Blind Tasting – Episode #197

March 9, 2007

Wines tasted in this episode:

Question of the day: “What’s the biggest discrepancy you’ve seen in a bottle of wine?”

Here it is the blind tasting episode. Can Gary Vaynerchuk be fooled?

Having trouble seeing this video? Click here for the Quicktime version

170 Responses

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March 10, 2007

Monrovino
Now THAT was MUST SEE WLTV! It’s good to see you’re not afraid to put yourself out there. I would hate to be the buyer at your store watching your video and then turning around and looking at the 50 cases of Nalle he just got in. I have heard about some TOTALLY blind tastings where the wines are served in opaque glasses to you can’t even see what color it is. One day, if you really want to go out on a limb, you might try that. I’d love to see it!

QOTD- Bought some 2002 Opus One at the winery a few years ago for $169/btl, then found it on the wine list at the Wine Cask Restaurant in Los Olivos for $125. Gulp.
March 10, 2007

hugh
Maybe my favorite episode yet!!! Forget Peter Petrelli…..you’re a true hero, nailing that petit verdot!!!! Kudos!!! Ok, now that your head is swelling….
QOD:
Phelps Insignia 1995 bought for $65 in 2002 (btw, not worthy of its lofty Parker points)
Calon Segur 2000 bought on release in 2003 for $44….i even asked if it was a mismarked price before i bought it!!! i should have bought more than i did!!! lesson learned…

please do more blinds…..and that’s a request from an eye doc!!
March 10, 2007

Pat Mc
Nice fun episode — I live in the neighboring liquor-control-board benighted state of PA – about an hour and a half from the store. QOTD – most PA purchases show the biggest discrepancies. Case in recent point – Francis Coppola Diamond Pinot Noir, regularly #19.99 in PA, WL price $13.99. Road trip to WL coming soon.
March 10, 2007

JOEinLA
GREAT job nailing the price points and the Petite Verdot. I have a bottle of the Purple Angel which now seems like something for 2010.

QOTD. Since 2001, Sette Ponte Oreno at one store for $54 and the rest at $100…You know who gets my loyal business…
March 10, 2007

gordoyflaca
QOD:

If i remember correctly:

2003 Montelena The Montelena Estate Cab: $50 (montelena web site lists $105)

2001 Gran Elias Mora Toro $30 (usually $50-70?)

2002 Lafite $90 (not bought as a future)

I try not to buy anything at full retail price!
March 10, 2007

Jeff
I loved seeing a quick tour of the store. How about showing us the whole thing? Nice job on the blind tasting too.

Jeff
March 10, 2007

EricB
For the upcoming Zin episode, howz about doing the 3 R’s and throw another one in like Seghesio?
March 10, 2007

streamertyer
Me thinks his palate has been Turleyized.
March 10, 2007

streamertyer
Zincredible!

Vaynercred pre-Nalle tasting — 93 points.
Vaynercred post-Nalle tasting — 80 points.

Like cheap merlot??!!?? Puhleez!

Do a blind with this (and a couple other zins) against your Crumbling Tractor yawner.

Hard to believe we’re both Jets fans…. You worry me….
March 10, 2007

EricB
Cool, finally did a blind tasting. Double blind is actually where the one setting up the tasting doesn’t know what’s being tasted either.
Kind of surprised he didn’t pick out the Cab, but really surprised he didn’t name the Zin varietal. Zin has some very unique flavors IMO. Looks like Gary needs more practice with Zin. How about a Zin episode, hint, hint.
All in all, very nicely done, and way to go with #2 and #3!
March 10, 2007

JonE
Carmenere…..tough. Was there any smoke? Good show G-Man. Way to pick the Petit Verdot BTW.

QOTD: So here’s the swing,apparently everywhere in NC Belle Glos Clark & Telephone 05′ Pinot goes for anywhere from $36-$42 bones, you guys sell it for $26.99 everyday. Your my heroes.
March 10, 2007

TimInFL
Ok…Are you really that good?

I’ll give it to ya…this time! Thanks for choosing the Purple Angel. 88 is what I was expecting, but if it didn’t shock you because it was so different from the others what would it have done? I would like to see you taste these wines later when you expect to taste what you are tasting.

Thanks again

JETS
March 10, 2007

Paul
Sorry, cyrock, I have to agree with Julius. I sort of expected Gary to attempt to identify varietal (there was only one tricky one – the Carmener – based on Gary’s expertise), general place of origin and age. The latter one could expect to be relatively recent since all these were taken off the shelf.

It is, of course, great to have an estimation of value because it gives the watchers a better sense of his palate. I suspect he’s going to get a bit of heat for his evaluation of the Nalle Zin, and not only from Lars.

In closing, I’d suggest you offer your comments, which I enjoy, and leave off the criticism of others’ comments. They’re just honest opinions, not personal attacks.

Thanks for your thoughts, and thanks for reading mine.
March 10, 2007

ChrisR
QOD:

All my pre-Top 100 Wine Spectator wines are the biggest variance. Like buying the wine of year Brunello for $45 then watching it shoot through the roof due to demand.

Same can be said for the Guigal CDP 01 and 99 which were both $21 wines for me before they nearly doubled.

I get a thrill out of finding values like this. I once bought a $35 syrah on close-out for $17. What fun!

Great ep!
March 10, 2007

glenn
nice effort today! WTG with the PV – impressive considering you got a “Roadhouse” reference in there as well.

remember when Treanna hit the marketplace a few years ago? i bought a bottle for like $22 and told a friend in Nashville i thought she would love the wine. well she did but she bitched about the $47 price tag! bought 2 weeks apart but the difference between TN & CA i guess.
March 10, 2007

SteveB
Hey Gary, are you gonna tell us the name of the Bordeaux the guy drove 2.5hrs to get?
SteveB
March 10, 2007

Eugene
This is a great episode!
Good job on Petit Verdot (side note to myself: try Petit Verdot soon!)

QOTD:

Gary, please read carefully the respond from Hennessey to my email and my original email below. It is hilarious!

Hi,

I recently purchased a bottle of Hennessy VSOP Privilege cognac, which I like and buy quite often. It came in the cardboard box with text written in English and French. I understand French so I read the text in both languages. In French it says that this cognac is made of blend of about sixty (soixante) eaux de vie.

In English it says that this cognac is made of blend of about fifty eaux de vies. I think that this should be corrected and I deserve a free bottle of the finest Hennessy cognac for bringing this up to your attention!
Thank you very much!
My best regards
Eugene

And the response:

Dear Mr xxxxxxxx,

Thank you for your message and interest in Hennessy cognacs. The reason why, there is a difference between the two translations is that the number of eaux de vie is different from a year to another. It is more practical give an average rather than an exact number of eaux de vie. Thank you for contacting us and please, do not hesitate to contact us again if you have any questions or comments concerning Hennessy. Best Hennessy regards, Scherazade HAMDANE Consumer Relations.
xxxxxxxxx@hennessy.fr
Objet Hennessy VSOP Privilege cognac
——————————————————————-
March 10, 2007

MoselMensch
Fun show today–loved the blind tasting. I think your palete just got a little exhausted there at the end. ;o)

QOTD: My beloved Reichsgraff von Kesselstatt — both the Josefhoefer and the Scharzhofberger — in Trier I get them for about 8-12 Euro, over here, even accounting for exchange and imports, they are overpriced at $25-$35. What’s worse is that no one seems to want to stock the younger ones: they’re all 1999 or older. Musty-smelling oftentimes (in a bad way) and the sugar is outrageous. I don’t even buy them in the States any more–I just drink them over there. Another thing I miss from Germany? Good decent everyday drinkable wine for less than $5/4 Euros. I’m happy to spring and spend 20, 40 even 100 for a good bottle, but for everyday drinking, why can’t I find anything good in some parts of the U.S. for under $10? I think I need a new wine store but, in Columbia, SC, what are you gonna do?
March 10, 2007

Jim Kay
QOTD: In the US, Robert Chevillon 2003 “Les Vaucrains” $85 when purchased in April 2006. Now it can be had for $55. 35% drop. I shoulda waited.
March 10, 2007

TR
The face you made at the Purple Angel reminded me of the one I made last time I had a RP 92 rated Australian (Craneford ‘03)which should have one of the fruit bomb warning stickers you suggested in an earlier episode.
March 10, 2007

TR
QOTD-On a trip to London I visited a wineshop in Kensington and purchased among other things a bottle of Mouton Rothschild ‘93. The one with the banned in USA nude (girl?) on the label. It was about 140 pounds and for some reason I was thinking dollars and it did not dawn on me til I was almost back at the hotel that I had just paid @$260 for a bottle that was available in the USA for around $160. I haven’t opened it yet perhaps I’m waiting for it’s market value to reach the price I paid.
March 10, 2007

Panoca
Great Episode! You impressed me once again. Nice job Gary!
March 10, 2007

TagWorld Brian
Great episode! Next time, might be a good idea to have the real prices handy offscreen, so you can compare your guesses to the real thing – and then you can tell us whether you really think it’s a buy or pazzzzz based on QPR.
March 10, 2007

JCfromtheWC
Gary, you are my hero. So how did you nail the Petit Verdot? What made you go in that direction?
March 10, 2007

cyrock1
Great episode!

About comment 62:
For someone who has been in the business for about 14 years, about 10 of which were at legal drinking age, and who professes to conduct frequent and extensive wine tastings, I would give you an okay score, perhaps an 85. And at the blind tastings I have attended, including the one this week with Richard Betts, we ignored the price but rather identified the varietal, region and vintage (range).

Comment 62: By Julius on March 9th, 2007 at 8:08

That’s what The Court of Master Sommeliers trains themselves to do. They also ask about quality level but don’t put it to a price (at least at the course I attended – where Betts was teaching). What GV does about price is far more important in retail in my opinion. I give your comment an 85.