Daron Watson

9.2

what a juicy jewel ~ dried cherries & cranberries, rose petals, hints of tar, tobacco, walnut liqueur & rosemary ~ easy drinker! — 4 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

We met & visited a number of Bordeaux producers while 2005 was still in the tank or just into barrel.

In talking with Winemaker-Owners about the 2005 vintage, you could see the twinkle in their eye as they were asked questions. They knew they had Bordeaux magic for the first time in five years.

We tasted this at what was deemed an “Affordable Bordeaux Tasting.” This was on the higher end of that tasting at $35. It is delivering a little better than its young expectation and the jewel to date from that tasting.

With and without protein, the 05 Chateau de Candale moved between 92-93.

The nose reveals; warm alcohol, immersed fruits of; black raspberries, blackberries, mulberries, dark cherries, poached/slightly baked, dark cherries, dark spices, purple fruit, cola mix, sweet tarriness, anise to black licorice, clove, nutmeg, cinnamon & vanilla, dark, rich, candied, forest floor, fresh & dry tobacco, graphite, slight, moist clay, stones, dry, crushed rock chunks, whiff of bay leaf & sage, dry stems, pepper quality with candied, dark, dark red, purple, blue with violets & lavender.

This is a very good first look at this 2005. God willing, I have another look in on bottle two of three in another five years. This 05 has another 15 plus years of good drinking ahead with proper storage.

The body is full, tarry with big, sticky, chewy tannins. Baked/poached, floral fruits of; black raspberries, blackberries, mulberries, dark cherries, black plum, pomegranate, dark spices with a heavy, heated presence, purple fruit, cola mix, sweet tarriness, anise to black licorice, clove, nutmeg, cinnamon & vanilla, dark, rich, candied, forest floor, fresh & dry tobacco, loads of graphite, slight, moist clay, stones, dry, crushed rock chunks, dry top soils, whiff of bay leaf & sage, dry stems, muted eucalyptus, pepper quality with candied, dark, dark red, purple, blue with violets & lavender. The acidity is round & full just holding, for me, the slightly higher ABV in check. The long, heavy, dark, well knitted, more earth/spice dominated finish is showing the quality of the vintage. Yet, it still needs more time to be its best.

Photos of; Chateau de Candale, harvested Merlot fruit, recent buyers of Chateau de Candale - Thibaut Decoster and Magali Decoster and their barrel room. — 5 years ago

Hanibal

9.3

After my discovery of Coteau du Vernon from Vernay this Condrieu from Gangloff has been the star of the night. Aromatically explosive on the nose with notes of honeysuckle and peach. In the mouth alcohol is happily controlled for a 2015 ouf! super equilibrium with pot pourri and peach. A jewel of a wine unfortunately they do not make much of it. — 6 years ago

Maurizio Abbà

9.6

We are at the top of the class. A brilliant, delicate yellow color. The nose is full of citrus and chalk, pleasant and round. The taste is just perfect. A bed of minerality creates the main structure for the wine, with sour notes that keep on cleaning the palate. It just never ends. I wonder if it can get any better than that. This is just pure gold in bottle. And for the price, it's a bargain. Buy in bulk, suggest to your friends, recommend this wine to anyone coming near to you. This is a French jewel. — 7 years ago

John Malcolm

9.5

A jewel in a tough year. Wonderful nose. Fresh berries, cassis, cedar, and tobacco. My favorite of the night against some higher rated wines. — 7 years ago

Steve Bozich

9.5

One of the other "finds" in my wine storage on Denver.

2004 - no idea where I got this jewel. 14.8 ABV.

Stunning mineral up front, vanilla in back, a hint of grapefruit.

More, but that is enough! — 8 years ago

Doctor No

9.1

Jewel box aromas of candied red fruit, tangerine peel, cinnamon, fresh cut flowers and cherry liquor. Good midpalate density and acidic core with an overall light feel. As usual a very good wine and very open for business. — 9 years ago

Daron Watson

9.3

Domaine Antonin Guyon’s 2015 Savigny-Les-Beaune Les Goudelettes is such a fine yer intense jewel of a wine

Potpourri of dark berries, plum, violets, Chinese five spice & Kretek cigarettes

Crazy juicy zap of raspberry & cranberry mulled with orange peel

Deeeeelish! — 5 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. — 5 years ago

Greg Ballington

Co-Founder of Millennial Drinkers Wine Blog

9.2

Light to medium golden yellow. Layered nose with green apples, marzipan, light strawberries and citrus zest. Bright acidity (6.5/10) and medium to medium plus bodied. Lovely notes of citrus, yeast and strawberries. A touch creamy too. Long and lingering finish. Drink till 2025.

Made up of 60% Chardonnay and 40% Pinot Noir from Robertson within the Breede River Valley. The Chardonnay is fermented in a mix of old French oak barrels and stainless steel while the Pinot Noir is fermented in all stainless steel. Additionally, a portion of reserve Chardonnay is added into the blend, which has spent 12 months in old French oak barrels. This wine spends a minimum of 42 months on the lees before bottling. Only 3,300 bottles produced. — 7 years ago

with Sean and India

Marc Brasseaux

9.4

@Charlie Evans we're down to our last two of this 2011 jewel. Love the lush and balanced flavor of this ink toned Cab. — 8 years ago

with Shannon

Daron Watson

9.3

a ruby jewel ~ loads of red fruits, subtle floral & herbal notes, completed by some baking spices and an almost saline minerality ~ beautifully classic expression of Sangiovese ~ gained weight and intensity on night two — 5 years ago

Rick Barrera

9.8

This is a wonderful richly deep yet crisp Pinot. Perfect for aged and grilled meats. Notes of plum and dark cherry. One of my favorites from Joseph Jewel. — 5 years ago

Sam Lee

9.3

Strawberry and bright cherry lip 🦚
Red lagoon, palate of rhubarb swan 🦢
Jewel of red diamond cosmic 🌅
Soft and shine of purple rim
🌄 — 6 years ago

Louis Martin

9.0

Nice, simple, light, hint of lemon — 6 years ago

John Malcolm

9.5

Red and dark cherries, licorice, dark chocolate, and spices. An opulent wine with a fabulous finish. My wife says “jewel tones” - I like it! Needs a couple of hours to decant — fabulous once you do. — 6 years ago

Jenny Hanniver

9.0

Less aggressive than I was expecting, but still had some nice acid and the tobacco/berry/stone trifecta of yumminess. Tannins were pretty shy. Pretty a jewel-bright. — 7 years ago

Manuel Buergi

9.6

Roberto Voerzio's "Rocche dell'Annunziata Torriglione" 2007 (info: from 2010 on the "Rocche" & "Torriglione" are bottled separately, "Torriglione" only in mags) is a jewel of a wine. The nose here is simply unique, kinda like an "eau de Barolo" perfume it hits you hard with red berry fruit, fresh roses and wild liquorice. Wonderfully silky tannins melt together in the palate with fig, road tar & red cherry. The finish is amazing and makes you not wanna stop for the next sip. Overall a very pure and typical, in 2007 rather feminine expression of Nebbiolo from "Rocche". A splendid wine that you just gotta love, especially in a year like 2007. — 7 years ago

Lyn Farmer

9.7

Made only six times in the past 33 years and not at all since 2004 (at least not yet released), this is a stunning rarity and the jewel of the iconic Dal Forno portfolio. Medium dry with plenty of acidity and crunchy fruit to maintain exceptional balance. While the Amarone grapes are dried about 19 days, the grapes for this recioto are dried for 40 days. Intense black fruit, print, tar and mocha. Surprisingly the wine is wonderfully fresh and delicious. Extremely long finish — 8 years ago

Ron R

9.5

On the nose and on the palette, this is focused and intense.
You can tell from the nose that this is a pure cab. It display ultra-ripe fruit, combined sweet barrel toast, which are not overdone.
The palette is polished and pristine. Syrop du cassis, caramelized black fruits and smoke present in harmony. Tannins are somewhat integrated, but still ripe, while the acidity provides another source of complexity. It's extremely dense and compact, with a beautiful finish. A textbook expression of place (Howell Mountain), this bears all the hallmarks of greatness.
@David A Lentine gifted this crown jewel to wifey and I. We are forever in your debt - thank you. — 9 years ago

with Anne-marie