Gary - It'd be nice if you asked if people if they swirl counter-clockwise or clockwise, and if they're left-handed or right-handed

My favorite thing about some of these episodes is when you bring "world class expensive wines" back down to earth. Keep it real GV. Bravo.

Last night we had Saxum 2006 Bonerock to help celebrate our 24th wedding anniversary. This guy is doing everything right. Bonerock is a Rhone blend with over the top intensity, fruit and an unusual mineral quality that makes it something special. Saxum deserves its up and coming cult status. If this guy made cabs instead of the currently out of favor syrah blends he would be on the "wine god" list. For me 94+ points and I cannot wait to try the James Berry vineyard which got even higher ratings in the wine press.

First of all we wanted to say thank you for the wrist bands!! What an awesome thing to get in the mail.

QOTD: "The Prisoner" 2007, it is a red wine my best friend got us for our wedding. It was a great wine, dark fruit flavor. One of the best wines we have had.

QotD - Martinelli "Jackass Hill Vineyard" Zinfandel, 1997. 17+% alcohol but very very balanced. Not to say that it isn't a huge wine, it is. But EVERYTHING is huge and nothing except the delicious-ness stands out.

I love mailing lists and wine clubs but have yet to experience any "Cult" wines. I think.

QOTD: I read about the Seghesio 2007 sonoma Zin getting 93 pts, and landing at number 10 in ws top 100 wines of 08. They also mentioned that it was impossible to find in stores now because everyone went out and bought it. My local grocer happened to have about 12 bottles left so i bought a couple based on the hype. It was only 24 bones so not a big gamble. It was good wine, but 93 pts was over the top in my opinion. Too much alcohol coming through, but the fruit was very rich and pure. I'd say it was more like a 90+pt wine, which for 24 bucks wasn't a rip off, but it didn't measure up to the hype.
Great show, Cheers!

Also, I forgot...

2006 Fisher Vineyards Syrah Hidden Terrace (USA, California, Sonoma County) 7/16/2009 AMM3RD 93
Maybe 93+? This is very complex juice, great. White pepper and egg nog on the nose. Nose is almost worth the cost of the bottle. Medium frame, that showes great fruit and more spices on the back end. Remindes me of a friends Spice Cake. I'm really impressed. Tannins are soft, slightly dry/dusty, and great. Thanks for opening this Big Drew...AMM (83 views)
Cellartracker.com

2006 Palomita Syrah Hamilton Vineyard (USA, California, Sonoma County, Dry Creek Valley) 3/8/2009
AMM3RD 94
This is great stuff. Expressive nose that is not overly ripe. Blueberrys and blackberrys galore. Probably the best Syrah I've ever had. A subtle white pepper spicyness that is special. Fruit, balance and deliciousness...AMM (76 views)

From my Cellartracker.com page. You guys should all be using that site...AMM

Great Episode! Like that you pointed out some better values for similar quality wines in Napa. It kills me that so many wineries think if they put a $80 or $90 price tag on their wine that it makes it good. And I'll definitely have to check out Dancing Hares, sounds awesome.

Gary,

Thanks for the insight on the Keever. I was just about to buy it. I jumped on the DH list about 2 months ago but couldn"t pull the trigger because of the economy....just sold my company and got a few extra notes in my wallet so I went for the wooden six pack....they should pay you commission,

QOTD-Just brought the recent Scarecrow release to my local wine bar in Fullerton. Opened it up with all the guys down there and we gave it a sniff e sniff. they loved it. now I know why they think I am a rock star...I could have sold it online for $500??? Really??? A friend of mine told me he knew someone who sold it online and they removed him from the list!

Good show! Loved the description of the nose on the Kanzler - "this smells like a sheep walked in the room and farted". I like stinky cheeses and stinky wines!

QOTD - Tensley Colson Canyon Vineyard Syrah - tasted very much like a northern Rhone wine. It had good fruit integration and an underlying white pepper nuance throughout the finish. I rate it 92+ points.

QOTD - One of my friends bought some hard to get Molly Dooker wines. They were good, but not as good as I thought they would be based on reputation. The cheapest one (Scooter Merlot) was actually my favorite.

nice show with really fine wines. attempt made @ 07 Kanzler - we'll see. wonder what their Reserve is like huh?

everyone loves DH. way to get on the BW dude.

QotD: has to be the 2002 Cayuse Bionic Frog, we are talking full-on chemistry class of smells and tastes, tons of extracted fruits competing with the military/industrial complex notes. never have figured what i'd pair this with food-wise but the finish was really lengthy and the wine remains memorable.

Wow, killer wines! Nice triple cork toss too. Solid show.

QOTD: Haven't had any cult wines yet.

Qotd: Since i'm in college and don't have enough money to get the big name stuff i tend try and get something good thats not as well known. also a more unusual varietal if i'm in the mood for something different. but there aren't any really hyped up wines i've had recently...there's just not enough bang for my buck.

Kapscandy Star Lane Estate...200 bones? Really? 88pts non blind

QOTD:
2003 & 2005 Quilceda Creek Cabernet.
Quite easily two of the best wines I've enjoyed. Certainly worth a 95-100pt score.
Also recently sampled 2002 Abreu Madrona Cab, 2005 Kobalt Cab, both excellent.

Tierra Roja and Regusci black label. Spectacular Oakville Cabs, expensive and worth every penny 95Points.

QOTD: I have to think about that. Give me a minute.

05 Dehlinger Pinot blew me away
07 Allen Vineyard Williams Selyem (Cherry Slurpy)

Oh, I wish I could have been around the Wine Library office the day you filmed this to help finish off the bottles! Great show!

QOTD: I don't think I've really ever had a "cult wine."

Gary - Really enjoyed the show as I like to hear about lesser known up and coming wines to be on the look out for. I think the Keever and the Dancing Hares are the first time I haven't seen you do a full glass rinse. Was this to avoid everyone screaming about dumping out $90 wine?

QOTD - No culty wines recently for me.

Hey Gary great show!! I have a question of the day, what do you think about Wine Aerator's?

Hey Gary,

Great show.

QOD: Being from Canada I am subject to Canadian wineries mailing lists, particularly those from the Okanagan. Quails Gate, Burrowing Owl, and Osyosse Larosse are all great, but I do have to say the Quails Gate 06 Pinot is by far the most enjoyable.

not a mailing list wine, but i think it falls into the 'cult' category; i enjoyed an 03 paolo bea sagrantino for dinner last friday followed up with a bottle of his 99 passito. both were spectacular, rich, luscious, perfectly balanced and gave the evening a special touch.

as a general rule, i'm pretty skeptical of mailing lists, there are a tremendous amount of great wines available in the market right now, especially given where the economy has been the past few years. if you know where to look, there are killer deals on bottles that were difficult to obtain a year ago. to me, it's time to stock up on wines that have value.

cheers!

Torbreck

2006 The Pict: 100% Mataro. Can't be done better any where else in the world.

(Spinifex and Kalleske...you should try any thing from these guys...uncanny

Still waiting for the day to open the bottle of Sea Smoke Southing my wife bought for Christmas. My only cult wine acquisition.

Hi GV!!

Nice show again, fantastic wines! I’m sad because it’s impossible to get them down here…

That Dancing Hares has a very nice bottle. That made me remember, as I am going to get married next February 20th, 2010, and I am looking for a special Champagne bottle for the toast: I just found the most beautiful bottle of Champagne, the Perrier Jouet Belle Epoque. As one shall not be enchanted by looks alone, I ask if you GV had this wine and how you liked it?

QOTD: Chateau Kefraya 2001, from Lebanon. A very good wine, 93-94 pts.

Best wishes,
Kiss on Misha,

Mauricio Fernandes
(GV’s #1 Brazilian Fan)

great episode gonna have try seek few these out. do you think you would ever do a cognac episode?

Make that wine, not sine... stupid fat fingers.

Best "Culty" sine I've had: 97 Leonetti Reserve - WW Valley Red

QOTD: My lifestyle doesn't give me the opportunity to discover and enjoy cult wines. In the past year I've enjoyed a couple of pinot noirs that were special to me and my husband. They were the 2005 Amisfield, Central Otago, New Zealand Pinot Noir (90+) and a 200? Chehalem 3 Vineyard, Willamette Valley Pinot Noir (90+). Another favorite of ours that we enjoyed again recently was the 2001 Tilenus, Mencia, Bierzo, Crianza (91+). We've never tried the reserva which I've heard is excellent.

Great batting average for cult/ultra premium wines in this show! We all know how some of these episodes have gone differently in the past...

QOTD: 2002 Carini Merlot, Kinnefick Ranch
------ Explosive on the nose with super-ripe, extracted black cherry and cedar, and the massive 15.8% alc. (probably MORE) is definitely present in my nose piece. This nearly smells like vintage Port without the darker black fruit. This wine is huge on the palate and extremely mouth-coating, and has some perceptible residual sugar. OAK on the palate, not quite splintery but a bit toasty and vanilla is dancing with cherry pie filling. With soft, well-integrated tannin structure, the one thing that keeps this wine from being a flat-out dessert is a clear-cut beam of acidity right down the middle from attack to finish...which lasts a while. For my palate, this is way too over-the-top except by itself after dinner or WITH DESSERT (since I don't gravitate towards the sticky stuff often.) I'd love this with chocolate in any form. Not my style, but it does what it does well. 91+

Thanks for this very, very nice episode. Just in time because we are leaving the day after tomorrow for a three week holiday to California.
Making good pinot noir is a hell of a job.
Therefore, I will try some of the wines you mentioned. If I can find them.

QOTD.
4 Weeks ago: Sassicaia, Bolgheri, Tuscany, 1999, € 180
Really great. Silky, nice fruit, well balanced and with a long taste. 92.

Great episode. I'd like to see you do an episode of wines that have already achieved cult status. I know some of the cabs are insanely expensive, but maybe you could do a couple of pinots. I think I remember you tasting some Sea Smoke a long time ago. I liked that.

qotd: I recently tried two of Copain's Pinot Noirs. One was a Tous Ensemble and the other was a single vineyard. I don't remember what they were and didn't take tasting notes, but I though they both were extremely well balanced with fresh fruit and earthy aromas. I would probably have scored the Tous Ensemble about 89-90 points and the single vineyard wine about 91, but I am pretty sure the latter will improve with age. That's one of the few mailing lists that I will definitely continue to order from.

QOTD

2006 Kosta Browne Sonoma Coast Pinot. Would rate it 92 points. Peppery and a bit more full-bodied than most of the Sonoma Coast Pinots that I have had. Very nice though--glad am I on their mailing list!

Gary it seemed as if you just truly enjoyed the wines a lot as well you showed that by the scores you gave. I am interested in joining the mailing list can you shoot me an email on how to get on it. I know you are busy but I would appreciate it. Thanks Adam

I'm sorry but I had to comment, simply on Kittysafe's comment. I'm on the floor rolling after reading that, especailly since Gary put a more pronounced turn on this episode. I'm still laughing as I type this. Give the guy a break Kittysafe, atleast he is passionate about what he does and I'm assuming thats why you're looking at the show...its why I am.

I'm new to the whole wine drinking world and have been taking very small steps thus far. these shows are very informative and I look forward to more to come. I've looked at most but I had to comment on this one just for Kitty.
I'm still figuring out what kind of pallet i have so we'll see how this thing goes.

And, it may be time to change the intro music.