QOTD: I would have to say that I find this to be difficult to answer…but I’ll have to say that the 2004 Caduceus Primer Paso was probably my favorite wine experience from California this year.

Honorable mention:
2005 Scott Harvey Old Vine Zinfandel Reserve
2005 Kelham Chardonnay
2003 Teachworth Manzanita Hill

QOTD: 2005 Lagier-Meredith Syrah.

Great show GV!

Great show for a great cause though I can’t find the last wine as a standalone? What gives?

QOTD: Hmm, great question. Best CA wine I’ve had in ’08? Off the top of my head I like the ’05 Haywood Zin and the ever stellar ’88 Dominus.

Cheers!

Great cause, and really glad the wines showed so well.

QOTD: Geez. 2003 Paradigm Merlot. Which is a little unfair, as Cali doesn’t show up much around these parts.

GV. Good show, great cause. Question, why the pride in having never smoked or done anything “bad”? I’ve heard you make mention of that a couple times before. Just curious.

QOTD: not sure…

QOTD – was at my brother’s and we were having steak for dinner. He, w/o ever seeing WLTV, suggested having a bottle of the Treana Red Paso Robles that you did on the show. I had no problem with that – good stuff.

1997 Grgich Hills Yountville Selection Cabernet
1998 Joseph Phelps Insignia ( yes I said 98! )
1999 Rubicon Rubicon Estate
1997 Plumpjack Cab

I like this episode.

QOTD:2003, Woodbridge Cabernet Sauvignon, Robert Mondavi, 89 for me.

Note to Glenn P..although your tear-inducing wine question was addressed to Gary, since he has not answered it here at least and I thought it was a good question, I would appreciate your indulgence in letting me respond. In the last week of December 2005 I made a return visit to St. Josef’s Estate Winery in Canby OR, not far from Salem. The husband and wife owners, from Hungary and Germany respectively, are delightful people, and their 100-acre vineyard is a delight to visit. They both happened to be in the tasting room. The gentleman was having trouble deciding what wine to have with dinner that evening, with neighbours attending, so he decided to open and sample for our benefit and his, free of charge, his 1985 Cabernet Sauvignon. This wine was absolutely fabulous and combined with his generosity I literally was moved to tears by the experience. My wife loved it too, in spite of generally hating red wine. Yes we purchased a bottle of it (and several others); I plan to open it on my fiftieth birthday in late 2011, the wine should still be drinking very well.

As for your reaction to the great Sauternes, I am not at all surprised. 🙂

QOTD: Well a company in Vancouver called Pacific Breeze buys grapes from California Vineyards…. so There High End Cab is yummy (so is the the other two cabs gsm also) their 2005 Chardonnay, Barrel Fermented etc etc Buttery, Butterscotch goodness.

Gary, a fabulous cause you have featured on todays show! I would encourage you to later consider such great causes as the Big Tattoo line of wines from Billington (Chile and California), and their constant efforts for cancer research and local charity funding, or Inambu Malbec out of Argentina, who buys fruit from the smaller farmers and then gives all profit, up to and including U.S. import back to the growers themselves! (Sorry, that was the longest run-on sentence in history) Keep up the good work!

QOTD: Coincidentily, the best California wine I have had in 2008 in the 2005 Lokoya Mt. Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon =) Although I am not the biggest cabernet fan, this wine was powerful in its finesse, and its silky tannic structure. I would venture to say it is my favorite Cabernet to date…weird saying that, but, oh well! Kampai!

Jimbob Jones
Superhero for Hire

Emneades zinfandel, i thnk it was an 06

QOTD: 2004 Robert Mondavi Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville
2004 Larkmead Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon
2005 Qupé Roussanne Hillside Estate Bien Nacido Vineyard

Aaaahh – there’s that use of the word atypical again – been using it a lot of late Gary – it means NOT typical

Anyway QOTD :none – had very few cal wines – I live in the UK, impossible to get anything here at a sensible price

I have had some very good wines from California this year, especially from Paso Robles. But my favorite California winery is Navarro so I will say that their 2000 pinot was the best one this year.

One of the funniest shows you’ve done in awhile GV! Off the top of my head…favorite California wine…Lang and Reed Premier Etage 2003. Explodes with beautiful Cab Franc fruit…just a wine that seares it’s self in to your memory.

Good show Gary!

QOTD: Shafer Hillside Select 2004 – Outstanding wine!

6 Liter 1987 Beringer Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. Such a treat to share it with great people, and even better someone else purchased it.

QOTD: 2001 Rudd Oakville Estate Cabernet Sauvignon
… first to come to mind, but probably not the best for the whole year.

2004 Rodney Strong Alexander Crown Cabernet

Another great episode, and for a great cause! QOTD, tough, tough. Hmmmm. I’m going to say a 1999 Sebastiani Cherryblock Cabernet Sauvignon. Beautiful, beautiful wine drinking fabulous.

Gary, good show.

QOTD: 2004 Hewitt Rutherford Cabernet

QOTD: This is a tough one because when you said you haven’t done a big California wine show in a while I was thinking, I’ve hardly had any California wine in a while. That’s not by design, I think we’ve just been trying a lot of different things from around the world this year. So I’d have to go with a 2004 A to Z Pinot Noir for my answer.

Wonderful Cause, that is awesome to see the greats team up!

I’ve never spent a hundred bones on a bottle of wine. Your review of the Andy Erickson wine convinced me to try. I was a little disappointed to find out on their website that this wine is only available as part of the TWELVE pack. But this is a great cause and I congratulate all involved for pulling it together. Most recent Cal. wine is an 05 Columbia Crest Horse Heaven Hills Cabernet.