I first became aware of the 2018 J. Lohr Estates Wildflower Valdiguié when I watched the wine being reviewed (well tasted, really) on a wine blogger's Instagram account. The blogger just loved it, couldn't say enough nice things about it, lauded its drinkability, fruitiness and its worthiness of being considered a 'summer red' wine. And he mentioned that it sold for about $8.99. I was intrigued, I don't think I'd ever had a Valdiguié, domestic or otherwise. I had to get my hands on some. So I purchased six bottles directly from the winery ($10.00 a pop). Then, about a week later, the J. Lohr Valdiguié (2019) appeared on an episode of Behind the Wines: host Elaine Chukan Brown and her guests just loved it. Great, methought, can't wait to try it. Valdiguié, a native grape of southern France, has been growing here in California for quite some time. However, it had been misidentified and was known as Napa Gamay. It took a French ampelographer, Pierre Galet, to definitively identify the (Gamay) grapevines growing in vineyards up and down California as Valdiguié. Sealed with a screw cap, my first impression of the Wildflower was that it was reduced, it was more than a tad pongy. Initially on the palate the wine was rather tannic and had a sour finish. Fruit? A tiny bit. The wine seemed awkward and I found myself struggling to describe what, if anything, was going on with this wine. I had just one small glass, and that was enough. Wanting to give this wine the benefit of the doubt, I tried it again the next night and it was delightful - had really opened up - all brambly aromatics, warm red fruits and a splendid balance of acid and tannin. Wow, love when that happens. A second bottle, more than a week later, paired with a pan seared, oven finished flat iron steak, was simply a joy. Everything in my glass was amplified; aroma, fruit, balance. Couldn't fault it. A third bottle last night, again paired with flat iron steak, proved once more that the Wildflower is a solid quaffing wine. Three bottles down, three to go.
