine, you then bought two cartons of this wine from us. One for you and one for a friend. You didn't like the wine, and your friend liked it. The same wine. Does this mean that the wines are different, or that you don't necessarily like the same wines? We talked about this on the phone, and passed on your problem to the winemaker, with whom we also discussed your disappointment. In agreement with the latter, we told you that there had never been any concern about the quality of this wine, and that two cartons could not be different since there was only one bottling for this €20 cuvée... Our conclusion is that you don't like this Syrah, while so many others do, and we're sorry about that. But all tastes are natural. So no, it's not a case of "move along, there's nothing to see", on the contrary, we're concerned about your concern, but perhaps you simply don't like this wine, perhaps the one you tasted at the restaurant was in a different context, a different cuvée, as the winemaker produces many, or from a different vintage, obviously lighter than the one you bought from us (if you wait a little, the very young and vigorous wine you bought from us will undoubtedly be more tasty and delicate in a few years' time). In short, we're once again sorry that the wine doesn't remind you of what you enjoyed at the restaurant, and still pleased that it pleases your friend, as it pleases us very much too. As we always say, please don't hesitate to call or email us for advice, telling us what you like and what you're looking for in the bottles you're going to buy, and we'll do everything we can to avoid disappointment. And if you're looking for a wine you've tasted in a restaurant, we'll ask you, before we sell you a case, "what's the vintage"? Because two different vintages necessarily give two different wines, even if it's the same cuvée. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us. Tristan Depauw, president and founder of Vignerons d'Exception.
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Remy B.
Rating: 3 out of 5
following a purchase from 07/12/2023
Delivery too long!
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pascal L.
Rating: 3 out of 5
following a purchase from 11/10/2023
Just a glowing description of a good wine! It's counterproductive to praise everything you suggest,
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Response from 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.
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Vincent R.
Rating: 3 out of 5
following a purchase from 14/09/2023
Top wine. On the other hand, delivery with a delta of notice between 8am and 1pm is becoming infernal and unbearable for me.
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Thomas S.
Rating: 3 out of 5
following a purchase from 31/08/2023
High shipping costs, efficient yet simple site.
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Response from 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
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Guillaume C.
Rating: 1 out of 5
following a purchase from 27/07/2023
The wines of D'aupilhac gris and rosé were not well described on the site. They are very bitter. The bitterness may appeal to some customers. You should have pointed this out.
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Response from Vignerons d’Exception
Dear Sir, Aupilhac's gris and rosé are the same wine. But you also wrote that the white was bitter, giving it the same 1/5 rating as the site. That's probably what you wanted to make clear here. It's amazing, we've been selling almost all Sylvain Fadat's vintages (Grand Prix RVF 2021, elected winemaker of the year by all French winemakers) for almost 10 years now, and he's unanimous in terms of quality... in fact, he's one of the most repurchased estates in our selection. We've never had the slightest complaint, apart from the inevitable corked bottles. Two of us tasted it last year (gris) and three this year (blanc), and found no bitterness... but all tastes are natural and we respect your judgment... I invite you to call us when you wish to order, so that together we can rule out wines that might not be to your liking. Best regards, Tristan Depauw.
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Claude B.
Rating: 1 out of 5
following a purchase from 13/07/2023
For this last order, which was a disaster!
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Response from Vignerons d’Exception
Hello Sir, and thank you for taking the time to leave us a review... With which I can unfortunately only agree. This delivery was below par, and I thank you for your objectivity in rating the wine concerned with 5 stars... I hope you'll give us another chance, considering that on your first 16 orders, we had no problems... The 17th was in fact a fiasco, our carrier SCHENKER having made a series of blunders. Should there be an 18th order, rest assured that we'll do our utmost to ensure that it goes off without a hitch. Once again, our deepest apologies... Tristan Depauw.
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noel C.
Rating: 3 out of 5
following a purchase from 23/03/2023
it is necessary to sort out the good from the less good, the selection is not rigorous.
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Acheteur Vérifié
Rating: 1 out of 5
following a purchase from 07/02/2023
Unreliable
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Response from Vignerons d’Exception
Dear Sir, we're not reliable because you were outraged that we couldn't leave your wines in the open in front of your door because you weren't there during the day? On the contrary, we believe that our carrier is perfectly serious and reliable in requiring a signature as proof of delivery. If your parcel (€1,340) was stolen by one of your neighbors? You would certainly have given us other unenviable descriptions. What's more, you gave us your delivery instructions after your order had left... In short, we know how to adapt to all our customers (see most of the other comments!) but all you have to do is let us know when you place your order, and so on. By the time the delivery man is at the door, it's a bit late. Good tasting and good luck finding "reliable" suppliers who leave your wines in the wild without proof of delivery! Tristan Depauw
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Acheteur Vérifié
Rating: 3 out of 5
following a purchase from 18/10/2022
Some very good addresses, but uneven, with the occasional unpleasant surprise.
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Response from Vignerons d’Exception
Hello Sir, thank you for taking the time to write a review on our site, after 6 orders since 2017. This review was apparently triggered by a bad experience with a 2019 carignan that had a major defect. We're very sorry about this and will deal with the matter directly with you privately to avoid any further disappointment. We just hope that the other 23 wines ordered are not among the "bad surprises", and take advantage of this public message to specify that we are at your disposal all day long by phone and email with all our knowledge of each winemaker to help you order wines that suit you, and for example avoid wines from winemakers a little too "natural and without sulfites" which can - rarely but it is possible - present defects above 14 °C. In short, we hope to have the opportunity to discuss your expectations with you when you place your next order, should you pass on this "road trip" and continue to place your trust in us. Best regards, Tristan Depauw
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Acheteur Vérifié
Rating: 3 out of 5
following a purchase from 01/11/2022
Serious site but delivery takes too long: departure-arrival = 9 days in transit
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Response from Vignerons d’Exception
Dear Sir, we're sorry that our service provider, Schenker, has taken so long to deliver your fourth order in the Cantal region (the first three were delivered in less than a week, but not like UPS in two days, which costs much more than the €20 we charge for a delivery, which was offered to you because you ordered more than €400). In short, we apologize and promise not to let this happen again. We prefer to trust a carrier specialized in wine, but a little slower and "old-fashioned", who handles the boxes by hand (machines break a lot more) and stores them in adapted warehouses, rather than entrusting your wines to an express carrier who risks breaking the bottles with his impressive - and violent - automatons, without worrying about storage conditions between two trucks, etc. as long as it's delivered quickly (and at a good price). In short, we consider that the wines we sell, even if they arrive slowly, will be in perfect condition, and that's our priority, bearing in mind that they're generally not for immediate consumption... but to enjoy over several years! Having said that, you're absolutely right, the delay in your fourth order was totally unacceptable, and totally unusual, for which we apologize again. Enjoy the tasting, and we promise to insist on prompt delivery next time, if there is a next time :-) Thank you for your understanding, and we hope to have another chance to do better! Best regards, Tristan Depauw
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Acheteur Vérifié
Rating: 3 out of 5
following a purchase from 02/07/2022
delivery time too long
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Acheteur Vérifié
Rating: 3 out of 5
following a purchase from 12/05/2022
Not always up to expectations...
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Response from Vignerons d’Exception
Dear Sir, Your disappointment with the Domaine d'Ouréa "tire bouchon" (€10) seems to have generated this comment about our site in general. With 26 wines purchased since 2019, and no reviews left (neither negative nor positive), we thought you were satisfied with our service and selections... it seems we don't "always measure up", and we're sorry to hear that. We're really keen to hear your opinions, whether positive or negative, as they enable us to move forward and improve. For example, we're going to re-taste the wine you didn't like. We also hope that your feedback will help us to improve our service to you, by telling us what you didn't like about the wine you tasted... Thanks again for your loyalty, we'll do everything we can to improve! Best regards, Tristan Depauw.
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Acheteur Vérifié
Rating: 3 out of 5
following a purchase from 12/06/2022
Delayed delivery, more than 15 days to receive news of my order and a big mix-up with the delivery man who only wanted to deliver when it was convenient for him. However, I was delighted to receive my case of Eric Pinard red Sancerre: it was well worth all the trouble!
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Response from Vignerons d’Exception
Thank you very much for your feedback, which has enabled us to get things moving again. As we've already told you privately, this happens very rarely, but in this case we were the victims of a combination of factors against us: first of all we blocked deliveries because of the very hot weather, which was specified in all the order confirmations, not always read. Hence the absence of any news about your order. Then, as the temperatures returned to normal, we "released" all pending orders... but yours was "forgotten" by human error in our cellars, which was inexcusable... especially as we then had to deal with an incredibly useless delivery driver (and his manager)... who didn't understand that it wasn't their delivery round that took precedence, but your hours of availability, and above all customer satisfaction before the delivery driver's !!!. Fortunately, after your call to us, things went back to normal and you were quickly delivered and received your wine before your medical appointment. In short, we apologize once again for all these setbacks, and there's no doubt that if you give us another chance, we'll pay particular attention to your order and its delivery. Enjoy tasting the wines of Clément and Florent Pinard, Vincent's sons, whose wines are harder and harder to find - we run out every year! Best regards,
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Acheteur Vérifié
Rating: 3 out of 5
following a purchase from 10/04/2022
Our discussions about delivery were not fruitful: the delivery man did what he wanted to do, arriving at 11.40am, whereas someone had arrived at my house at 12pm to receive the wines. The driver didn't even leave a phone message. I had to drive all the way from Nantes to the depot to collect the wines before closing time. Vive la modernité. Not all the wines I bought are listed below...it must be a bug! My friends made a wonderful discovery with the Mondeuse Noire from Blard.
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Response from Vignerons d’Exception
Dear Sir, we're sorry that the delivery driver was 20 minutes early in his round. Of course, if you hadn't gone to pick up your wines that day, he would have come back to deliver on another day since he couldn't find anyone. The carrier or we would have contacted you to rearrange an appointment. Please accept our sincere apologies for the inconvenience, and please don't hesitate to call us if you have the slightest delivery problem. We do our best to make things easier with carriers who unfortunately can't carry out their rounds to the minute or go back... We'll do our best to do better next time, and hope you'll forgive us this time and give us another chance. Sincerely, Tristan Depauw
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Acheteur Vérifié
Rating: 3 out of 5
following a purchase from 07/04/2022
Problem with delivery... otherwise impeccable! excellent advice, wine discoveries
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Acheteur Vérifié
Rating: 3 out of 5
following a purchase from 20/01/2022
Perhaps a little too enthusiastic about certain winemakers. Unfortunately, the discoveries were disappointing. So not exceptional. The time has come > Ogier = Not at all up to your expectations.
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Acheteur Vérifié
Rating: 3 out of 5
following a purchase from 10/09/2021
The site, the wines everything is ok ..but I had real problems to be delivered ..a slot from 9h to 18h ..it's not playable ..too bad, too bad
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Response from Vignerons d’Exception
Dear Sir, in certain regions and (fortunately) only at certain times, the Schenker carrier, although one of the most respectful in France of our fragile products such as bottles of wine, lacks flexibility and imposes a time slot that is not a time slot. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused you. In general, things go very smoothly once the delivery person calls, because when you're not there, you can always find a way to be re-delivered. All he had to do was offer a shorter time slot... and the rigidity of the facade takes second place to the human touch. Unfortunately, this doesn't seem to have been the case for you... If there's a next time, don't hesitate to use us as an intermediary, as we also manage to make logisticians a little more flexible... Thank you again for your confidence. Tristan Depauw
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Acheteur Vérifié
Rating: 3 out of 5
following a purchase from 12/06/2021
I'm always wary of cataclysmic deliveries of packages that weren't intended for me, and so on.
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Response from Vignerons d’Exception
Dear Sir, after successfully delivering your first 5 orders without difficulty (albeit to an address that's hard to trace: the corner of two main roads, with no street number or name), your sixth order went very badly. We have over 1000 different wines in stock, and Monique, the person who prepared your order, reversed two cartons. You received a box that you hadn't ordered. This is an error which is normally corrected during a second check by another order picker (while Monique checks the orders she didn't pick), but here the second checker also let the inversion slip through. As we told you on the phone when we called to arrange delivery of the new parcel, this is a very rare occurrence, and we're very sorry that it "fell" on you. You're right, the delivery of the new box has become cataclysmic. The law of series, no doubt... Our carrier did a very poor job (no doubt sending an SMS to your phone with a link to click to choose the date - impossible if it's not a smartphone). In the end, you canceled everything, insulting our logistics department copiously (Samira was deeply hurt by the words used), who called you to try and sort out this re-delivery, which was certainly generated by our preparation error, but which didn't deserve such words. We would like to thank you, however, for giving 5*/5 and 4*/5 to the other two wines you ordered and received, the last ones we delivered. We promise there won't be any more. Best regards, Tristan Depauw.
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Acheteur Vérifié
Rating: 3 out of 5
following a purchase from 12/04/2021
My last order of burgundy disappointed me, not because of the quality of the wines but because of the price which was 20% more expensive than on other sites. I don't think I'll be recommending this site again.
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Response from Vignerons d’Exception
Dear Sir, despite our private email exchanges, the website "tiers de confiance" Avis-Vérifiés has asked me to "officially" reply to you. Sorry again for these disappointments, which we have since corrected by reimbursing you and correcting our prices, after having noticed, thanks to you, that there were significant discrepancies between the purchase prices of different distributors directly at the winery, which is extremely rare since in the vast majority of cases we display the same prices as those at the winery. Thank you again for your understanding... and for your new order :-) Best regards, Tristan Depauw
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Acheteur Vérifié
Rating: 3 out of 5
following a purchase from 17/09/2020
Excessive discrepancy between the speech and the wine
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Acheteur Vérifié
Rating: 3 out of 5
following a purchase from 25/07/2020
The UPS delivery service is sub-par compared with pe PostNL.
The bottles were on the road for almost a week, and this in the middle of a heatwave.
I hope the wine didn't suffer too much.
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Response from Vignerons d’Exception
Dear Sir, thank you again for your confidence. I'd like to reassure you about the delivery time: your wine didn't spend more than a week in transit with UPS. We advertise a delivery time of about 2 weeks for Europe, but wine spends much less time in transit. You ordered on Saturday 25th, and your order left our Burgundy winery on Monday evening 27th, traveling overnight to arrive at our air-conditioned office on the morning of the 28th, where we pack all European orders ourselves in special cartons. Your wine - by the way, it's a very resistant Trévallon in Provence, particularly strong because it's made from Cabernet Sauvignon + Syrah - left our Lyon office on Thursday July 30th, and was delivered to you on Monday August 3rd at 11am. On our website, you can choose a later date within the next 3 months if you don't want your wine to be delivered immediately, for example if it's hot or you're out of town. Thank you again for your trust and understanding, Tristan Depauw
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Acheteur Vérifié
Rating: 3 out of 5
following a purchase from 14/02/2020
Fine, but the 2011 I tasted had serious deposit problems which spoiled the taste of this nectar. There's obviously a storage problem.
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Response from Vignerons d’Exception
Dear Sir, I'm sorry you didn't appreciate the deposit in Xavier Braujou's unfined and unfiltered wines. The wines come directly from the estate and arrive in our air-conditioned cellars without ever being moved again, except to be delivered to you. The deposit you don't like is not the result of poor storage: it's made up of lees or dead yeast, the result of alcoholic fermentation. The winemaker neither fined nor filtered his wines precisely in order to leave these lees in contact with the wine as much as possible to give it greater finesse. This is his method of vinification and ageing. I'm sorry if this doesn't suit you, and invite you to consult the wine data sheets on our site and avoid unfiltered wines which will inevitably show deposits. You can also call us if you need advice, and we'll be delighted to point you in the right direction. Best regards, Tristan Depauw.
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Acheteur Vérifié
Rating: 3 out of 5
following a purchase from 04/12/2019
No problems with the products. What didn't work properly was the delivery. The deliveryman gave a time slot but didn't respect it. Didn't bother to call to explain.
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Acheteur Vérifié
Rating: 3 out of 5
following a purchase from 26/11/2019
Remarkable range of products...competitive prices ....but delivery (cost and methods) inadequate, especially in view of what the competition is doing so well.
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Response from Vignerons d’Exception
Hello Sir, First of all, thank you for your encouragement... and for your comment about our delivery system using a classic carrier, which is admittedly less flexible than other very expensive systems used by our colleagues who take on the service themselves, at the peril of their profit and loss account. Unfortunately, we're not financed by wealthy investors who make up our company's losses every year in the hope that things will improve one day, and must have balanced accounts (which has been the case since 2015) to be able to continue investing in stock, our raison d'être for offering ready-to-drink wines throughout the year, bought directly from the winemakers. We therefore have to charge €20 for each delivery under €400 (we offer it for orders over that amount). This €20 is still less than the actual cost of a delivery, but it's true that it's often more expensive than what our colleagues charge, who take on more. We've made progress, however, since it's now possible to choose an option "keep my wines until I exceed the threshold" so wait until you've placed several "small" orders (<400€) to trigger a single delivery, once you've crossed the carriage-paid threshold. Many customers are using this new feature, and seem satisfied with the method. We also hope to introduce a parcel relay delivery system in 2020, a system we didn't want to adopt initially, because if our customers were slow to collect their wine from a location unsuitable for its conservation (overheated in winter, for example, or in direct sunlight in summer), they could hold us responsible for the poor conservation and therefore potential defects in the wine at the time of tasting, cancelling their order and sending us back wines that have become unsaleable. But we don't despair of offering customers an alternative after informing them of this potential risk. In short, we're working to improve our logistics organization, while keeping our prices competitive, and keeping our year-end accounts in the red, like those of most of our colleagues (few of us publish our accounts at the registry office, which can be consulted on societe.com, and guess why...). We therefore hope to be able to continue investing in our stock and offering a range as attractive as ever, as well as our consulting services... for many years to come :-) Thank you again for your comments, we promise to work hard to improve... Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Tristan Depauw
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Acheteur Vérifié
Rating: 1 out of 5
following a purchase from 02/10/2019
I was woken up at 07:00 in the morning by your delivery man who was at my door. I had not been informed of the delivery and the driver told me that 7am was a legal time. It wasn't a bailiff or a police inspector, however....
. You don't deliver at 7am without warning. Unacceptable.
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Response from Vignerons d’Exception
Dear Sir, you're absolutely right, this is completely unacceptable and I apologize for the appalling behavior of our Parisian carrier. The driver must not really know the meaning of the word "legal", nor the contract that binds us to this carrier, which requires him to call all our customers to agree on a delivery slot that suits everyone. Most of the time this goes well, but in this case it's a complete fiasco, and I can only offer you our deepest apologies, while making it clear that I will of course complain about this behavior... and especially about the absence of a telephone call to arrange a suitable delivery slot.
And if you were to try an experiment with us again, we would of course take the necessary precautions to ensure that the delivery went smoothly. Unfortunately, we can't be behind every delivery driver in France, and we hope that you will forgive us this faux pas, and above all enjoy the wines in our selection. Yours sincerely, Tristan Depauw
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Acheteur Vérifié
Rating: 3 out of 5
following a purchase from 06/09/2019
I think it's a shame to charge 5 euros for a direct visit to the premises of exceptional winegrowers. Wouldn't it be better not to charge anything or simply not to authorize a visit to your premises and force buyers to have their goods delivered by parcel? It's not about the five euros but rather a question of principle, as the vast majority of your competitors offer free collection. Apart from this small detail, I find the quality of your wine offers to be of great quality and your site is very detailed. Best regards.
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Response from Vignerons d’Exception
Hello Sir, and thank you for your comment and your orders. Unfortunately, we have to pay for delivery between our Burgundy winery and our Lyon office. This costs much more than €5! The fact that we group all shipments together every Monday saves us a little, which is why we only charge €5. The wine merchants who don't charge are certainly those who have the wines on site :-) This service is designed for people in Lyon who work and can't have parcels delivered to their homes when they're away. In fact, it's very much appreciated, as they meet us "in real life" and our discussions are always very friendly, often revolving around our shared passion, wine! Of course, our customers are under no obligation to choose this service, and they can always opt for home delivery (which, by the way, costs us much more than the €20 we charge for this service!) I hope you enjoy your tastings. Best regards, Tristan Depauw.
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Acheteur Vérifié
Rating: 3 out of 5
following a purchase from 03/08/2019
Unfortunately, information on alcohol content, type of corking and residual sugar is missing. Otherwise, a fine selection of wines.
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Acheteur Vérifié
Rating: 3 out of 5
following a purchase from 01/06/2019
pay attention to the labels! A discount would have been welcome or a commercial gesture.
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Response from Vignerons d’Exception
Dear Sir, you rate us 3*/5 and regret that we did not offer a discount on your Hermitage Gréal 2016 (€140), specifying "attention aux étiquettes"... I imagine they were badly stuck? Indeed, this winemaker uses an old method and this step is not always optimal ...
unfortunately we can't open all the boxes from our 120 winemakers when they arrive to check that they've glued the labels properly... we've passed on your disappointment to Mr. Sorrel, but there's been no reply... I hope you'll understand that we can't offer a commercial gesture if we don't receive one from the winemaker, who isn't always aware that his image is also reflected in the packaging. We see this on a daily basis when we observe the poor quality of the cartons used, for bottles that are sometimes very expensive. We are sincerely sorry to hear about your inconvenience with the label, and have added an explanatory text to each of Mr. Sorrel's Hermitage sheets: Labels: please note that the winemaker still uses an old-fashioned method of affixing his labels, which are not always perfectly applied... which in no way affects the quality of his wine! Thank you again for your understanding, Tristan Depauw.
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Acheteur Vérifié
Rating: 3 out of 5
following a purchase from 02/05/2019
Site very good, very clear, responsive. Delivery late but correct A bottle was dripping Wine not yet tasted
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Response from Vignerons d’Exception
Hello Sir, and thank you for your confidence and your comment (don't hesitate to let us know about a problem as soon as you receive the wine, without waiting for the late e-mail from "Avis-Vérifiés"). We're sorry you came across a bottle that "leaked", this happens (rarely) at bottling time, the winemakers usually notice it and discard it (as it has nothing to do with wine quality, but simply a "pinched" or porous cork, they keep them for personal consumption :-). This bottle must have slipped through the net... We'll be in touch directly to rectify the problem. Best regards, Tristan Depauw.
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Acheteur Vérifié
Rating: 3 out of 5
following a purchase from 15/02/2019
Serious quality
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Acheteur Vérifié
Rating: 3 out of 5
following a purchase from 11/12/2018
No complaints about order processing and delivery
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Acheteur Vérifié
Rating: 3 out of 5
following a purchase from 05/12/2018
good but packaging not so good ripped cardboard and visible bottles
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Acheteur Vérifié
Rating: 3 out of 5
following a purchase from 27/11/2018
Good for the site / superb for the delivery time: but the carrier only delivers when we're working! so it's impossible to get delivery: I have to collect my parcel from the carrier / only 6 bottles per parcel, whereas other sites offer delivery by the unit / a shame because the winemakers and wines on offer are excellent.
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Response from Vignerons d’Exception
Hello Sir, thank you for your objective and constructive comments, and sorry for the inconvenience our logistics system imposes: full boxes and daytime delivery outside weekends. Here are a few explanations of my choices, which I'm obviously reviewing to improve our services: 1. non-mixing: the wines we sell are mostly well-known vins de garde, which our customers buy to age and taste from time to time - it would be a shame to have only one! That's why we've chosen to offer only original cartons/cases, which is of course also less expensive and enables us to offer the best prices, without making a loss (many competitors lose a lot of money by offering very expensive services free of charge, so much the better for customers in the short term... but will these colleagues last long? societe.com is a good tool). Our prices would be different if we had 1 carton of each of our 900 cuvées open for "à la carte" blending, and had to pay handlers to create blended cartons after buying a new one and throwing away the one from the winemaker (not great for the planet). We now offer a dozen or so "house" blends, for those who wish to discover them, but no more... You're right, it's a service we need to make more widespread, which we'll do little by little, as our business grows and we're able to devote more resources to it. 2. Specialized carriers who only deliver during the day: in the past, we have tested non-specialized carriers who deliver on Saturdays and also to relay points. There was a lot of breakage, despite compulsory repackaging in special cartons designed for mechanized sorting lines (the carton must be able to fall 2 meters without breaking - what respect for wine?), and the wines could remain several days in an overheated store... with potentially catastrophic results for bottles costing hundreds of euros that we can't even replace, because they're so rare! Aware that not delivering to a relay point is not an acceptable solution, we'll soon be implementing this system, as soon as we've convinced our specialized carrier to adapt his IT system... but we'll make sure to communicate carefully about the risk of poor conservation of the wines! We're making slow progress and improving our services, but we'll be sure to do so as our resources increase, depending on our healthy growth, because we want to still be around in 10 years' time to offer the fine bottles that are currently ageing in our cellars! Thank you again for your understanding. Tristan Depauw company founder.
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Acheteur Vérifié
Rating: 3 out of 5
following a purchase from 14/09/2018
wines sometimes disappointing and far from the site's tasting notes. Reliable order dispatch
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Acheteur Vérifié
Rating: 3 out of 5
following a purchase from 10/07/2018
The wines on offer are interesting and ordering is very easy. Unfortunately, the delivery went badly: it took a week to get the carrier on the phone; no flxibility from him until I told him that if he didn't adapt he'd better send the parcel back; in the meantime a company in Chalon contacted me but when I asked them to help me well they told me there was nothing they could do.... With all this I hope at least that the wine hasn't been touched during transport and storage I don't know where.
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Response from Vignerons d’Exception
Dear Sir, we're very sorry that your July delivery didn't go smoothly, and we'd like to offer you our sincere apologies. Our carrier, Schenker, which specializes in wine transport, has a "small" partner in Savoie and the latter, although quite flexible the rest of the year, must have been overwhelmed due to the vacations of his delivery men... we are sorry that our logistics department (located in Chalon, where our wines are stored) was unable to make up for the communication shortcomings of the local delivery man... and we hope that you will give us another chance... very good tasting in the meantime! Tristan Depauw