QOTD- Black Pig Albarino 2007 is the Albarino that I have latched onto after Gary V’s recommendation

Nice episode but a wine I will have to take your word on because not spending that now and almost never have. Nice pointed questions and you let him answer which was awesome. Soon you can take over for Jimmy Fallon because he is horrible.

“Real” is what i think about this guy. Great show.

This was a solid episode. Gary seemed a little lower in his energy level, but it meshed well with the guest.

Gary, I never got a chance to ask you at the 92Y, but what is your opinion on decanting WHITE wines? Do you think any whites would actually benefit from a few hours of oxygen? Curious about your thoughts.

Nicolas Cage and Nostrada Tempranillo 2007 – like 6 bucks, but I thought it was awesome.

QOTD: Not on wine library but, 2006 Legado RB Albarino. GV Love the comments, My QOTD:Will you get me on Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield, NJ?

I really thought that this guy was personable. Nice show guys.

Good guest…nice show

QOTD: What does it matter… trust your pallet and you’ll find what you like!!! 🙂

QOTD: Try 2007 Valdelainos Verdejo Rueda, Spain. Yummy.

QOTD: I’m going to repeat some other posts and say I have FAILED in my Vaynermission. I have not yet tried a recommended Spanish white. But, I’m going to Spain in June, so I’ll get it done then.

Gary, do you give out free Schwag for being awesome? Because if so, I’m in need of some!

Nice work, guys!

Randy, never mind the random fretting from various quarters. The Vayniac Nation is made up of folks of every stripe, and level of (in)experience. That someone questions the truth, viability, or REALNESS of Cabernet such as yours at $75 seems to most often come from those who don’t have the slightest inkling of who Jim Barbour or Cary Gott are. Hint folks – they are both first string, A-List talents with tremendous reputations and histories. And Spring Mountain, low-yield fruit that is practically non-irrigated is in the same realm as those $100,000 blue fin, or Wagu beef. Yes, Zino, even at a five years of age.

Best wishes on your sccess!

nice job boys! Randy you got to come over and see yourself on my 60″ Pioneer Elite Plasma via Apple TV – whole different world than computer watching man. don’t worry you looked good.

you know i am a Baconbrook supporter and sorry i have been tardy with my 06 order – you know i want splits!

QotD: Albariño is GV’s main Spanish White play that hits my sweet spot.

QOTD: 2007? Montenovo Godello

Randy was a super guest. Russian? IT? Military? Interesting…. Very charming guy, very personable. I just wish I was in the market to be laying down those $70-plus bottles!

Thanks everyone for the great suggestions. I’m making a list.

Excellent episode fellas…enjoyed it.

Hmm, $75 US Cab. Must seek out this one, see if it’s a great as advertised.

QOTD: I agree, “El Perro Verde” Verdejo.

Nice show. I really enjoyed the insight.

The part about First/Second Growth numbers is an interesting point.. I didn’t realise until I saw a recent documentary that noted that Cos d’Estournel produced 220,000 bottles in 2005 and Chateau Margaux generally produces around 150,000 bottles a year of its ‘grand vin’. Insane numbers and makes you realise how ridiculous the Bordeaux classifications are.

p.s. I can never post in time to be read out on the show as I always watch on my iPod – do you still read every comment that is posted Gary?

Am I questioning anyone’s talent? My guess is that Match wines will be very good, but I was surprised at their price considering the age of the vines and in the present economic climate, this is a very risky policy.

I would love for Gary to explain to us why this wine is worth $70 + when there are plenty of wonderful wines from Napa you can get between $20 – $40. I went on a tasting trip to Napa last year, and found lots of wines in that price range that were fabulous. What makes this wine worth $70 plus? Especially since i’ve never even heard of them. Please forgive my ignorance, but can Gary (sans guest of course) please explain this so that us commoners can understand?

Zino, April, et al –

Fact #1. even if we lowballed Napa valley real estate figures, the low end is around $500,000/ acre. For 2.75 acres (the size of just the actual PLANTINGS of Baconbrook Vineyard, thats over 1.5 MILION dollars before you set foot in just that tiny vineyard, if it actually were at that price.

#2. High Elevations and with legendary sub appellation addresses like Howell Mtn, Mt. Veeder, and Spring Mountain are the MOST SOUGHT AFTER locations in the most sought after region of California. This land can easily sell for many times the price of ‘any old land’ in Napa, and to have a sub- appellation in your name and address is cache like platinum. This fruit is most always non-irrigated, stressed, and at real nature’s whim. The yields often held to extremely low, intesifying thresholds.

#3. In reality, Mountain grown fruit (and real estate) makes probably the top one or two percent quality, and there’s about 100,000x less of it in quantity. (Many grape growers, like John Caldwell, for example, also make extraordinary grapes in slighty lesser extreme, but very good locales.) The limited quantity fruit from such sites is very expensive, if and when it is even offered to other winemakers.

Then you have the factors of top echelon producers, like hand picking w/ out machinery, meticulous (FAR beyond big name wineries) bunch,and grape selection. (Much of their cast off fruit and juice that doesn’t make the grade is sold to others – STILL at commanding, premium price. Lavishly gentle handling, and gravity flow exclusively. (In frail Pinot Noir production, the world over, the greatest prevent even bruising the juice. Might sond ridiculous to you, but the results of the wines ost often shows…)

I, along with the World, smirked and gestured in questioning doubt when Jarvis (w/ legend Dmitri Tchellistcheff as winemaker) came on the scene in the early nineties with what we thought their arrogant, overblown indulant pricing. Many thought they wanted us to pay for the fancy cave they dug out of a mountain. Then the wines spoke for themselves. That example is played over and over by top winemakers around the world. The knowledge and abilities in agriculture, genetics, and a number of other sciences ultimately, have brought us a wider array of higher quality wines than ever in history. The normal wines you and I drink anyday are fine (though many, also suck). The ultrapremium tier is new to maybe the past 20 years, and the names and productions are small and unknown, but rabidly watched and followed. If you enjoy wine, it is worth tasting to see (with your tongue) exactly how and why Napa boutique, or Red Moutain (Washington), or Garagiste (Bordeaux) wines are so good. They’re not always ridiculously prohibitively expensive. Go to a wine bar, and find a glass. Or a good wine shop and get a half bottle. And READ about appellations, winemakers, grapegrowers, geography, and related topics. With google, Wiki, and the net, we have no excuse not to know anymore.

Good ep, Gary- I like to see the tension when you bring the honesty to a winemaker sitting right there next to you! This is wayyyyy out of my price range, but it’s fun to occasionally window shop and daydream.

QOTD: We just had Rueda wine this week on WLTV. Good timing.

With Spring right around the corner, I’ll stock up on a few Spanish whites myself.

Great discussion with a very nice guest.

QOTD: Albarino is sooooo good on a hot day! Not so much now though as we’ve been around -10.