A Vielles Vignes (Old Vines) Chinon Tasting – Episode #618

February 4, 2009

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Gary Vaynerchuk tastes 2 Chinons from the same producer from the same vintage head-to-head, one of which carries the Vielles Vignes designation.

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Comments on this episode(142) Post a comment ›

  • “Best old vine: Sonoma Russian River Gamba Zin baby….But my hearts i…” by redrider21
  • “QOTD: De Martino 2006 Malbec (Single Vineyard Maule Valley-Limavida) 8…” by richardvinifera
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Wines tasted in this episode:

2006 Herault ChinonChinon play review at cork'd
2006 Herault Vieilles Vignes ChinonChinon play review at cork'd

Links mentioned in today’s episode.

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  1. February 5, 2009

    David Dadekian

    QOTD: Zin would be right. The 2005 Cardinal Zin Beastly Old Vines. I enjoyed it a lot.

  2. February 5, 2009

    Cuse Wino

    Love the focused episodes and the old vine knowledge.
    The only “Old Vine” wine I can think of is the Cline Ancient Old Vine Zinfandel

  3. February 5, 2009

    Matthias

    QOTD: Weingut Klaus Meierer – 2007 Alte Reben (Old Vines) Riesling

  4. February 5, 2009

    Dex

    i wasn’t too impressed with the seghesio 2007, I don’t know what all the fuss is about. But i love cab franc can’t wait to try a chinon

  5. February 5, 2009

    Kelly Eckel

    Even in this setting, it is good to see you showing people about the Church of Chinon. Herault is not one of the producers I would have chosen for this show but you’ve got use what’s in inventory, right?!?

  6. February 5, 2009

    DrEdwardo

    QOTD: Geantet-Pansiot Gevrey Chambertin Villes Vignes 1999

  7. February 5, 2009

    Jordam

    QOTD Gotta be an old vine zin (sausal, seghesio, or even kunde century old-tremendous value) or some spanish garnacha.

    Great show, only have had a couple chinons and i obviously need to expand a little cause the couple i had i was not impressed. Question, The lambrusco you had on the show, who is the distriputor. I would love to get that in store and to have my girl try. Thanks GV

  8. February 5, 2009

    TimF

    Ridge Dusi Ranch Zin

  9. February 5, 2009

    winejukie

    you are 4 for 4

  10. February 5, 2009

    pawncop

    Good episode, good knowledge, good lesson.

    I have not had an old vines wine that I am aware of.

  11. February 5, 2009

    Beau Mitall

    QOTD: Coming from a guy who usually only buys wine under $20, Bogle’s Phantom sticks out, which I believe is old vine Zin blended with some Petite syrah.
    -keep on truck’n!

  12. February 5, 2009

    Beau Mitall

    Oh by the way… why doesnt Cali do more straight Cab Franc? Raats in South Africa does a nice one, FYI.

  13. February 6, 2009

    apj_bobswineguy

    Problem: there is no ‘agree ance’ on how many yrs makes OLD VINES. Is it 10 yrs or 110 yrs.
    Any wine can slap that label on.
    Having said that:
    You are right (for me), Seghesio Old Vine.
    You are also right, there have been other Old Vines that are different, good, whatever, but not necessarily better.

  14. February 6, 2009

    apj_bobswineguy

    As I understand it.
    1956 was a major frost yr in Bordeaux, so there were only 5 yrs till the much heralded
    1961 vintage. Five year old vines in many cases.

  15. February 6, 2009

    innA

    Interesting idea for a show, despite the lack of regulation regarding the labels.

    QOTD – Geantet-Pansiot ‘Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes’ 2005

  16. February 6, 2009

    ChrisR

    QOTD: Sad to say, but the only old vines I’ve had was the ’04 Bogle Old Vines Zin. Liked it a lot at the time.

  17. February 6, 2009

    Jayhitek

    QOTD: Lodi’s.. Zinfandels of course.

  18. February 6, 2009

    Alan and Gayle

    QOTD: Gotta be out of the Antinori Vineyards….

  19. February 6, 2009

    SargieAZ

    Clos de Caillou 2006 cuvee unique -vielles vignes- might as well be a Pape, marked as a cote du rhone, but jsut spectacular- great concentration without being heavy and jammy.

  20. February 6, 2009

    Brian Barrick

    I’ve always been a fan of Cab Franc, and I’ve tried a number of Chinon and Bourgueil wines (after hearing about them on episode 406), so today’s wine is one I’ll be looking for.

    When it comes to Zin, old vines seem to make a real difference in the complexity and concentration of the wines. My favorites have been from Rosenblum, including the Cullinane, St. Peters Church, and Carla’s Vineyard. These 90+ year vineyards certainly qualify as old. Clarendon Hills old-vine Grenache is also phenomenal.

    I wasn’t too surprised by the tasting results on this show. I have long found, for example, that I like most wineries’ regular bottlings better than the “reserve” bottlings. The winemaking style is much more important than whether the vines are old.

  21. February 6, 2009

    rowland

    new veyerism; “I like it, and Im not even a Lurker!”

    Hudson Valley Benmarl Baco Noir, its not labled as an old vines, but trust me, the vines are old and you can taste the difference from younger vine

  22. February 7, 2009

    Andrew D

    Awesome show, thanks Gary

    QOTD: Australia does have a lot og good old vineyards. Probably my three favourites would be Talhbilk 1812 Vines Shiraz, Bests Bin O Shiraz and Kay Brothers Block 6 Shiraz.

    Cheers
    Andrew

  23. February 7, 2009

    Dan-o

    Enjoyed the show because I am a big fan of Chinon!
    QOTD – I would have to think the D’Arenburg Dead Arm Shiraz, which is grown from old vines.

  24. February 7, 2009

    WineWoman

    QOTD: The Pines 1852 -2001 Zin – from Columbia Valley in Oregon. Wish I could get my hands on some more.

  25. February 7, 2009

    Lord Nouda

    Nice bilateral pouring of the wines there, Gar!

    However (qotd), I haven’t had knowingly a vielles vignes wine, yet. But I’m sensitized now and will look out for it.

  26. February 8, 2009

    Ray Barnes

    Really fine show apart from the numerous faults in GV’s French diction. Nice to see some great Cabernet Francs.

    QOTD – Cooper Mountain Vineyards Old Vine Pinot Gris.

  27. February 8, 2009

    yowens

    neat idea for a show, that was a really interesting comparison. QOTD: Haven’t had many…St. Francis Zin

  28. February 9, 2009

    KMurph

    This was a really good show idea. Another reason price usually goes up for vieilles vignes is because yields fall when the vines grow older, but they usually bear fruit that is more intense. That’s the trade-off winemakers face.

    QOTD: Probably one of the wines from Domaine Boisson I had from the Boston Wine Expo. They are a fabulous producer from Côtes-du-Rhône that ripped my face off. Thunder was brought, my friends.

  29. February 9, 2009

    YoungDave

    QOTD: I think the most surprising old vine wine I’ve ever had, for the price ($10-$12 wholesale) is the 2005 Vinas Centurias Sabor Real from Toro. 100 year old vines puts this wine in a whole new league compared to other Toro reds even close to this pricepoint. Dense, extracted, rustic, and balanced.

  30. February 9, 2009

    Jimmy T

    Yo yo. Good fun comparison.

  31. February 10, 2009

    mindpirate

    Great episode. New wines to put on my To Try list, and educational too.

  32. February 12, 2009

    wannaBconnoisseur

    I need to try more Chinon.

  33. February 15, 2009

    JayZee

    Great episode and an interesting take on “old vines”. I think to be fair, you are going to have to another show like this with two wines from a different area. The “old vines” Chinon was “more like traditional Chinon”, according to your tasting notes. To me, that is “better”.

    However, the answer to why old vines wines are more expensive, sometime MUCH more expensive, is two-fold: 1) the old vines have much lower potential yields than younger vines and 2) the old vines require more work in the vineyard. There was a very timely article in the March 2009 Wine Enthusiast about old vines wines focusing on Australia, but touching upon other areas, that I found very interesting. Check it out.

    QOTD: That’s a tough one. I did just have a Seghesio Old Vines Zin and it was very nice, a little smoother than their other Zins. I’ve had a Renwood Old Vines single vineyard Zin in the past that I liked very much. I have also had some old vines CDP (cannot recall the producers at the moment) that rocked. But none of these was done in a head-to-head comparison like this.

  34. February 15, 2009

    downtnmark

    QOTD: The best old-vine Zins I’ve had were from Renwood. Their Granpere is wonderfully rich and complex.

  35. February 17, 2009

    Kate the Great

    I’d have to say the Bourgueil Vieelles 2006 Cabernet Franc. LOVED IT!

  36. February 18, 2009

    C-Lo

    QOTD: I have had some old vine wines, but can’t remember any except the Seghesio. I enjoyed it, but thought it a bit pricey…

    Will have to search some out!

  37. February 19, 2009

    Sharon

    Hey, interesting show. Neat idea. It seems the only Vieilles Vines wine I’ve had is a Beaujolais from Jean-Marc Burgaud! And I liked it.

  38. March 4, 2009

    JudeMurphy

    …why am I so bad at remembering the names of wines I drink?? : P

  39. June 18, 2009

    Bobbie Smith

    I love Chinon. I had a friend introduce me to these wines in a french comfort food restaurant in Paris. Eating at a table with 20 other people in Paris, loved it and loved the Chinon. Have been drinking them when I can ever since.
    QOTD: Love Pauillacs, especially Baron Pichon de Longueville. Probably because I liked the people at the vineyard as much as the wine to be honest. Don’t know if that answer counts since it doesn’t identify actual vines but I know they have been around for a LOOOOOOOOONG time in comparison to other parts of the world.

  40. July 25, 2009

    PeterB

    I like the t-shirt! Are they available in or can the be shipped to Europe?

  41. January 2, 2010

    richardvinifera

    QOTD: De Martino 2006 Malbec (Single Vineyard Maule Valley-Limavida) 80 year old untrained, non-irrigated bush vines, depth and balance.

  42. March 25, 2010

    redrider21

    Best old vine: Sonoma Russian River Gamba Zin baby….But my hearts in the Rhone for sure.

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