Has anyone tasted this wine or ever had wine from this producer?
I am most certainly no expert in CDP, but I’ve never heard of Vignon at all…where did you find it?
Todd - it was in an email offering from Wine Access.
Here’s some of the text…it’s essentially $40 per bottle.
Dear Wine Enthusiast,
No one knows Chateauneuf like Xavier Vignon. Vignon is the consulting enologist for 65% of the appellation’s producers, so when he decided to make a little Chateauneuf on his own in the astounding 2007 vintage, he knew exactly what to look for.
This superb new release is made up largely of 90-year-old Grenache and ancient-vine Mourvedre – the slow-to-mature variety that is the secret ingredient to some of the most extraordinary 2007s. Parker raved (91-94 points!) about Vignon’s little '07s, but (luckily) the 2007 Chateauneuf hadn’t been assembled in time for the Wine Advocate issue. Good thing. One 94 point score and this stuff would have been gone!
We took all we could get and agreed to pay before the wine leaves France. Cash is king in 2009. Just $34.99 on case purchases. Not to be missed if you have a cool cellar and a little patience.
Tony’s correct $35.00/bottle when buying case. Perhaps I shoul have titled the thread wine hunter
Blue and white label, no?
I had the 2005, it was solid, but certainly not $35 good. Kind of old school in style; dusty, a little tannic. Not sure how the 2007 stacks up.
That’s the one. Like I said, nice wine, might not be worth the price. I think for $35 there is going to be some really good base CDPs from prominent producers, or smoking good Gigondas or Vacqueyras for the money.
Thanks Ian, I’m waiting for most of them to show up.
I had the 2007 Xavier Vignon [Vacqueyras] over the last few nights with polenta, green beans, and hog jowls. It drank best on the second night. I picked up lots of plum and mint on the nose. It has a full bodied frame that carries its 14.5% abv okay, with licorice on the palate. No tannin left, and low acidity at least to my taste. I thought it still showed some oak, although the SO disagreed with me. Lots of sediment at the end of the bottle. Normally, I don’t trust Vacqueyras beyond a decade, but this is still going strong, whether that’s a testament to the producer or the ripe vintage is an open question.
I like it, even more than Sang des Cailloux’ various vats.
I’m a fan of vignon, which I believe is just called Xavier now. The '07, 09, and '10 cuvée anonyme and cdp were quite delicious. They’re not bad values at times; sometines WA blows them out for ~$35 a pop.
I’ve heard the wines are good, but the Wine Access copy on this producer make them sound like Rayas, Bonneau and Clos des Papes combined.
Of course, they’ve been trotting out Dave Phinney’s tenuous link to The Prisoner for several years now, and any Wine Advocate score will loudly tout Robert Parker instead of whomever is overseeing the region in question these days, so…
Have also had numerous bottles of the 07, 09, and 10 cuvee anonyme and thought these were reasonable values. Not a very regular CdP drinker so take my opinion for what it is, but they were all solid and worth buying again imo…
I’ve tried some of their cheaper wines via a local merchant, and I’ve found them not really my style, but then Southern Rhone isn’t a favourite region. All I can say, is that they are a genuine producer, not a made-up label.
Yeah wine access (like lbw, garagiste, and others) does write with a certain amount of hyperbole. I’ve found that some of their favorites I’m quite partial to. (Teira, Three wine co, Xavier, elio grasso, Tikal, domaine corsin, acv, corte gardoni, delavenne Pere et fils) but others, especially napa cabs, not so much.
Vignon is an oenologue in the Southern Rhone. His wines are negociant wines. He buys the fruit and makes the wine. I have know idea how involved he is in the farming of the grapes. And I haven’t tasted the wine.
I recently had the 2012 and found it to be very nicely balanced and rather tasty. I also have had the Vac.
Jim. Is there a connection with Dave Phinney? God I hope not.
No, no connection. Just mentioned that because every time they email blast one of the Locations wines he does, it feels like the subject line and first two paragraphs mention The Prisoner as often as they can.