Secret 4 Pack Tasting – Episode #421

March 4, 2008

Today Gary Vaynerchuk tastes through the secret 4 pack. Taste along with Gary and compare your tasting and sniffy sniff notes.

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Comments on this episode(332) Leave a comment ›

“QOTD: Haven’t tried dry or sweet Tokaji, Episode was excellent even wi…” by richardvinifera
“yet another wine my local wine and spirits does not carry Chateau Dere…” by Sean Dawes
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Wines tasted in this episode:

2006 Le-tendance RoseRose of Bordeaux
2006 Chateau Dereszla Dry TokajiHungarian Furmint
2003 Mas De La Barben La DanseuseLanguedoc-Roussillon
2004 Menguante Garnacha SeleccionOther Spanish Red Wine

Links mentioned in todays episode.

332 Responses

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October 21, 2009

richardvinifera
QOTD: Haven’t tried dry or sweet Tokaji, Episode was excellent even without doing a taste along!
February 23, 2009

Sean Dawes
yet another wine my local wine and spirits does not carry Chateau Dereszla Tokaji….

i need to more to jerz so I can order from WL

-Sean
January 8, 2009

Dessert Wine Nerd
QOTD1: Nope QOTD2: I did enjoy it. Its too bad you cant ship wines here because one day Id love to do a secret pack tasting with you.
July 9, 2008

Dan Manu
QOTD: loved the last bit… retasting 24 hour old decanted wine
May 24, 2008

Jacksonville
Keep on going and the chances are you will stumble on something, perhaps when you are least expecting it. I have never heard of anyone stumbling on something sitting down.
April 22, 2008

BargePlus
FINALLY tasted the secret 4-pack with my friends in the Central Valley. The 6 of us had a great time sitting around the table and watching/listening to your video. Great stuff. Interestingly enough, while the Ferment (sp?) from Hungary was the overwhelming favorite, we were evenly split between the Spanish and the French grenache – probably an old vs new world thing.

I’m holding on to one other 4-pack and will re-visit this episode with another set of friends soon. That was my plan if the wines were good, and that’s still my plan now!
April 15, 2008

Jason S.
QOTD: Loved the show – I generally decant whatever I’m drinking that evening in the morning (nice to get a little sip in before heading to the office). I might think about doing it the night before now after this show.
April 3, 2008

Eric
Just opened the Tokaji tonight. Wonderful. Thanks for a new experience.
April 2, 2008

Scott Breffle
G,

I finally had time to start working through the secret pack wines while watching this episode. On the Menguante, I sniffed before I listened to your description. I couldn’t get my mind around the cool, vaporous, chemical smell I was picking up. Your description of a new pair of Nikes was perfect. That really gave me a mental tag for that smell. Perfect!
March 27, 2008

Paul M
QOTD: I am way behind on my episodes but I did like the show and what really sucks is that wines like the Tokaji that I would have jumped on have sold out … hopefully it will come back in. Thanks!
March 23, 2008

NeutralAngel & SKN
QOTD: Did we like the show or not?! OF COURSE WE DID! We’ve been waiting almost a month now to get the chance to taste along with you (the double student lifestyle has made it tough to find the time to do so). But, of course we loved today’s show. I’m just disappointed I forgot to bring my wrist band to take a photo … I promise that we will before too long.

So, here’s what we thought about the wines: We learned a lot about all of the wines and are continuing to expand our pallets. SKN’s favorite wine was the Tokaji – - cream soda all the way down! NeutralAngel, who is NOT a huge fan of the whites, felt the Tokaji was very enjoyable and slightly complex. Overall, of the two reds, the nose and the front end of the Mas De la Barben was closest to his speed, but he liked the Menguante the most overall

Oh, and our favorite bottle art was the Mas De La Barben.

P.S. we’re still waiting for the Mott t-shirt!
March 17, 2008

Plonkdumper
A bit late but I have to…Your rant brought the pain, GV. THANK YOU. As a wine buyer myself, albeit for a shop that could probably fit in the Wine Library’s bathroom, I never really feel that the 30 second ‘taste’ we give to a bottle of wine actually qualifies as having ‘had’ it. ‘00 Cheval Blanc, 1/2 oz in a crowd of people all clamoring for their 1/2 oz, amidst a nauseating sea of great wine? Yeah I ‘tasted’ it, but if someone were to ask me if I’d ‘had’ it I would have to say no. On Scores: Am I the only one who smiles inside when you talk about ditching them? I have to admit though, over time having gotten a feel for what your scale is all about makes me hesitate… hearing you acknowledge that they’re evil is enough. QOTD1, yes I’ve had a dry Furmint once, and the experience speaks perfectly to your points about CONTEXT. The wine was too warm, too old, and maybe even a bit corked, but the company, a jolly Hungarian Christening party, made it one of THE most enjoyable wines I can remember!!! Thanks for reminding us what its ALL ABOUT!

(SORRY FOR THE CAPS!)
March 16, 2008

Stefan T
QOTD: Love the respect payed to Canadian talent. Wish there was more of it on the show too. Very interesting to see comparison of the Mike Weir cab-merlot after a days wait. Good to hear someone acknowledge the eccentricities that we have when tasting wine from day to day. A good buddy can make a bad wine great, and a snob can make a great wine crap.

Keep up the great work Gary.
March 14, 2008

Dan-o
I couldn’t join the tasting, but I would like to try a Tokay wine. I have never had one and it is something that I must do.
March 14, 2008

Lawrence Leichtman
Didn’t get a chance to drink along but really appreciate what you did with the Mike Weir wine going back and trying it again. How often do you get to do that. I have put wines back and decanted them for a day or two to try again if I think they are just too big to have opened at the time. You didn’t re-rate the wine after the second try. Why not?
March 12, 2008

Josh in Burgundy
GV, I’m jealous I wasn’t in the US to get the pack and taste along. Very interesting with the canadian wine. I had a Chassagne-Montrachet a few months back that was horrible initially and then the next day was a completely different wine.

QOTD: Nope but will be trying them soon enough
March 10, 2008

Tom in Austin
Wow! Watched the show, tonite, the 10th. Great show! This show was lots of fun, and I’m going to go to my LWM to look for the Tokaaji tomorrow! Gary-you were definitely in the groove!
March 10, 2008

Bal Hoeffner
What a fun tasting we had. I sent a pack to Colorado and had one for me in NY.
Yesterday they opened with friends and with appetizers as I did. We tasted, watched the video, tasted, ate, stopped, discussed called from state to state and continued until all 4 were tried. The RosÃ© was not a favorite. Probably the Furmint was number one. Can’t wait until the next is announced.
March 9, 2008

Mike
QOTD: Great show. Love the idea of a dry Tokaji. Very exciting. Getting a little antsy myself for spring and summer, rose and white action.
March 9, 2008

Glasses?
Anyone else notice that Gary tasted the Canadian wine in this show using the “Big Aas Glass” – he used a much smaller glass on its initial tasting… I can’t help but wonder how much the Big Ass Glass changed the flavor profile…
March 9, 2008

wannaBconnoisseur
Q-part 1. No. Part 2. Of course, GREAT SHOW GV!!!!!!
March 9, 2008

lynelle
Liked the show a lot, tons of passion.
March 8, 2008

Mr.Ambassador
I always enjoy the “mystery pack” shows which afford all of the viewers (well, not those of us in Washington yet) to taste along while you’re sampling wines. I love the idea and the “pause button” certainly comes in handy as I’m not as quick on the draw as GV.

Haven’t ever tried a “Furmint”.
March 8, 2008

Albert
Gary… TOTALLY go do a show up in the Niagra region wines! I did a short tour of many of the winery during late last year and there were quite a few wineries that really put out some great product.

With the utter crappiness of the US dollar hurting us up there, it’s not quite as nice as it used to be but there were a lot of value driven wines at around $15 Canadian that really rocked. I really loved this Pennisula Ridge Cab Franc, and it was almost exactly like having a fresh olive tapenade with Spanish olive oil… Angel’s Gate had an awesome reserve red and my gf was totally into Fielding’s reds as well. There was also a few really nice Rieslings out there too.

And of course, the ICE WINES! You know we have the Jackson Triggs and such down here but they’re NOT what’s up in that region. Again, Fieldings comes through with some great stuff for value. Two producers really impressed me with their work. Royal de Maria, undoubtably, head and shoulders above anyone else… sure, they’re really “boutiquey” and very very expensive, but what they are doing with ice wines AMAZING. Get those folks down here Gary!! Small producer but their stuff, obnoxiously awarded but deservedly so. Also, Crown Bench, amazing amazing ice wine infusions… maybe a bit to “strange” and non-traditional but chocolate or Jalapeno infused ice wines. Just an experience!

Oh and surprisingly enough, the Great One knows wine! His stuff was surprisingly good, the Merlot was nice! Heck, I bought the stuff before I know it was his winery!
March 8, 2008

Sutyi
Hungarian wines: http://www.borudvar.hu