Amen ’bout the cali Cab and Chardonnay too. Having grown up in the 80’s with a dad who was a total foodie I had waaaay too many overoaked, one dimensional cabs and chards in NY restaurants. Also I guess even though they can be great I just need new experiences and those are the wines of my youth (pre 21) that I’m just kinda bored of.

Man! My mouth was watering even before you tasted the Arnot Roberts – just the blend was so my cup of tea! AND YOU’RE SOLD OUT ON IT?! I am sad, sad, and sad again.

I’m pretty new to all of wine, but I’ve watched most of the videos over the past couple of weeks & am really enjoying learning from you Gary! A couple of times I’ve picked up wines I see good ratings or reviews for but then I just don’t enjoy them. Lately it was a 2005 Terrazas Malbec. Should I be avoiding wines so young, or is it just my untrained tongue not appreciating it? I’d like if you could review this one (although I see WL only has the 2004, which was rated slightly higher) because I was hoping for more enjoyment.
Whether you do or don’t review it, keep the episodes coming!

Good theme for a tasting, and I am really excited to see how you will commemorate the upcoming episode 200. As to intuition, I trust my own, often from a negative point of view. Having a bad feeling about getting on a plane means you probably shouldn’t get on the plane, and I assume having a bad feeling about drinking a wine has similar meaning, although of course you can nose the wine first.

Gary, do you know of a Chard similar to the Bjornstad, but maybe a little less expensive?

Thanks!

Wisconsin all the way. Florida who?

Gary – Im regards to your trip to Bordeaux. Hope you can snag some Leoville Barton, Lascombes, & Montrose for GOOD PRICES…

Maybe some 2nd labels…. They should be damn good in 05 and at an affordble price???

The price of the Neal cabernet is as GV said… check the website.

Great episode!! (I’ve met Ed Kurtzman, Mark Neal and Gove.) The problem with Cali Pinots these days is that the good stuff now costs over $40. Give us a taste of good pinots for less than $30, now that would be nice. I agree with the Neal cab assessment. Nicely balanced wines, and great to find a Napa cab in that price range that is that good. But in my opinion, something keeps these cabs from being really excellent and I’m not sure what it is. Somehow they don’t have the depth, breadth or intensity of the big boys (of course the price is more reasonable, so that counts for a lot)

In going with your theme, my grandfather’s intuition was trustworthy when I was growing up. However, he only turned me on to Scotch, not wine.

First of all, another really great episode.

Second of all, you lost me today telling me you picked Richmond over my Syracuse Orangemen so many years ago. Painful memory. Then they get hosed out of this years dance………

QOTD- I trust my fathers intuition more than any other. My wife is a close second with a women’s intuition that has been very dead on. Gary’s nose is getting there, but I trust my mouth more.

Hmmm … socks, mud pie, concrete, cheap leather or “pleather” … for $43 bones. Pass. Confirms my opinion of the pinot noir grape. There are too many great wines at reasonable prices from other grape varietals to try before I die.

I don’t trust pinot noir scoring at all. Gary hit the nail on the head: “Tasting notes are more important than scores.” That Neal Cab sounds like a hit to me.

QOTD. Who’s intuition do I trust the most? No one’s, least of all mine. Intuition is another word for lazy irrationality. — Mark B

QOTD: Wine Spectator

Great tasting notes. Have had the Neal and the Bjornstad, in fact my wife loves it. Appreciated the notes on the Neal as I also have an Uncle Shaya though he never bought me vanilla ice cream (in fact he is a pain). As to intuition, I know you are married, whose intuition is better, yours or your wife’s?

Ha, nice. ‘Pleather’, have to keep that in mind next time I go for some Pinots or Pomerols. Hope to find the Neal or especially the Roberts one time over here. Last on ereally sounds great. Blending Vio in Syrah can be great. Have had some SA wines that use the same trick to spice up their Syrah, to have it not to flabby jammy. Last one I had (Fairview) wasn’t a real hit however. Pitty, expected too much maybe. Lacked some depth and poise.
QOTD: intuition, mmm, my own when there is smth bad to expect. My girlfriend’s when there is smth good at hand.
QOTD for you: were organizing a ge together with some Belgian winebloggers. Theme sweet wines from all over the world. Smth that I shouldn’t forget to bring to the table? We already have an Alois Kracher TBA, a Tokaji (Diznoko 5 put 1995), a Coteaux du Layon, a Picolit, a Premières Côtes sweet wine with some additional Gewurz blended into it, what else?

qotd: my uncle

Good episode Gary, would be great to see one on vin jaune’s one of these days

Have had a Arnot Roberts Syrah..hated it, Neal Zin was good. QOTD-mine http://www.winelx.com