106 Responses

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1. July 26, 2006

   Wino4Life

   Best Pinot Noir recently…

   2003 Michel Lafarge Volnay 1er Cru
   “Clos du Chateau des Ducs”

2. July 26, 2006

   Craig K

   Gary,
   Kudos to you for your honesty and for doing it in the format you think is best. I admire and share your passion (sans epithets). One of the best Pinots I’ve ever had was a 1990 Panther Creek single vineyard bottling from Canary Hill. The Evesham Wood “Cuvee J” from the same year was also amazing. To your point on value, the fact that both were reasonably priced (back in the mid-90’s) was an extra bonus beyond their beauty. Looking forward to future episodes, C

3. July 26, 2006

   Don Snow

   Gary

   You are too tough on the French. Good Pinot will always be expensive because its made in small quantities and it is difficult to make well.I think Fr. Red Burgundies are relatively better priced now than a decade ago Spent a month in New Zealand a year ago and was impressed by some Chardonnays ( Gimblett Gravels) and Pinots. So glad to see you are beginning to carry some non-SBs. If you ever get over there, or see the lable on adistribution list, up in Wairarapa, Neudorf makes a couple of great Pinots and some other good wines as well.Keep up the great work. Don

4. July 26, 2006

   Rob P

   Best Pinot ever?
   I have not had many but based on the advise of a local wine column here in the Florida Keys, I tried the Blackstone’s Monterey County Pinot Noir. Now the article was about good wine between $10 and $20 and this was absolutely awesome. Great nose, very complex and smooth. Nothing like I have tasted in Pinot before.
   After all, isn’t about the wine and not how much the bottle cost?

5. July 26, 2006

   Martin R.

   Gary,

   I can’t tell you how happy I am that you are going to keep using YOUR format. You only have to answer to yourself. As far as the best Pinot I have ever had, there isn’t one. I’ve never had a pinot that makes me want more. The only wine that makes me want to sell my soul for more is the 1996 Shafer Hillside Select.

   -Martin R.

6. July 26, 2006

   Julius

   Now it’s time for some bashing.
   Gary, I found it amusing (bordering on the ridiculous) that on one hand you could say that Burgundy is overrated and overpriced and on the other hand recommend checking out a restaurant that would set someone back $300 for dinner for two.
   BTW, if your reference to the overly high price of Burgundy is based on DRC and its ilk, I would agree. But there are many producers of fine Pinot Noir in Burgundy that are as well priced as Central Otago, California, Oregon etc.

7. July 26, 2006

   Paul Hummel

   Best pinot noir

   1972 Musigny Vielle Vigne from Count de Vogue

   2nd best: the 1937 vintage.

8. July 26, 2006

   Ryan Paley

   I don’t want to seem like I’m sucking up or anything, but my best PN is the one reviewed this episode. I picked up a case of it on pre-order from wine library and when I got it, I put half the case in my cellar and left half the case on hand for drinking. I’m starting to wonder how long the half case in the cellar is going to last because I find myself going to this Three Miners whenever I’m stumped as to what to drink. It is a phenomenal wine, and I may have to pick up more before it’s all gone.

   Gary, glad to see you are back in the swing of things.

9. July 26, 2006

   bob allison

   best pinot voir…2003 beaux freres

10. July 26, 2006

    Norman

    Gary, I totally agree with you regarding New Zealand Pinot’s. I’ve been hooked on Kim Crawford for its taste and value.(Suggest you stock some) Thanks for the Three Miners suggestion.

    Also, keep up the good work on your T.V. episodes. They’re young, fresh, entertaining and ORIGINAL.

    In the past, I’ve bought from Zachkey’s, Morrell and others. I really feel you’ve got the best handle on the market today.

    KEEP IT UP!!!!!!!!

11. July 26, 2006

    Marc

    Best Pinot ever?
    Not a huge Pinot fan. I can’t say that any even stand out…
    On the other hand I have been tasting a lot of top wines lately and one stood out to me last Saturday. I took a bottle of the Cigarral Pago del Ama to the best restaurant in Atlanta (www.woodfiregrill.com) and was totally blown out of the water. This was not the best wine I have ever had but for $50 this Syrah was rocking my world.
    PLEASE PLEASE get more! I know only 100 cases came to the USA but I must have more. The complexity and balance of this wine after about 1.5 hours decanted was awesome.
    Great episodes over the past couple of days too by the way. I am changing my website and have a link pointing to you guys already. Hopefully it will be published and viewable in the next week or so.
    Again I propose a WLTV fanatics tasting. I would fly up there for that and a chance to tour your facility.
    Good to see you back!

12. July 26, 2006

    Scott

    Bonne Mares, dont remember vintage. Had it at the Waldorf where I was a cook in 94. The dinner was for some UN delegation and I approached the wine steward for a taste. My facination with Burgundian style pinot was born. I had previously been an adherent to Carneros, that all changed.

    Like your style and find that I learn something everytime I watch.

13. July 26, 2006

    Adam

    Can’t say I’ve found that bottle of Pinot that’s done it for me. Not much of a fan.

    Ya think that Three Miners would do it for me?

14. July 26, 2006

    kidseyemd

    Hey Gary,

    I love how you’ve raised the intensity of Winelibrary TV. I am not a “Burghound” in any way. I have been disappointed more often by “expensive” Burgundy than any other region. In fact pinot noir has never really been my thing. That being said, to answer your question, my best pinot experience was a 1990 Charmes-Chambertin i think from Drouhin (or was it Latour?). It was stellar, and i didnt pay for it!!!

    Just as an aside, the BEST bottle EVER was from my in-laws cellar, 61 Latour, in Magnum no less….i will never be wealthy enough to have another experience like that…and yes, i licked the decanter…

15. July 26, 2006

    Mike

    Gary,
    I am a self confessed Pinot freak. I actually just got home today from a California wine trip and had the pleasure of meeting Stephen Hansel from Walter Hansel Winery in the Russian River Valley. He took 2 hours out of his day to take my family and I around his winery (very small operation and not much to look at…which i enjoyed more so due to his commitment) All of his wines are amazing, from his Chardonnays to his Pinots. What is even more amazing is how humble he is. He actually told us that he rarely tastes his own wines because he is so critical of them. He actually even called his distributor (Polaner) once to suggest that they pull a wine that didnt meet his standards…a wine that Parker scored in the 90’s!! Needless to say, Polaner didnt pull the wine, but this just goes to show one Cali wine maker who isnt influenced by scores or hype. Now, back to the wines. He tried us on the 2004 North Slope pinot (parker 94-96pts). It was great, but almost Syrah like, which is prob why Parker loved it so much. Steve even admitted it wasnt a pinot he’d drink everyday, but it was the vineyard and the vintage that produced that particular wine..it wasnt a sylistic dec. Of all the wines we tried, the 2003 Cahill Lane Pinot was my fav. All of his wines are big in fruit, but have a solid core of acidity that just carries through and through. The oak( all his barrels are heavy toast w/ toasted head) didnt dominate, in fact, it added a wonderful mocha/vanilla element that worked well with the fruit and acid. Again, Im not sure if you or anyone else out there has had a chance to try any of the Walter Hansel wines but if you can find them, I highly recommed them. Whats more, Stephen sells his wines around $30-40 a bottle, not cheap, but in comparison to Rochioli, Kistler, etc…they are a steal. Also, if you look at his track record, he has never risen his prices even after many of the accolades bestowed upon him. Great great wine and an even better man/winemaker.

    PS: Even more crazy, he barreled sampled us on the 2005 Chards, they just finished about 2 wks ago and still need more barrel aging, but the Cuvee Alice was incredible.

    PPS: I also enjoyed the 2003 Sea Smoke Botella…that was a last Christmas wine enjoyed with my fam.

    Keep up the good work

16. July 26, 2006

    Cameron

    Gary, another great episode, keep up this no holds barred approach! Your visible passion is what makes it interesting.

    The best Pinot I’ve had in my 22 young years was in Paso Robles, on California’s central coast. While I grew up there, I hadn’t returned since I was of legal drinking age. I came back during Father’s Day weekend, so my dad and I decided to share our first tasting together. One of the first tasting rooms we vistied was Windward, who do exclusively Pinot Noir. The experience of being home again, sharing a rite of passage (for wine geeks at least) with my dad, makes that stand as still the best Pinot I’ve experienced.

17. July 26, 2006

    john maki

    Pinot Noirs I have known and loved:
    1. A Gevrey Chambertin (It was big & rich & dark),abt. 1975, at Casino show in Lake Tahoe. Those were the days when you could get 2 drinks at a show for $20 or put that $ toward any wines on the menu. You can see what a deal that was for 4-5 people.
    2. L’Etage 2001 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir by Schug Vineyards, a wine they made for restaurants, but sold as special at the winery for $7.50. A nice light, racy, spicy wine with cloves & cinnamon & a bit of “terroir”.
    3. Lucas & Lewellyn 1999 Goodchild vineyards
    tasted at the tasting room in Solvang, CA & later which is the only wine that has ever reminded me of thimbleberries which we had growing up in Upper Michigan as a child. That set me off on a search for the berries which has led to the San Mateo coast near San Francisco where I live. Washington state is the third & only place where these berries are found. john

18. July 26, 2006

    David M

    Hey Gary!

    Best Pinot…I’ve had,was with friends of course! A Bergstrom Arcus Estate Pinot, we were at his vineyard, sitting on a hillside looking at the Dundee Hills In the Wilamette Valley. Eating kick ass tacos with winemaker…AWESOME! Talk to Josh about bringing some of his stuff in Whites as well as Pinots. Good young dude!

    Ch

19. July 25, 2006

    P. Hig.

    a 1971 la tache from DRC. By far the most explosive and elegant wine I’ve ever had. It was given to me by a friend–the kind everyone should have a few of. The most extraordinary wine experience of my life. Other than that, a 2002 Vogue Bonnes Mare also opened by a friend. He only had one and said what the hell, let’s try it. Incredible finesse and power combined. A razor’s edge of acid and brilliant fruit couched in a massive padding of ripe and complex tannins. Just stunning. My guess is it will become a wine as good as–and maybe better than– the la tache. Is it worth $200 or more bucks. If a first growth Bordeaux (which is made in the tens of thousands of bottles) sells for 350-600 bucks, you bet it is.
    As far as American Pinot, a 1983 Kalin Pinot was no doubt the best American pinot I’ve had
    I have not had the NZ wine mentionned here so I will of course reserve judgement, but if NZ sauvignon, and I have had a ton, are any indication of what Kiwi pinot, no thanks for me. Besides, $30 bucks is hardly cheap. I will try it though.
    Now, as far as Burg is concerned, yes there is a ton of dreck and the burgundians should be ashamed, especially when they are taking the best terroir in the world (e.g. places like clos vougeot) to make it (many famous appelations are owned by many different producers–hence the nightmare of figuring things out). There should be a rule that says if you can’t make brilliant wine out of such a place on a consistent basis, you loose you land and it is put up for sale to those who consistently do make great wine.
    That being said, if you find a great producer, and there are quite a few, even some negotiants (eg Bouchard) and you stick with them, they will consistently make wonderful wine across the board, from their strait burgundy at ten bucks a bottle to their bonnes mares or montrachet (white) which I can’t afford. There are consistently incredible, ageworthy wines in the $20-40 range, wines that I would take in my cellar over any other pinot made from anywhere. I would be delighted if it were otherwise and I have had wines that have demonstrated that it could be more consistently. It just generally isn’t. Want to hear from the most knowledgeable burgundy taster out there: check out allan meadows (no I’m not connected to him in any way). He will demonstrate how and why it is the best chardonnay and pinot on earth and will also suggest what to get in any price range. I don’t always agree (he loves dugas-py for example) but nobody knows more about the most complex, forbidding, and rewarding wine on earth.
    Sorry Gary. Can’t go along for the ride. Besides, bashing Burgundy has a long tradition, of which Parker is probably the most virulent (and ignorant) proponent, so again, not really anything new.

20. July 25, 2006

    Julius

    I’ll reserve my Gary bashing for a later comment and get right into answering Gary’s question of what was the best bottle of Pinot Noir I ever had.
    I have enjoyed several good bottles of Pinot Noir over the years but two stand out, and they are distinctly different from each other. One was a 1989 Chateau De La Tour Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru from Burgundy, purchased at the winery. Typical of the Clos was the earthiness (and underbrush) both on the nose and on the palate, yet showing a good amount of dense black fruit and supple tannins. A well balanced “old world” Pinot Noir.
    The other one was a 2002 Soter Beacon Hill. We drank it last Thanksgiving. It had copious amounts of black fruit, plus cedar, sweet spice and well integrated tannins. I would rate the Soter a little better than the Vougeot.

21. July 25, 2006

    cgf

    great show. i still would have a hard time paying 30 bucks for a pinot from new zealand. best pinot was a 2001 shea block 23 served with filet mignon. have you ever carried or do you plan on bringing in any shea vineyard wines, either from shea or other wineries like ken wright, penner-ash, etc.?

22. July 25, 2006

    Dave Miller

    Gary, I have had very few pinot’s. I have always thought they were wimpy and light. I want more Girard Petit Syrah 03. Is there more to be had? I did try the Bad Fish Pinot and thought that was ok.
    I love Wine Library TV
    Dave M

23. July 25, 2006

    Bill Ross

    Gary V,

    My favorite PN so far was an ‘02 or ‘03 Etude from Carneros. I think I gave $60 for it at Perry’s Steakhouse in Houston (awesome place) on Father’s Day with my son, accompanied by their famous five-finger pork chop. I like PN as a substitute for white wine when a dish screams for a white. Mostly I shop without outstanding success for

24. July 25, 2006

    Bob Berke

    Favorite Pinot experience was with my wife to be at Paragary’s in Sacramento Ca.

    I purchased a 1994 Dehlinger Reserve and we opened it there. Did not know a lot about Dehlinger at the time, 1995-1996 time period, but the wine soon became the meal and we shoved our food over to the side.

    At that time I tatooed the pinot noir grape on my right arm, and changed my email address to match.

    As many who are passionate about wine, my tastes have evolved, come back, went away etc.. but that wine is the wine that my wife and I continue to use as our benchmark.

25. July 25, 2006

    John

    Hmmmm, best Pinot Noir is somewhat complicated and must be split into two categories….the best Pinot that I have tasted & the best Pinot that I have bought.

    The reason for this is that back in 1997, when I was attending Tulane and had just started getting into wine, I took a wine-tasting course for fun. I mentioned to a girl from NY who lived nearby, and just happened to adore me, that I was beginning to enjoy wine and she proceeded to tell me that her father was a huge collector and had over 30,000 bottles in his cellar. For Thanksgiving he came down to visit and offered to take her and a friend to dinner. She asked me to go, and being a poor, starving college student, I willingly obliged. We went to Straya, a wonderful restaurant on St Charles street, which is, sadly, no longer there. I had an outstanding steak, which one wouldn’t think would be the best match for one bottle that her father had brought along…..a 1985 DRC Romanee Conti….but oh, drinking that wine was indescribable. Luscious and satiny, rich sweet fruit and mellow earth cut through by fine acidity and the softest tannins to ever cross my tongue. I was almost scared to drink it, partly because he mentioned how much it cost. I was counting the hundreds of dollars with each sip. I am not a huge Pinot fan, but to this day, it is one of the top 3 wines I’ve ever tasted.

    The best Pinot I have ever personally bought was a 1998 Marcassin Blue Slide Ridge…..probably because it reminded me of the DRC. I was very earthy and had nice mineral core wrapped up in a huge wealth of plum and super rich cherry flavors. It was great.

    I think the reason I don’t particularly like many Pinot’s is because they are not rich and full bodied enough for my blood. I know that many of the Cali Pinot’s are heading in that direction, but I find that many of them seem to lose that laser-like purity that I loved in these two aforementioned wines. I guess that why good Pinot is so hard to make.

    So, Gary, what was your best Pinot Noir experience?

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