Classic Wine Tasting. – Episode #109

October 17, 2006

Wines tasted in this episode:

Today Gary tastes some of the classics and treats himself and you to some of the greatest wines in the world including Mouton, Le Pin and Torbreck.

237 Responses

Pages: « 10 9 8 [7] 6 5 4 3 2 1 » Show All

October 18, 2006

SS Chris
TAMPA STEVE,
Thanks VERY much for the info. When I was compiling all of the “Favorite Restaurants” into the spreadsheet, your description of BURNS clearly stood out. I wish I was there for your 40th…sounds like a PERFECT evening (great steak, great wine, great cigars). I think I may have to make a trip to Tampa…I’ll let you know if I come.

TAMPA STEVE, JULIUS, STALLION and DOUG G,
Thanks so much for all of your great info…I can’t tell you how much I appreciate.

Gotta love this BLOG!!!

Gotta love the VaynIACS!!!! thanks again, Chris

P.S.
If you guys would like the ‘Restaurant Spreadsheet’ (actually it’s the entire Spreadsheet w/ different tabs), have Gary forward me your email addresses so that I can send. (I’d feel like I’m recipricating in my own small way.)
October 18, 2006

Panman
SS Chris – Avanti wine coolers are a pain to get repaired if you need to have one fixed. Check out the website. Half the authorized repair shops listed don’t exist or are no longer repair shops.

Gary – not only was this episode like having a R rated movie on TBS, this episode was like the Heidi Bowl!
October 18, 2006

Kahuna
TampaSteve,
Last time at Burns we did the Kitchen and Wine Cellar tour- I was blown away- I love that place and I tell people it is worth the flight down there just to eat at it. They grow many of their own greens and the seperate dessert floor is the best. Other steak houses I love are El Goucho(over priced but great expierence the waitor actually escorts the women to the bathroom) and Metropolitan Grill in Seattle.

I ate at a place in Houston that was amazing as we ate in the cigar room. I will have to dig up the name.
October 18, 2006

Matthew L
Julius…(comment #154) thanks for the link.

Thanks to those who mentioned the Dear Arm. I’ve seen bottles of 2003 for 52 bones (as Gary would say), but the 2002 is $35 a bottle. ‘03 must have been a superior vintage year in Australia for Shiraz.
October 18, 2006

Rick
Gary

I would have to wait ten years for the Torbreck and I can drink the Two Up now. Oh Yeah! I get it! I can drink the Two Up for the next ten years while waiting for the Torbreck.

These are your tasting notes for comparison.

Two Up Shiraz 2004 â€“ 12.99

By Far, the BEST of this BUNCH, NOSE-wow, acacia flowers, plum, cocoa; TASTE-great structure, nice mid-palate, long bacon fat finish, ton of fruit: strawberry, currant, plum, blackberries. FANTASTIC. This is what you’re looking for..BARGAIN!

Torbreck The Factor Red 2003 â€“ 79.99

#1; NOSE-candied licorice, liqueur aspect, very intense, very big; TASTE-Wow !, So massive, huge luscious blackberry, black currant, raisins, huge wine, taking over entire palate, very well structured, great character, real long finish, pure silk, HUGE wine, needs to be cellared (another 7-15 years), a VALUE @ $80, as good as it gets; black pepper, apricot on finish; RP-96; GV-95
October 18, 2006

Jason R.
Everyone – I would like to Thank all of you for buying all of the 2001 Guigal CDP. It was on my order and they are all out I will just have to sniff my computer while reading your comments, lick my baseball glove & spit into a decanter for about 2-3 hours to get the same orgasmic experience that everyone explains.

Oh’well – thats what is so damn fun in enjoying wine – The guys at WL Shipping dept. were awesome and I quickly found something to replace it with. GL everyone else that had it on their order list!!!
October 18, 2006

Susan
Julius,
Thanks for the link:)
Yes, it is helpful to a newbie like me!
October 18, 2006

Brandon M
This isn’t about selling wine Lawrence, it’s about the experience!

B
October 18, 2006

Julius
Brandon – You, and anybody else, might find the following link useful in developing your nose and palate. I know I did.

http://www.wset.co.uk/documents/xac_sat_17_07_06.pdf
October 18, 2006

Jaye
Yowsa! 152 comments already in the can by the time I have a few minutes to watch this episode?!!

Yikes. I used to read all the comments before I would post, but I can’t go through that many and still keep my job.

Yes, I also noticed the bottles weren’t open. I got all tingly when I saw the screen thing come up after the Torbreck — I knew it was going to be followed by some sort of silly fun. Thanks for not disappointing.

So far the best Aussie Shiraz I have had was the 2001 Glen Eldon Dry Bore. I have a fairly pricey shiraz sitting in my cellar that I am waiting a few more years on before I try . . . Elderton Command 2000.
October 18, 2006

joe
Gary:

awesome episode, that is the old Gary humor! I loved episode 69 then, and I love episode 109 now. I almost flipped when I saw that wine lineup – - I half beleived your were going to open $4-$5K worth of wine up. Very funny!

My favorite Aussie Shiraz I ever had was the 1997 Penfolds Grange had this year, with 2 hours of decanting before consuming. Wonderfully complex and mamouthly long.

Joe
October 18, 2006

Julius
SS Chris – The Wine Enthusiast is saying that at the price listed you get 3 adjustable (actually, a fixed shelf that is adjustable by its placement) and 1 rolling (pull-out) shelf. You can order additional shelving (which will make it look like what you see pictured. Remember, the 260 bottle capacity is determined by using only the minimum number of adjustable shelves and standard Bordeaux bottles. Those slightly fatter and/or taller bottles favored by some California and Australian wineries can further reduce that number. I have 3 fixed and 8 rolling shelves plus basket at the bottom in my unit and the capacity is about 190. I was lucky when I bought it, because they were running a “super sale” at the time and I got the glass door and additional shelves for free, and the base price for the unit was less than what it is now. (I guess I should have bought two.)
October 18, 2006

TampaSteve
SS Chris go through this link http://www.wineenthusiast.com/E/landing.asp?N=63&uid=233FF331-08B9-4A50-9E18-31B45319C6F1 It will still take you to the same spot but you will see the link there for the outlet. The inventory in the outlet varies constantly. Not all the items in the outlet are scratch and dent, sometimes they are mistake orders or cancelled orders or refabs. The good ones go VERY fast so check there daily. The bought mine as soon as I saw it listed. The units generally only come with something like one rolling shelf and 2 fixed shelves, you have to buy any extra shelving. The more shelving you buy the more space it will take out of the unit. The bulk shelving (the way it comes) gives the most capacity. You will cut the capacity almost in half if you fill it top to bottom with sliding shelves and the shelving get’s expensive. I did buy extra sliding shelves and ended up taking some out to make more room. The unit is top end, you will love it. I have the Confort series 260 with a glass door. I bought it to replace 2 small 36 bottle Haier units I had. Not only have I pretty much filled up the EuroCave I have even put one of my Haier units back to work. After I receive my shipment from the WL free shipping deal I will be putting the second Haier back in service also. This wine buying is addictive.

I love Burns. We go there at least once a year. We used to goes almost monthly when my wife was on her expense account and did a lot of entertaining for her job….those days are sadly gone now however, so once a year it is. I went there for my 40th birthday with my nephew and best friend. Those were back in the days when you could still light up a cigar and enjoy. We got in at 6pm and walked out from the desert room at 11pm $1200 later. On the way out they were kidding us that we knew how to do Berns in grand style..lol
October 18, 2006

Lawrence Leichtman
The numbers are integral to the LOST series and are the solution to the Valenzetti equation that is the premise for the DHARMA intiative to be on the island in the first place where the LOST characters crash. It is fairly complicated and the number source came out in an on-line game called the LOST Experience over the past summer.

My favorite Shiraz is virtually any year of the Dead Arm from D’Arenberg. Have had only one bottle of the Torbeck don’t remember the designation from 1998. Loved it but not readily available here in Tideater Virginia.

Knew the other wines weren’t opened and the cost of the rest of the tasting would have been about $3500. Free shipping is one thing because you are making sales that way. Tasting Le Pin isn’t going to make anyone run out to buy it. Same with the Mouton and the Hermitage probably $250 each.
October 18, 2006

DougG
“Chris, stay away from Avantiâ€¦..I have heard many many bad things about them”

I have had an Avanti for 7 years now and it has worked perfectly for me, not sure if there are any other opinions on these units.
October 18, 2006

Grasshopper
Sensei,

I know I have been bombarding you with questions, but I have one more…..

When dining in a very nice resteraunt and you are going to have their five course tasting menu, do you usually go with their wine pairings or do you prefer choosing the wine or wines yourself? As you know, my Wife and I are celebrating our Anniversary this Saturday and I really appreciate your recommendation of the 1996 Ridge Monte Bello. But now that I have seen the menu and know they offer a five course tsating with pairings, which way would you go??

Grasshopper
October 18, 2006

Brandon M
7:30 I’m up…but the kids aren’t!

No…I don’t work for Wine Library, I’m just a complete Vayniac!
Allthough I didn’t play Fantasy Football this year, so I’m actually saving time!

SonicGG…that is awesome! Anyone else? Europe, Africa, Australia, South America?

TimF thats a great idea on the map…those are too cool…someone should look into it.

B
October 18, 2006

Sam Zen
I had a wonderful Kaesler that sets the stamdard for me.
October 18, 2006

TimF
QOD: The only Australian shiraz that stands out in my mind for any reason is the Black Opal. I remember tasting it at the very first wine tasting I ever attended back in 1997 in Lafayette, IN. I remember the guy telling us to pair it with chocolate. That was a completely foreign concept to me at the time. It was one of the seminal moments in my developing a love for wine…
October 18, 2006

Tom T.
QOTD – A nice but inexpensive Shiraz is the Vasse Felix 2003 Adams Road from the Margaret River area.
October 18, 2006

Christopher
QOD –
From Meerea Park (Hunter Valley), The Aunts Shiraz is a nice drop, as well as the Meerea Park Alexander Munro Shiraz. Not sure if you get it in the US?
October 18, 2006

ChrisR
Almost as good as #69. Fun episode. Loved the test pattern. Made me laugh.

Michael Lewis is also the name of the safety that cost my Eagles a big loss on Sunday. Ouch!

QOD: Clarendon Hills Brookman Syrah. One of the few Aussie Shirazs that I actually loved. I’m not too keen on the medicinal reds from Oz.
October 18, 2006

TimF
Gary — You really need to get a frapper map going. I don’t think it takes much effort (if any at all)…
October 18, 2006

Italian Stallion
Chris, stay away from Avanti…..I have heard many many bad things about them. They also didn’t even get reviewed in Consumer Reports from what I can remember. You will definetely be happy with the fridge I recommended…If I didn’t love it I would never recommend it. Us Vayniacs gotta stick together and watch out for eachother…we’re a wine family..

-Stallion
October 18, 2006

SS Chris
SUSAN, thanks for the thanks!!

Yes, I think that Brandon and I are slightly more VaynIACy than some.

I know our wives, Denyce and Dede, think so…