The 2004 Rocca Cab would not have the finish nor complexity to a Mondavi Napa cab…for sure. it would be like comparing an Yugo to a BMW.

Top 5 Napa cabs:

Mondavi Napa Cab
Mondavi Oakville Cab
Mondavi Reserve Cab
Screaming Eagle
Harlan Estate

Shafer Hillside Select & Bryant Family cabs almost make the top 5 for me but are not as good as the above 5 Napa Classics.

Really like the blind tasting format…may have been fun to throw in a couple $20 bottles. QOTD: I need to try more Napa cabs

really liked the blind tasting and sniffing.
qotd: 1997 silver oak Christmas last year, really smooth nice buttery nose knocked everyones socks off, nice sharing a bottle like that with family

Silver Oak = Sliver Oak.

why pay $100 a bottle when I can ask a friend to hit you over the head with a 2X4 at no cost.

Fun ep; a nice change-up.

Cramer is so right: “You’re the Best!”

QOTD: Unfortunately, my budget makes ANY over $50 wine a PA$$$$$.
And with no Wine Library clones North of the 48th, no $50 buck wines selling for $30…

QOTD: I really don’t have a favorite napa valley wine. I tend to drink australian and argentinan wines more. although lately I have tried drinking more chardonnays and white wines, i’m with you in that I try to avoid napa valley because of the heavy oak flavors. Its something that I really need to fix, i know, maybe i can tackle that over the summer.

Fantastic blind tasting format. Do more of these for sure ! I’d be curious to see how Washington Cabs do against each other ? There are a ton of blind combinations that could be great fun.

Qotd: Tough question. Current favorite 2004 Pine Ridge Howell Mtn.cab (needs more time for sure)

Congrats on the book, looking forward to getting my copies !! Cheers ~

I watched Gary on Conan and I thought about Dizzy Dean’s famous line: “It ain’t bragging if you can back it up.” Gary is brash and opinionated, but he has mad skills.

Note to Gary: keep it up, don’t forget to embrace your own palate, that’s main thing that got you here. The more you are involved in the mass media, the more you will be encouraged to dumb down your palate. Never give in. You have too much talent, and yo have a great day job, so you don’t need the money. Continue to make the show that you want to make, and would want to watch.

QOTD: My sophisticated palate enjoys most Napa cabs over $150. but for me, sipping a 2002 Sloan cab while driving with my top down on my M6 Convertible on a beautiful sunny day…ahh life just doesnt get better than this!

Calling for more blind showdowns … Pinot Noir, Syrah, even Chard. The ’04 Altamura killed at the last Cab showdown I was at (Top wine over Caymus SS, Pahlmeyer, Rudd, Miner Oracle, Paradigm, Frog’s Leap, and Silver Oak).

Two of my all-time Cali favorites are Volker Eisele Terzetto and Robert Young Scion (not technically Cabs but ridiculously strong!)

QOTD: I love to drink Shafer Hillside Select & Harlan Cabs but for me Screaming Eagle has a special place in my heart ( even though I have yet to drink one of my bottles). When you walk into my custom wine cellar, I have 1996-2002 vintages of Screaming Eagle displayed first even before my 1st Growths. I get alot of compliments from my guests.

Pride cabs are usually my favorite Napa Valley cabs. Not sure if this is fair to my guests but i’ve filled an expensive bottle of wine with a Yellow Tail Shiraz. I enjoy watching with amazement as my dinner guests oh and ah about how great the wine is. I usually cover a bottle of a napa valley cab and drink it by myself while being entertained.

QOTD: as a bordeaux-phile I don’t like napa cabs at all, lol, J/K. That being said, I love Montelena and Togni because of their backwards style. And Dornback introduced me to Cavus which just really rocked me when I had a chance to have it

Just hit Napa for the first time. It is a good way to taste lots of Cabs without spending hundreds.

I thought the Groth Cab really nailed it, as did Silver Oak of course.

alright so i am 17 and i work at Cafe Cenizo (A.K.A. The Gage) under Chef Paul Peterson. I have been really trying to expand my wine knowledge but it is hard since i am underage. I have been watching your show for awhile now just because any little bit helps. I think it would really help me, and everyone else, out if you did a wine fact of the day maybe. A book about wine for me is just too unimaginative and droned out. Thank you if you consider this, and you are welcome anyday to come eat at The Gage. Loved the new format today by the way.

Go big or go home! Today you went BIG! Got the big dawgs out and gave a little sniffy-sniff and a whirl and I am sure I was not the only one surprised!! Except for one which was the Paul Hobbs. The Hobbs has been over rated and over oaked for the last three vintages!

QOTD: My favorite California Cab that I have been drinking the last year has been the 2004 Bravante Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon! It’s not cheap at $47.00 either, but it is fantastic!! It has a little cab franc in it as well. Wine Spectator only gave it 90 points, but I liked it more than that! They only made 550 cases.

Can Dominus count? If not, the 86′ Beringer Private Reserve Cab was freaking awesome a few months ago.

Book, Conan, Mad Money….you’re like a celebrity! Just don’t go Hollywood nutty on us, ok?

Great show. I like the format with the bag covered wines, but 6 is just too many. You had a tough time keeping track of them. Imagine how hard it is for us if we can’t taste them.

GREAT SHOW!

Calling for more blind shows and you should always throw a wild card in there as in an under $20 one just to make it interesting.

QOTD : 04 Dariush Cabernet was the last really good one I have had.

I have yet to hit my Cali Cab phase, but I like Togni and La Jota. You get the Napa Cab experience without dropping trips.

trying to find the Conan show on the ‘net. CNBC online won’t let it play here in Japan!

Vaynerchuk! T-shirt action today. Showing off the guns.
Do I see come definition in those arms!

Extremely enjoyable episode. Maybe wine #4 will be featured in the sequel to “101 Wines”?

First, congrats on your appereance on Conan and Mad Money. loved it.
Second, i really like this format on your show. You should definitely do more blind tasting episodes. Is just so much fun, and we learn a lot.
QOTD: Caymus regular bottling is just great. Turnbull is another great wine.

Loving the show, bought the book on WOOT and added your widget to my site. Im not big into wine but have watched the show since day 1.

1999 Joseph Phelps Insignia