QOTD: Falesco Vitiano 04′ Rosso, granted its cheap but there is no way it was worth 90pts., easily a 70 points or lower. yeah really that bad.

Thoroughly enjoyed this episode. Recently came across the Cocodrilo – shared it with 5 other wine enthusiasts and all enjoyed. Also, I own the Catena Alta but had not popped the cork on it yet. Exicted to try it! Don’t usually spend this kind of money blindly but everything I’ve ever had by Catena has been stellar.

Thanks Gary!

QOTD: Silver Oak. I didnt know the price or anything about it at the time and thought it was a $15-$20 cab while I was drinking it. Tastes like sucking on a cedar/oak creamsickle stick for 2 hrs.

GV,
Seems like for the price points, the Argentinian cabs can’t do any better than those from the GOOD OLD USA!!! But hey, nice to hear about a different country’s vino. Most overrated wine: Ojain Syrah Stolpman. Only one I ever sent back to WL. Just didn’t bring the thunder for the price. Many less expensive Syrah/Shiraz that were better. Hey, no one bats 1.000.

JW

QOD = Silver Oak or maybe even the 04 Togni

I think Silver Oak wins for the world’s MOST OVERATED wine!

In think Silver Oak became popular because it is “young-ster” wine. Easy to drink, does not demand thought…because it is just Vanilla Oak juice. I bought a case as a newbie and would up giving half a way as my palate grew, because the oak gagged me.

GV, Interesting Argentine Cab episode. I liked your discussion on NPR of what you would include in a case for a newcomer to wine. It would be cool to go a bit further and compare classic examples of grape varieties by the case e.g a classic cab or a classic merlot, or a classic syrah, etc. I may have to do that for educational purposes. Is there an episode where you do this already (still not through the first two hundred episodes I missed)?

Another grea episode. Each wine tasted was from a different vintage with the highest rated coming from 2003 – reportedly a great year in South America. Does vintage variation occur in these wines?

QOD – Opus One. Next question.
(At least you don’t blow as much for a bottle of Silver Oak)

The problem with all of the next-gen video sites is that they are slooooooow. They’re trying to do too much to differentiate themselves without getting the basics down, IMO.

What’s the move for “stupid pick”? You must have had to do that a few times over the years.

You totally should have killed that bug!

Chocolate covered brussel sprouts sounds really disgusting.

QOTD: SQN Omega at our Chicago WLTV Party.

We want gossip!

Gary, my girl Courtney is going to be sending you a photo and story about your wristband that’s going to knock your socks off!

Anything with Catena Alta is great! Their Chardonnay rocks for the price! Their Malbec blows away almost all of the competition and their Cabernet is no doubt just as good! I tried to get the Cab in our store, but the owner didn’t think we could sell a Argentinian Cabernet for that price point…. who’s to say?
QOTD: I think the most over rated wine is Cakebread! They do so good at selling themselves to restraunts and barely let anything go retail and it makes everyone crazy trying to find it, so when they do, they snatch it up! I just think there are many more wines out there that are just as good for a much better price.

Photo Joe

I loved your special guest host, Mothy – I hope he comes back. 🙂 And also, chocolate covered brussel sprouts– that’s the only way I’d like ’em, so I’m IN for that wine!
QOTD: I guess recently Au Bon Climat Pinot Gris… not that anyone told me it was A-ma-zing, but I had a pre-conceived ni=otion in my head about it and I got it on a special afternoon, and I was SEVERELY disappointed. 🙁 Maybe I was most disappointed with MYSELF! boo-hoo-hoo… I just didn’t like it.

Don’t you want to start singing…. “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina….”

Okay, QOTD: Ed Meades Zin. Bleah. New World alcohol bomb. Over 16% alcohol and I taste every bit of it. That wine tasted like a mistake. It tasted like the winemaker forgot about it and left it on the vines WAY too long, realized he couldn’t sell it because the alcohol was too high, and tried to artificially amp up the fruit in order to compete. Not just a New World fruit bomb – it’s a New World FAKE fruit bomb. Blech. Poured it down the sink. Waste of $30.

A 1990 Vigna Faset Barberesco. To he honest it tasted like Porto and the tannis where thicker than I’ve ever seen. We probably should have decanted the bottle but the thick syrupy taste and smell just threw me for a loop.

Great interview on NPR. I would like to see the Jets win, just to see you open that case of wine from 1975!
On a tasting note: I was at my retail store the other day and told everyone that the Bridlewood Viognier (we were tasting) smelled like Fuity Pebbles and everyone laughed at me, but after taking another sniff, they got it!
I also said (a few weeks earlier) that a certain wine ( I forgot the name of it) smelled like you were “blowing up a beach ball”! The owner of the store laughed out loud…. took another sniff…. and preceeded to go out and tell all the other employees that it definatley smelled like you were blowing up a beach ball!

I would have never had the courage to say that if it wasn’t for the crazy off the wall flavors and smells that you give to wines Gary!
Thank you!!!

Photo Joe

nice palate opening episode on argentina. i fall in the Malbec camp for sure and the Nieto Cadus sounds like a new adventure to take on.

QOTD : 7-8 years ago at a local italian place… Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio. everyone was raving about it to the point where i just wanted to yell SHUT UP!!!. i just didn’t see it. feel it. taste it. haven’t had it since. in fact it turned me off of the grape for years.

Saw you on TV Saturday! I was very happy for fellow Badger Joe Thomas, being the 3rd overall pick.

QOTD: I recently tried the 2003 Antinori Solaia at a tasting. Completely underwhelming. I’ve had red wines just as good for 100 bones less.

I agree with Russ J, the 2001 Feudi Di San Gregorio Serpico was thin and flavorless, except for tons of tannins… sigh. I also think that almost any of the large house prestige Champagnes are overrated — Dom, Cristal, etc. — they never seem to taste much better than their basic cuvees. Finally, let’s face it, bashing Silver Oak or Opus One is a pretty easy and popular target, and I would suggest that the critics agree with the bashing (Parker really let ‘er rip on Opus One) but I have found some disappointments in some of the “hot” wineries as well. I had a bland (at best) Rochioli, and this is a wine that is sold out on allocation!

Gary, nice touch, to include your visitor and not to squash it. Welcome, Mothy, well, she/he/it seems to go by the nose. Smart move. Would have been the last flight – though not bad to drown in Cab.

QOTD: Whenever a “great wine” is too young, I find I cannot enjoy it at all. Too much tannins, not integrated or balanced. So a lot of the recommendations from the RP’s and GV’s of this world may lead to disappointments. You wine masters know how to predict the flavor and balance… Suggestion: always include in your comments and tasting notes if the wine is ready to drink now or WHEN?

I’m waiting for ‘hints of moth wings’ in the tasting notes.

Gary, THANKS! for mentioning our coming wedding, which is this Friday. I’ve personally stopped buying argentinean wines because I feel that most of them come out so young and with so much heat. So what I do is that I put away in my cellar every bottle of Argentinean red that I get as gifts. Recently, I got an interesting bottle of Norton Malbec, and my friend who gave it to me keeps encouraging me to pop it and try it, but I’m in no hurry. In today’s show, the Cocodrilo and the Cadus show an incredible tint; specially the Cadus, nice color. The Catena Alta is sold at the wine store here in Panama where I normally stock up, but the ’03 doesn’t appear on the list. They have listed the ’01 Catena Alta Cab Sauvignon at $26, and the ’02 Catena Alta Malbec at $30. I’m going to swing by and pick up a bottle of each, but again, they’ll be going in the cellar for some time.

QOTD: the 2000 Tintoralba, but I agree with KenP about the Dom Perignon.

Solid episode, a bit disappointed with the flavor profiles, so I may pass on these.

QOTD: 1994 Cain Five. I popped it 2 months ago after cellaring for 8 years. Other people at the party loved it, I sat there wishing I had a more New World wine in my glass.

Enjoyed the episode. QOTD? That’s an easy one: ’03 Alonso Yerro Maria! Big hype (by you all know who) and a bigger bomb.