Chilean Values! - Episode #93

September 19, 2006

episode93

Wines tasted in this episode:

You asked Gary for it and now he repsonds! You asked for another Chilean episode and Gary delivers. Gary today tastes two Cabs and two Merlots from Chile to see how they measure up to their value. In a new twist for WLTV Gary issues a Challenge of the Day (COD) to all of the WLTV viewers!

103 Responses

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  1. about 3 weeks ago

    PsychoI3oy

    I’m surprised nobody mentioned the smell on the Los Vascos Cab Sauv of ‘paper’. Such a popular wine being bad is not out of character for WLTV, but is it possible that it was corked?

  2. about 5 months ago

    thefanjestic

    Yoohoo? Are you kidding me? Anything less than 99 points is an insult for possibly one of the greatest inventions of all time!! Forget electricity, the phone or indoor plumbbing. Yoohoo tops them all!

    Good episode - I need to try one of those Baca wines.

  3. about 12 months ago

    David Canada

    This will get me to try a $10 bottle again…thanks for the kick in the ass.’

  4. about 21 months ago

    Chris Stanisci

    RJ (& any WLTVer),

    Please post your email address in a comment on Episode #88 (that’s the one I’ll be checking as this is the episode where “your favorite restaurant” was the QOD).

  5. about 21 months ago

    Chris Stanisci

    RJ

    I need your email address to send you the Restaurant spreadsheet…please post.

  6. about 21 months ago

    Vinacull

    Thanks Julius for the RP quote! Informative and a great reminder. Cheers, C

  7. about 21 months ago

    RJ

    Chris, pls. add me to email lists. Tks. RJ

  8. about 21 months ago

    Julius

    I thought it would be interesting to see what Robert Parker has to say about his “Tasting Notes and Ratings.” It should be noted that RP typically tastes and rates wines in peer groups, so the scores should be looked at in a relative way rather than as an absolute. If, for instance, he scores Sauvignon Blancs no higher than 90, than we might look at that 90 as the equivalent of a 97-98 Cabernet Sauvignon. But as he states, the written commentary offers better information. If you like the characteristics that he describes in a specific wine and it is at a price point you would be willing to spend then why not buy it.

    (The excerpt from eRobertParker.com follows below)

    “There are specific standards of quality that full-time wine professionals recognize, and there are benchmark wines against which others can be judged. I know of no one with three or four different glasses of wine in front of him or her, regardless of how good or bad the wines might be, who cannot say, “I prefer this one to that one.” Scoring wines is simply taking a professional’s opinion and applying some sort of numerical system to it on a consistent basis. Scoring permits rapid communication of information to expert and novice alike.”

    “Scores, however, do not reveal the important facts about a wine. The written commentary that accompanies the ratings is a better source of information regarding the wine’s style and personality, its relative quality vis-à-vis its peers, and its value and aging potential than any score could ever indicate.”

    “Scores are important for the reader to gauge a professional critic’s overall qualitative placement of a wine vis-à-vis its peer group. However, it is also vital to consider the description of the wine’s style, personality, and potential. No scoring system is perfect, but a system that provides for flexibility in scores, if applied by the same taster without prejudice, can quantify different levels of wine quality and provide the reader with one professional’s judgment. However, there can never be any substitute for your own palate nor any better education than tasting the wine yourself.”

  9. about 21 months ago

    Tony

    Chris Stan, I’d love a copy of the restaurant list. Great work! WS did a big article on San Francisoc restaurants this month, and included a section on wine bars (somewhat limited IMO). I think it would be great if Gary’s QOD today was “what is your favorite wine bar?”

    I’ll start off. I’ve only been to a couple in the City, including First Crush (pretty good, but only CA wines), the Ferry Wine Merchant (OK, not as impressed as I wanted to be), and one on Powell near Union Square whose name escapes me (had an excellent Topel Syrah there). My favorite wine bar (because it’s the only one in Chico) is Monks (interesting and eclectic selection of wines). Enotria in Sacramento is also excellent.

  10. about 21 months ago

    David M

    Hey Gary!

    Drank a Sineann Baby Poux 2001 Cab Sav…awesome! Next time you are in Cali, come down south and let’s party!

    Cheers!

  11. about 21 months ago

    MaryS

    Hey Gary,
    I hope you are including us girls that are watching when you say “hey dudes, I love you guys and WLTV is making noise boys”! Just kidding. But don’t forget we are out here too! As for what I drank last night………….I’m a little embarrassed to say I tried a Turning Leaf Riesling. Didn’t care for it, but what do you expect for $7. I picked it up on the way home and the store I stopped at had a very limited selection and none that you had recommended. But I can only go up from here right! LOL

  12. about 21 months ago

    Vinacull

    Gary,
    Hope you enjoy some great wine in CA and have a safe trip back. Thanks for unveiling some Chilean values for under 10, and the Yoohoo (Yahoo? Yayhoo?) taste test ending was good fun. To Chris Stanisci, big thanks for working with the folks from WL to disseminate the the WLTV notes mastersheet - really looking forward to it. Gary, you have said in the past to speak up when you don’t agree with something. I have to say, over the last few episodes there have been many interesting viewer questions and great ideas for the perfect episode based on your own request, but they continue to go unaddressed and I think it sells short a vital part of WLTV. Even today’s QOD was an afterthought, which brings fewer responses because not everyone has the time to read all the comments after watching the EP. Please consider devoting an episode to the questions and comments from the loyals and lurkers who support the concept. Keep up the great work of calling them as they strike you and painting the profiles with vivid descriptions, along with the “chuk” and “nod” that people rely on. Sincerely, CK

  13. about 21 months ago

    Susan

    Chris Stanisci,
    Please email me that spreadsheet. Thank you for putting that together.
    I travel some - so this will be very helpful.
    email:
    spauldingone@yahoo.com

  14. about 21 months ago

    Tony G.

    I’ll second that vote!! Great effort Chris, I look foward to checking them out.

  15. about 21 months ago

    Matthew L

    Chris…Kudos for compiling the spreadsheet–both on the episodes and the restaurants. That more than qualifies for a resounding victory in the 2006 WLTV “Yeoman’s Effort of the Year Award” category!

  16. about 21 months ago

    Lawrence Leichtman

    Are you guys going to publish the spreadsheets somewhere? Other than going to the Yoohoo factory, why Sunnyvale?
    Last night finished up the bottle of Ravenswood 2000 Belloni Zindafandel

  17. about 22 months ago

    Chris Stanisci

    FYI, I also compiled another spreadsheet detailing everyone’s answers to the QOD from Ep. 88 — What is your favorite restaurant? Pretty nice listing of restaurants in a bunch of different cities….a total of around 170 restaruants. If you want a copy, leave me your email address.

  18. about 22 months ago

    Chris Stanisci

    SPREADSHEET UPDATE: A few people have mentioned the spreadsheet so I wanted to give an update.

    Gary has put me in touch with Brian W. and John K. from the WL who are working on the best way to post this info….IT IS COMING SOON. THANKS to Gary, Brian and John.

    Secondly, I have not been compiling info for every wine on each episode. Rather, I have been listing Gary’s “recommended” wines ONLY. Sometimes he likes one (chianti), sometimes he likes five (canadian icewines). Remember that I started compiling this for myself and was only interested in the “good” wines. So, when folks want to “compare” Gary’s ratings, they will find only higher ratings (89 and up) since they are all the ones that he recommended. Hence, most all of these have gotten the “VaynerNOD”, so no need to add a column for this. In fact, maybe I should re-name this the “The VaynerNOD’s Greatest Hits”.

    Finally, the best part of the spreadsheet is the section detailing Gary’s tasting notes. I am a novice and I did this so that when I drink one of his recommended wines, I can see if I can smell and taste the same things. But this is the best part of WLTV hence, I’m slightly bummed that folks might want to use this as a means to give Gary SH*T about his ratings.

    Also, rememeber that Gary changed his rating procedure about 10 episodes ago, when, per multiple comments, he agreed to no longer take price into consideration when rating.

    I think the best way to use the ratings is within a specific episode…

    Luv the 2 new VaynerTERMS: VaynerGLUG and VaynerCLANK (Bruce, I added on to your original “clank” suggestion from above–BTW, I know exactly what you’re referring to….I love when he VaynerCLANK’s

    I also drank Arizona GREEN Tea tonight…but, the night before I had the “2001 Buoncristiani OPC (Ol Pa’s Cuvee) Claret” (from a special pre-sale offer Video which is also on the spreadsheet) ….GREAT juice.

  19. about 22 months ago

    GOL

    Posting a little late, but have read through the comments… anybody notice the “extra spit” GV did on the Santa Rita? I think I’ve seen this from him in an earlier episode. It’s like what Urlacher is gonna say to any Jets receiver that comes across the middle, get that weak stuff outta here! I think the “extra spit” is the opposite of the Glug.

    Hope the Yahoo meeting went well GV, we’ll all say we knew you when

    QOD - No wine tonight, saving myself for a day in Napa on Thursday. I can confirm Marc T’s comment, not that I asked for a hook-up, but GV helped me narrow down a long list of wineries to a managable one day number. Thanks again GV and I’ll follow Brandon M’s lead and post some highlights!

  20. about 22 months ago

    the professor and....

    Big Billy, you nailed it with the Vayner-Glug(second sip and a swallow) as the ultimate approval, but what the hell do you call that “face rub”? Is that the Vayner-holyshitthisisthecrappiestjuicei’veevertasted ?

    drinking Braut & Sistra from the Library tonight.

    Making noise in Sunnyvale? Great for WLTV, but don’t forget us little guys when your rubbing elbows with the big wigs at Yahoo.

    One more thing, when are you gonna have a live taping of WLTV so that all of us can get together and drink some wine? Episode 100?

  21. about 22 months ago

    Susan

    So I realize I am a little slow…. but…
    You are in Sunnyvale, CA home of Yahoo.
    Interesting….
    Please give us more details of why Yahoo later…

  22. about 22 months ago

    alanh

    Last couple of bottles I had was a 2002 Roda & DJP Villa de Corullon ‘03; both had massive fruit but the DJP was looking a bit green. Hope you check out some more spanish wines soon.

    Also, in relation to the pinot episode the other day Gary (or anyone else withe experience) how do Calera Pinot’s stand up over time? In Australia currently it’s common to see Calera from the 97-00 vintages, would they be looking tired and past it yet?

  23. about 22 months ago

    garyv

    Im in Sunnyvale on some business :) WLTV is making noise boys!

  24. about 22 months ago

    Billy G

    2004 Arista Russian River Valley Pinot Noir. I bought some at the winery this summer. Good stuff.

  25. about 22 months ago

    Bruce

    One more thing…..

    I love it when you do not like a wine and you smack your lips and then clank your teeth….could be part of the Vanernod system…..call a bad wine a “clanker”

    I have a bottle of 2003 Nalle Zinfandel breathing upstairs..gotta go!

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