/10
★★★★★
based on 2451 published reviews
★★★★★
based on 2451 published reviews
Latest neutral customer reviews
2/5
★★☆☆☆
First bad experience with this site. Part of the delivery did not correspond at all to the order. The case was taken care of, but the replacement delivery is now late in arriving.
Acheteur Vérifié
purchased on 31/03/2020
Translated review
Answer from
Vignerons d’Exception
Dear Sir, we regret this unfortunate experience and must detail the very exceptional and totally unforeseeable nature of the error you suffered. A rare error, but one for which we apologize once again, as we have already done by email and telephone. You had ordered our latest box of Stéphane Ogier's Condrieu 2017, a wine that was also sold out at the domaine, and therefore difficult to replace in a few days. The carrier, understaffed and completely disorganized (like all carriers) in this period of confinement, reversed one of your three cartons with that of another customer. The other customer told us "he wasn't quite sure, but had received nothing abnormal" obviously, the wine he had ordered - and which you received - was worth four times less than your Condrieu which was delivered to him instead. This customer refused to allow us to send the carrier to his home to rectify the error. In short, all we could do was ask the winemaker if he could sell us a case of his 2017 Condrieu from his personal cellar, so that we could deliver it to you. The winemaker was difficult to reach personally during this period of strong vine growth, and his employee couldn't make this kind of decision for him. He kindly agreed to sell us the box and ship it to us. All this takes time and we explained it to you by phone, you also told us that you understood the situation and that there was no hurry. We received it yesterday May 7 (you may have seen it if you subscribe to our newsletter: we were announcing the arrival of our long-awaited restocking at Stéphane Ogier), a month after the fact, and are confused. In fact, not only the quality (cf. the inversion of which you were a victim) but also the carriers' lead times have been extended during this difficult period. It was risky to send you wine on the eve of a long weekend, given the current disorganization of the carriers, and we thought it preferable to wait until Monday May 11th to send you this box... Fortunately, this kind of very exceptional circumstance happens very rarely... and unfortunately it happened to you, for which we apologize once again. You will soon hear from the carrier who will come and carry out the planned exchange. I hope to have the opportunity to show you that our delivery service is also capable of the best in the future. Best regards, Tristan Depauw
3/5
★★★☆☆
Fine, but the 2011 I tasted had serious deposit problems which spoiled the taste of this nectar. There's obviously a storage problem.
Acheteur Vérifié
purchased on 14/02/2020
Translated review
Answer 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.
3/5
★★★☆☆
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.
Acheteur Vérifié
purchased on 04/12/2019
Translated review
3/5
★★★☆☆
Remarkable range of products...competitive prices ....but delivery (cost and methods) inadequate, especially in view of what the competition is doing so well.
Acheteur Vérifié
purchased on 26/11/2019
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Answer 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
3/5
★★★☆☆
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.
Acheteur Vérifié
purchased on 06/09/2019
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Answer 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.
3/5
★★★☆☆
Unfortunately, information on alcohol content, type of corking and residual sugar is missing. Otherwise, a fine selection of wines.
Acheteur Vérifié
purchased on 03/08/2019
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3/5
★★★☆☆
Pay attention to the labels! A discount would have been welcome or a commercial gesture.
Acheteur Vérifié
purchased on 01/06/2019
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Answer 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.
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.
3/5
★★★☆☆
Site very good, very clear, responsive. Delivery late but correct A bottle was dripping Wine not yet tasted
Acheteur Vérifié
purchased on 02/05/2019
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Answer 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.
3/5
★★★☆☆
Serious quality
Acheteur Vérifié
purchased on 15/02/2019
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3/5
★★★☆☆
No complaints about order processing and delivery
Acheteur Vérifié
purchased on 11/12/2018
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3/5
★★★☆☆
Good but packaging not so good ripped cardboard and visible bottles
Acheteur Vérifié
purchased on 05/12/2018
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3/5
★★★☆☆
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.
Acheteur Vérifié
purchased on 27/11/2018
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Answer 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.
3/5
★★★☆☆
Wines sometimes disappointing and far from the site's tasting notes. Reliable order dispatch
Acheteur Vérifié
purchased on 14/09/2018
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3/5
★★★☆☆
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.
Acheteur Vérifié
purchased on 10/07/2018
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Answer 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
3/5
★★★☆☆
Grossly inadequate packaging! lousy transport!
Acheteur Vérifié
purchased on 28/06/2018
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Answer from
Vignerons d’Exception
Dear Sir, I'm sorry that one of the few recipients of Chateau Chalon 2010 from Domaine Macle is not satisfied, and please accept our apologies. A few explanations: we're sorry that the carrier behaved badly, and would have liked to solve your problem if you had let us know. Don't hesitate next time! Schenker specializes in wine, and in 25 years of home deliveries, it's the carrier we've had the fewest problems with, by far. We're launching an immediate investigation to find out what went wrong with the carrier, and we'll do everything we can to make sure it doesn't happen again. After all, things can go wrong, especially in the summer, when unmotivated temps sometimes do a poor job of looking after our customers. As far as packaging is concerned, most of our customers appreciate receiving the estate's original packaging, and all our logistics and traceability are based on this principle. Despite our comments, the winery continues to use low-strength cardboard, perhaps on the assumption that clavelins are strong... and the specific shape of the clavelin prevents us from repackaging them in stronger neutral cardboard. We'll pass on your comment to the winery in the hope that they'll invest a little more in their boxes... Once again, our apologies for this delivery, which fell far short of our quality standards, and we hope that you will renew your trust in us and check that this was just an isolated malfunction. Best regards, Tristan Depauw
2/5
★★☆☆☆
Good wine but catastrophic delivery .
Acheteur Vérifié
purchased on 10/07/2018
Translated review
Answer from
Vignerons d’Exception
Dear Sir, First of all, please accept our apologies for this "catastrophic delivery" which we discovered with your message. In the future, please do not hesitate to let us know immediately, as we will do our utmost to compensate for the temporary summer weaknesses of our carrier, who specializes in wine and has a reputation for reliability. Unfortunately, during the summer, some temps are not up to scratch... and we're sorry to hear that this has "fallen" on you. Having been unable to contact you for several days, we immediately launched an investigation with the carrier, who was careful not to inform us of any malfunction. Finally, I hope you'll give us another chance to check for yourself that this was an isolated malfunction, far removed from our standard of service quality. Once again, please accept our apologies. Sincerely, Tristan Depauw.
3/5
★★★☆☆
Despite an order of eight cartons, there was no packaging and the cartons, given their condition, were tossed around in the truck the whole way! As for the tasting, the Vire Clissé is satisfactory, but the Syrah is certainly a bottom of the vat that we wanted to get rid of...... it was a first order to test your site, so you be the judge.
Acheteur Vérifié
purchased on 20/04/2018
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Answer from
Vignerons d’Exception
Dear Sir, First of all, thank you for your comments which, even if negative, help us to progress. You registered on our site in 2014, and we never convinced you with our catalogs and our ever more complete range. A few weeks ago, you ordered for the first time and took advantage of an unprecedented promotion: progressive quantity discounts on two non-rare wines: the Cuilleron syrah at -21% (€7.90 instead of €10, per 4 cartons) and the domaine du mortier "fût de chêne" viré clessé at -25% (at €11.25 instead of €15, per 5 cartons).
No, the fact that we paid less was not due to "tank bottlings", it was simply a question of non-rare wines, with recurrent success, which allow us once a year to give our customers very good deals on everyday wines, our regular customers being quite often frustrated by the too limited quantities of our winemakers' superior cuvées. We're sorry you didn't like Yves Cuilleron's Syrah. You rated it 1*/5 and commented "mediocre". On the other hand, you didn't bother to rate the Viré Clessé (which you consider "satisfactory" in this review of our site in general). Admittedly, this Syrah is not the wine of the century, but many of our customers are "afficionados" of it and enjoy it on a daily basis, precisely for its lightness and simplicity, without expecting too much complexity. We're sorry to say you won't be one of them. We sell several thousand bottles of this cuvée every year, and have never had any negative feedback, only the occasional disappointment from customers who were used to the estate's superior cuvées, we admit. Having said that, tastes and colors are not up for discussion, and you can of course, like all our customers who don't like a wine, return it to us (71 rue mermet, 69160 tassin) and we'll refund you for the wines received as soon as we receive them. Regarding the condition of the boxes when they arrived at your home in Quiberon three days after they left our Burgundy cellars (they left the day after we received your check in the mail), we're sorry that they weren't visually correct. We don't understand your remark: "no packaging". We only sell whole cartons purchased directly from the estates, and simply deliver these cartons. In fact, some winegrowers use flimsy cartons, and when we suggest they use sturdier ones, they usually point out that it's expensive and that as long as the bottle isn't damaged, that's the main thing... and sometimes add that they reserve the sturdier cartons (and sometimes wooden crates) for the "superior" vintages of their production. Of course, the cartons are always a little "shaken up" during transport, whether to France or the other side of the world, and everyone knows that it's enough to wait two or three days for the wines to rest for the quality of the bottles to be irreproachable.
Once again, please accept our apologies for having failed to satisfy you, both in terms of the quality of the Syrah (we have of course passed on your comment to the winemaker, who is very open to compliments but also to criticism), and the condition of the boxes when they arrived. Yours sincerely, Tristan Depauw
No, the fact that we paid less was not due to "tank bottlings", it was simply a question of non-rare wines, with recurrent success, which allow us once a year to give our customers very good deals on everyday wines, our regular customers being quite often frustrated by the too limited quantities of our winemakers' superior cuvées. We're sorry you didn't like Yves Cuilleron's Syrah. You rated it 1*/5 and commented "mediocre". On the other hand, you didn't bother to rate the Viré Clessé (which you consider "satisfactory" in this review of our site in general). Admittedly, this Syrah is not the wine of the century, but many of our customers are "afficionados" of it and enjoy it on a daily basis, precisely for its lightness and simplicity, without expecting too much complexity. We're sorry to say you won't be one of them. We sell several thousand bottles of this cuvée every year, and have never had any negative feedback, only the occasional disappointment from customers who were used to the estate's superior cuvées, we admit. Having said that, tastes and colors are not up for discussion, and you can of course, like all our customers who don't like a wine, return it to us (71 rue mermet, 69160 tassin) and we'll refund you for the wines received as soon as we receive them. Regarding the condition of the boxes when they arrived at your home in Quiberon three days after they left our Burgundy cellars (they left the day after we received your check in the mail), we're sorry that they weren't visually correct. We don't understand your remark: "no packaging". We only sell whole cartons purchased directly from the estates, and simply deliver these cartons. In fact, some winegrowers use flimsy cartons, and when we suggest they use sturdier ones, they usually point out that it's expensive and that as long as the bottle isn't damaged, that's the main thing... and sometimes add that they reserve the sturdier cartons (and sometimes wooden crates) for the "superior" vintages of their production. Of course, the cartons are always a little "shaken up" during transport, whether to France or the other side of the world, and everyone knows that it's enough to wait two or three days for the wines to rest for the quality of the bottles to be irreproachable.
Once again, please accept our apologies for having failed to satisfy you, both in terms of the quality of the Syrah (we have of course passed on your comment to the winemaker, who is very open to compliments but also to criticism), and the condition of the boxes when they arrived. Yours sincerely, Tristan Depauw
2/5
★★☆☆☆
Easy-to-navigate site. Large selection of wines Prices are far from being the tightest on the market. We buy blind the dythirambic prose sent each week by the owner. In short, I live in Brittany. 8 days for delivery is crazy. Our delivery times are identical to those offered for shipments to Greenland.
Acheteur Vérifié
purchased on 04/03/2018
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Answer from
Vignerons d’Exception
Dear Sir, after 8 orders placed on our site for a total of 121 bottles, delivered each time within a few days without a hitch, you take up your pen to award us 2*/5 because the carrier made a mistake that you haven't forgiven: he forgot the cartons of your 9th order for three days in a corner of his warehouse (dedicated to wine and therefore in the best storage conditions) before showing up to deliver them to you. We're sorry about this, as we already told you at the time of delivery. We promise to deliver within "a week or so" and this time it took us 8 days to deliver, a time you described as "crazy". In fact, it takes us 2 days to deliver to Paris because we have a direct link every day from Burgundy, but for the rest of France it's slower because the wines are handled in their original cartons (or wooden cases) by humans, not machines, and make stops at regional redeployment centers where small trucks sometimes wait a day or two so as not to go "empty" to a remote location. Hence our one-week lead time. Our national carrier is a wine specialist with warehousing facilities designed to keep wine in good condition during the latency between two trucks. Express carriers" apart from the fact that they don't always insure the bottles, impose special packaging that must be able to fall from 2m high onto automated chains: the wine is first handled "by the bottle" for repackaging in this not very environmentally friendly packaging, it is then violated on automated sorting lines "high speed" and is not always stored in good conditions by general carriers who do not manage the temperature of their warehouses in summer for example.
As well as being the author of the dithyrambic prose on Thursdays, I'm also responsible for wine selection and customer satisfaction (which I regret I can't deliver all over France myself!). I think I have always satisfied you since our first contact in November 2016 (reservations of rare wines, grouping of several orders to benefit from free delivery, etc. I counted 20 email exchanges between us for 9 orders), so I find you quite harsh to only note THE bad experience - which is obviously one too many - without taking into account the previous good ones. I hope that when you uncork a bottle, those first 8 deliveries will come back to you... and that time will diminish the bad experience of this 9th delayed delivery... so that you can then call on our services again, and verify that it was indeed an isolated error. Enjoy your tastings! Sincerely, Tristan Depauw "le patron" 😉
As well as being the author of the dithyrambic prose on Thursdays, I'm also responsible for wine selection and customer satisfaction (which I regret I can't deliver all over France myself!). I think I have always satisfied you since our first contact in November 2016 (reservations of rare wines, grouping of several orders to benefit from free delivery, etc. I counted 20 email exchanges between us for 9 orders), so I find you quite harsh to only note THE bad experience - which is obviously one too many - without taking into account the previous good ones. I hope that when you uncork a bottle, those first 8 deliveries will come back to you... and that time will diminish the bad experience of this 9th delayed delivery... so that you can then call on our services again, and verify that it was indeed an isolated error. Enjoy your tastings! Sincerely, Tristan Depauw "le patron" 😉
3/5
★★★☆☆
Welcoming site, well presented, good selection of wines, but comments a little self-indulgent.
Acheteur Vérifié
purchased on 11/01/2018
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Answer from
Vignerons d’Exception
Dear Sir, thank you for your compliments... As for your "but", you will understand that, as this site presents the wines of highly respected winemakers, wines that I have all personally tasted and selected, it is obvious that I liked them and therefore that my Thursday newsletter, which I sign and assume responsibility for, advantageously presents these wines, with my comments that you describe as "self-indulgent". The submerged part of the iceberg is all the wines tasted and not selected, and therefore not commented on negatively! Finally, on our site, I very rarely include my own comments, and deliberately choose comments from recognized critics, mainly the two major French wine guides and Wide Advocate magazine, to make the information as objective as possible. Thank you for your understanding! Yours truly, Tristan Depauw
2/5
★★☆☆☆
I ordered some wine but the transporter arrived without calling me, luckily I was there. This transporter was annoyed by a short wait because I was on the phone with a customer. In short, not great.
Acheteur Vérifié
purchased on 16/01/2018
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Answer from
Vignerons d’Exception
Dear Sir, first of all thank you for your confidence, I hope we'll have the opportunity to make up for it on a future delivery... The carrier - who specializes in wine - is supposed to call you beforehand to arrange a delivery slot that suits you, and this is what he does in the vast majority of cases, throughout France... but perhaps a little less so in the PACA region, I must admit. Unfortunately, he didn't keep his promise, and we're going to start investigating immediately to find out why, so as to avoid this mistake happening again in the future. Please accept our apologies once again... and we hope you'll give us another chance. We also hope you enjoy the Crozes-Hermitage and Saint-Joseph you received, and that they make you forget the inconvenience of not being called, and the bad behavior of that delivery man. Ah, if only we could get behind them!
3/5
★★★☆☆
Very good advice on wines that are not necessarily well known, and good value for money. Last order arrived a little later than expected.
Acheteur Vérifié
purchased on 13/12/2017
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Answer from
Vignerons d’Exception
Dear Customer, After 7 orders delivered without a hitch, we have indeed missed the delivery of the 8th. Unfortunately, this box of Witches was one you were planning to give to your son-in-law for Christmas, and we're very sorry we didn't deliver it on time. In fact, it was the only Christmas delivery we didn't honor, and we apologize again... When we took your order over the phone, our mistake was to give the carrier your home phone number, not your cell phone number. This was in fact included in the delivery address given in our order confirmation email, in which we suggest our customers validate this address and alert us if any details are missing... The delivery driver tried to deliver to you three times during the week preceding the Christmas weekend (Tuesday, Thursday and Friday), and left three messages on your landline answering machine, which you did not follow up. We should have known that you weren't listening to your messages, and should have passed on your mobile number... What a pity that you didn't alert us until the Saturday of the Christmas weekend to tell us that the delivery hadn't arrived, and that you hadn't received a call from the carrier since our dispatch notice received 10 days earlier! It was only then that we realized that you were only listening to your cell phone messages, which we made the mistake of not communicating to the carrier. We could have done something the day before, but not on Christmas weekend... we couldn't do anything. The box, which was a gift, was therefore delivered on the following Wednesday directly to the person you wished to give it to, and we deleted the landline number from your address so that there would be no more mistakes or messages left in the void... Once again, please accept our apologies, we will not make the same mistake again! Sincerely, Tristan Depauw
3/5
★★★☆☆
Impeccable from every point of view (very nice selections of both winegrowers and bottles) The only downside: for my last order you hadn't received the order form;] perhaps the Post Office?...]. I had to repeat the order. Once I found it, everything was back in order.
Acheteur Vérifié
purchased on 16/10/2017
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Answer from
Vignerons d’Exception
Hello Sir, and thank you for your encouragement. Instead of using our website, telephone or email, you used our "paper" order form, and your order took 15 days to arrive in our letterbox... it's a shame that the slowness of La Poste earned us only 3*/5 in your eyes, a mark we're not used to! Fortunately, the wines we wanted were still in stock... and you phoned us. Thank you again for your confidence, Tristan Depauw.
3/5
★★★☆☆
I've just received the catalog and leafed through it. I plan to consult it later.
Acheteur Vérifié
purchased on 08/08/2017
Translated review
3/5
★★★☆☆
Delivery charges too high for the service. 20€ for 6 bottles = 1 week's delay between the date of departure from the winemaker and the date of home delivery. In difficult weather conditions (e.g. hot weather), organic and natural wines (with little or no sulfur) may not recover.
Acheteur Vérifié
purchased on 04/04/2017
Translated review
Answer from
Vignerons d’Exception
Dear Sir, first of all, thank you for your trust and for your constructive comment. I hope at least that you were satisfied with the wines, as we have chosen to deliver by "courier" rather than "express". I'll try to explain the reasons for this choice in all sincerity. Courier service is the only way to respect the original packaging, ensuring direct provenance from the estates, and also respecting the stamped wooden crates that our customers are so fond of. This carrier - Schenker - isn't "express", nor is it perfect, but it's the only one specialized in wine on the one hand, and which on the other hand doesn't impose costly repackaging in specific packaging adapted to mechanization and, what's more, very little respect for the environment. Fortunately, this carrier, which has specialized in wine for decades, is also the best equipped in terms of air-conditioned or double-insulated and ventilated warehouses, where the wines spend most of their time during the week of delivery (your 1st order was delivered in two days in the Paris region, as soon as we received your payment cheque, but your second order for the Lot department, not very direct from Burgundy, took a week). Not all carriers have the same storage conditions adapted to wine... and some sometimes leave the wines in a non-air-conditioned "relais colis" for you to collect them if the recipient is absent, without asking your opinion... not great either for sulphur-free wines.
Having said that, it's true that delivery is a real concern for all wine sellers, and that the ideal solution doesn't exist... or else it's too expensive, and no customer would agree to pay the price, which you already find too high: €16.6 ex VAT, or €20 incl. VAT, is what it actually costs to deliver a case of 6 bottles in France. It costs much more when we deliver several cartons. But we only charge this flat rate of €20, whatever the quantity ordered, and offer it for orders of €400 or more. That's why our customers sometimes get together several people to reach the "franco" rate. You're right, we may seem expensive, and other sites charge less, but lose money on this service. We can't afford this luxury if we want to keep our prices competitive and, above all, keep doing what we do for the long term. At least, to make these invoicing conditions clear, we "show our colors" on the home page of our site and in all our Thursday newsletters...
On the subject of "natural" wines, you're absolutely right there too: unsulphured wines run a high risk of not being able to withstand temperatures >14°C, which is why we don't offer them, apart from one exception out of our 750 references: JC Lapalu's "tentation" cuvée, which I adore... (He's such a master of winemaking that there's virtually no risk, and we've never had a problem). Well-made, "low-sulphite" wines are "low-sulphite" precisely so that they can be transported at normal temperatures and not suffer any deviations in the event of less-than-optimal storage conditions. In fact, most of our cuvées have very little sulfur, but our very elitist selection at least has this merit: all the wines are well made and present little risk of deviations, thanks to the great mastery of their makers from vine to bottle. Of course, there's always a risk, like cork taint... and many other lesser-known risks, too. In short, we do our best... and try as far as possible to deliver wines without the slightest shock. We keep deliveries to a minimum in hot weather, and so on. But it's true, it's not easy! In any case, I want you to know that we do everything we can to deliver faster when our customers ask us to, and to satisfy them whatever the request. I'm sure we'll manage to lower our delivery costs and improve our lead times over time... Thank you again for your trust and understanding, and I hope to see you soon! Tristan Depauw, founder.
Having said that, it's true that delivery is a real concern for all wine sellers, and that the ideal solution doesn't exist... or else it's too expensive, and no customer would agree to pay the price, which you already find too high: €16.6 ex VAT, or €20 incl. VAT, is what it actually costs to deliver a case of 6 bottles in France. It costs much more when we deliver several cartons. But we only charge this flat rate of €20, whatever the quantity ordered, and offer it for orders of €400 or more. That's why our customers sometimes get together several people to reach the "franco" rate. You're right, we may seem expensive, and other sites charge less, but lose money on this service. We can't afford this luxury if we want to keep our prices competitive and, above all, keep doing what we do for the long term. At least, to make these invoicing conditions clear, we "show our colors" on the home page of our site and in all our Thursday newsletters...
On the subject of "natural" wines, you're absolutely right there too: unsulphured wines run a high risk of not being able to withstand temperatures >14°C, which is why we don't offer them, apart from one exception out of our 750 references: JC Lapalu's "tentation" cuvée, which I adore... (He's such a master of winemaking that there's virtually no risk, and we've never had a problem). Well-made, "low-sulphite" wines are "low-sulphite" precisely so that they can be transported at normal temperatures and not suffer any deviations in the event of less-than-optimal storage conditions. In fact, most of our cuvées have very little sulfur, but our very elitist selection at least has this merit: all the wines are well made and present little risk of deviations, thanks to the great mastery of their makers from vine to bottle. Of course, there's always a risk, like cork taint... and many other lesser-known risks, too. In short, we do our best... and try as far as possible to deliver wines without the slightest shock. We keep deliveries to a minimum in hot weather, and so on. But it's true, it's not easy! In any case, I want you to know that we do everything we can to deliver faster when our customers ask us to, and to satisfy them whatever the request. I'm sure we'll manage to lower our delivery costs and improve our lead times over time... Thank you again for your trust and understanding, and I hope to see you soon! Tristan Depauw, founder.
3/5
★★★☆☆
The wine is good but....
Acheteur Vérifié
purchased on 09/04/2017
Translated review
3/5
★★★☆☆
I was very disappointed by patrick bauduin's wines
Acheteur Vérifié
purchased on 19/02/2017
Translated review
Answer from
Vignerons d’Exception
Dear Sir, thank you for your comment. We are contacting the winemaker to find out if he has had the same problem with the "Effusion" 2013 vintage (when we tasted this wine, it was not oxidized), and will get back to you by email with more precise answers. Tristan Depauw.
3/5
★★★☆☆
Well
Acheteur Vérifié
purchased on 13/12/2016
Translated review
3/5
★★★☆☆
Unacceptable packaging. A 6-bottle box that was too large and had no wedges between the bottles, which collided and bumped into each other ...Miracle that nothing was broken . Not at all professional .
Acheteur Vérifié
purchased on 24/11/2016
Translated review
Answer from
Vignerons d’Exception
We are grateful for your feedback, which will enable us to make further progress. You have received unpacked bottles, and you understand that it is not in our interest to ship the bottles in this way, as we bear all the costs of any broken bottles and the new delivery to replace them. You are right, this is totally unprofessional, and we apologize to you. You're right, it's totally unprofessional, and we apologize profusely. We're very sorry about this malfunction, which can have two explanations: 1. either it's due to an order picker who didn't respect our very strict cardboard packing methods: double layer of recycled cardboard under and on top of each layer of bottles. Unfortunately, this was not the case for you. This is a first, and we hope a last too. We're currently investigating how a packer could have "forgotten" the dividers... and whether other customers have fallen victim to such an aberration, which doesn't seem to be the case at the moment. 2.Another hypothesis would be that the initial "vignerons d'Exception" white cardboard box was torn by the local delivery agency, and that this agency used any cardboard box to repackage your bottles in any way and deliver them to you... Hoping sincerely that you will accept our apologies and understand that this is not a deliberate move. Yours sincerely The Vignerons d'Exception team.
3/5
★★★☆☆
Unpleasant delivery, no warning, delivery notice inviting you to drive 30 km to pick up the parcel at the depot .....
Acheteur Vérifié
purchased on 03/05/2016
Translated review
Answer from
Vignerons d’Exception
Thank you for your comment. It's true that the delivery notice specifies that you can pick up your parcel, but it also gives the telephone number of our carrier, who is obliged, on a simple call, to redeliver your parcel. All you have to do is contact him to arrange a new delivery, which was the case for you after making an appointment. Yours sincerely The Vignerons d'Exception team.
3/5
★★★☆☆
I regret that I was unable to enclose a card with my shipment, which was a gift. I can't answer your second question as I haven't tasted your wine. Yours sincerely. Th L
Acheteur Vérifié
purchased on 27/08/2016
Translated review
Answer from
Vignerons d’Exception
Thank you for your comment. We have a tailor-made service for corporate gifts, which of course allows us to enclose a card with your parcel, even if it's just one gift. Just contact us. Best regards. The Vignerons d'Exception team.