California vs Washington State Syrah Showdown

California vs Washington State Syrah Showdown – Episode #461

May 8, 2008

Today in a head to head confrontation Gary Vaynerchuk pits 2 Syrahs against each other, one from Washington State and the other from California.

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Comments on this episode(164) Leave a comment ›

“You Made Some Good Points There. I Did a Search on the Topic and Found…” by Knipe
“Looking for a Washington Syrah on Google brought me to this episode.
…” by mrzitro
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Wines tasted in this episode:

2005 Rhapsody3 Syrah
2005 Gramercy Cellars Walla Walla Valley Syrah

164 Responses

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May 9, 2008

YoungDave
QOTD: I’ve had too many CA Syrahs from Santa Ynez, San Luis Opisbo, and other CA appellations recently that are SO BLUEBERRY AND VANILLA PIE, laced with new American oak SPLINTERS and they make me sick. It’s nice to find solid, REAL Syrah from the south of France, South Africa, etc.
May 9, 2008

T. Reasoner
Syrah is now being grown on Maui!

QOTD – Ponzi Pinot Noir reserve was like $60 and it was not worth it at all
May 9, 2008

thunderball
Various Bordeaux wines that I have never heard of but looked enticing….I get about 3 disappointments for every 1 revelation.
May 9, 2008

Chrisfs
I’m frugal. I have never spent $30 on a bottle of wine.
May 9, 2008

Andrew D
Hey Gary

QOTD: ‘G.H. Mumm Cordon Rouge Champagne’ though with such a crappy US it’s probably worth a bit more than US$30. It was a total disapointment, lacked any sort of flavour, class or excitment and contributes to form an opinion that a lot of NV Champagne is rip-off. In Australia I could get a lot more love from local Tasmanian producers Clover Hill or Janz.

Cheers
Andrew
May 9, 2008

cheech
okay, so you are on the side of the college crowd and common man and you spit out the wine every chance that you can, so it helps you taste it “again” and you are at work, cool, but man you are mixing wines and pouring them out , us semi poor college students and blue collar workers are not appreciating that, please remember us or not who cares,
May 9, 2008

brent
QOTD: Les Terrasses Alvaro Palacios Priorat 2004… after all the hype about the producer, I was expecting a lot more.
May 9, 2008

E
Either ‘99 Kistler Vine Hill chardonnay (went downhill VERY quickly) or ‘04 Emilio Moro RdD (nice enough wine, actually, but it was just so … boring.)
May 9, 2008

Cookiedds
QOTD: Verve 2005 Pinot Noir Russian River Valley, nothing good to say about this bottle especially for the price. At $30 I’ve usually been pleased by most wines, my dissapointment level is higher in the $17 to $25 price range. I’m usually expecting less at this price and get a little frustrated at all the stinkers out there.
May 9, 2008

BigTarheel
Biggest fizzle … just about every Corton-Charlemagne that I’ve had. And they were alot more expensive than $30!
May 9, 2008

kEITH
I’ve never spent more than about $25 I think
May 8, 2008

J Crazy
Simi Alexander Cab: big fruit, a lot of oak, creamy, short finish, hallow, boring and definitely not worth $30 bucks.
May 8, 2008

Billyd
Really liked the head to head format tonight..
qotd: had awsome dinner at Trevanges, St Helena with a Whitehall Merlot. We bought a bottle at the winery the next day,30 ish, drank it at home very disappointing.
May 8, 2008

GrapeStuff
Great head-to-head, GV…I am a HUGE syrah fun, and this was a blast to watch. Too bad to see they didn’t really bring the thunder.

QOTDL Funny, it was a syrah. Think it was the ‘05 Olson Ogden Syrah.
May 8, 2008

Antony
A reserve pinot from Patagonia – Canale… Umberto or something similar. The merlot is a steal. The pinot…
May 8, 2008

Robin C
Hard to believe that a good syrah is so hard to find.
QOTD: Usually, I forget about the disappointing wines as soon as the bottle hits the recycling bag. We did have a couple of disappointing $80.00 and $70.00 wines recently: a Sterling and a Cosentino. The Sterling was fine, but it just tasted so conventional to me. Maybe the Wine Library is broadening my palate.
May 8, 2008

Ben Janssen South Australia
About time the California Washington Syrah Showdown!
Good show, got a few work mates to watch it.

Keep up the good work!
May 8, 2008

RANDI
Most disappointing $30/wine? Why are we harping on the negative.
I prefer to see the wine glass half-full!

Poor wines, but great show as always…
Thanks Gary!!!
May 8, 2008

laposte
QOTD:
Nearly every California cab or pinot noir I have purchased for $30. You can get the same profile for $10.
May 8, 2008

James Marinello(bajayngo)
Love the head to head format for usre!! and just so everyone knows…..WASHINGTON STILL WON!!!!!

QOTD : not a ton which is really cool but one jumps out was the Mccrea soracco. But it might have been tainted so I don’t really count it!
May 8, 2008

Tom P
QOTD – On a personal basis I have not bought a bottle for 30 bones that I was disappointed in. My limit right now is 25 and most I buy is below $15. Of course I put a couple bottles of Jordan and Caymus down that I would expect not to disappoint.

I have paid more that 30 for wine in a resaurant that disappoint because it did not bring the thunder, but then that is 3x or more off of retail…
May 8, 2008

Jon-Paul Lenczuk
30 bucks is a tough pill to swallow if the wine is so-so..still plan to try the Washington State Reislings you showcased in early April!

On another note, you were looking for the term “Triple Threat Match”!

JPL
May 8, 2008

KenP
good ep, GV.
May 8, 2008

Kristen
QOTD: As a CKC, I don’t often have wine above the $20 mark. I think the biggest disappointment wine (near $30) was a $23 South African Shiraz that I had in a South African wine tasting. I had it right after a $10 bottle of Shiraz and there really were no discernible differences.
May 8, 2008

sharon
Who can remember? I don’t take notes.