GV & MOTT!!! Great show for me… sorry it was so bad for you! I was enjoying a nice Chilean merlot (Anakena 2006 Reserva) as the show started, so I’m like WOW, how cool is this! I think mine was better than all of yours. Mott, thanks for the “wet dog” on-the-nose observation. Couldn’t put my finger on it as I did the sniffy-sniff on the Anakena, but you nailed it! Wet dog for days!
QOTD: Best – “Black Vine”, 2007 California. Not great, but for $5.99 at the local wine warehouse, the best deal of all time!!! Worst: “Santa Ema” 2006 Chile. Yuck!

I love the blind wine tasting episodes.

I can’t answer the question of the day because I don’t know what my best and worst are. I haven’t tried enough Merlot.

What is this Bull Shit about being out if you don’t get enough comments? Your videos get posted on iTunes, Youtube, your website and they get tons of exposure. I look forward to them every week.

Gary you introduced me to so many new wines and dared me to try different stuff. Come on bro, keep it up.

QOTD : Best merlot Twomey 2002 & definitely the Chateau La Clemence Pomerol 2005.

So, whoever selects the wines for you for this blind tasting should be fired. You only have one decent merlot out of six, and that’s $44. For that kind of money, I can be drinking a very nice Chateauneuf du Pape, a Brunello, or even a Bordeaux. It is going to be hard to sell your message across with this poor showing of wines.

QOTD: Haven’t had too many merlots to judge. The 2003 Reininger wasn’t too bad. The 2006 Chateau Haut Brisson La Reserve (primarily a merlot blend) is probably the best that I have ever had.

See Gary, that’s why I don’t drink it!

Great show. I do like F… Merlots either in blends or varietal. Gary’s disappointment on Merlots is caused by the lack of acidity and astringency on the wines. And when the wine is not structured to support oak and aging becomes boring. QOTD: Ma Partilha 2001 (Great merlot from Portugal) and Yellow Tail Merlot (worst).

Great show. I do like F… Merlots either in blends or varietal. Gary’s disappointment on Merlots is caused by the lack of acidity and astringency on the wines. And when the wine is not structured to support oak and aging becomes boring. QOTD: Ma Partilha 2001 (Great merlot from Portugal) and Yellow Tail Merlot (worst).

Love GOOD merlot, too bad its hard to find for me. Gotta do more blinds GV, love’em even when the wines under perform.

QOTD: Best Dunham Cellars Lewis Vineyard Reserve 2005, worst = to too many to pick one from

At least the show lived up to its name, the internet’s (or universe, galaxy, solar system’s) most PASSIONATE wine program. A bad showing for Merlot’s today but still an enjoyable show for me.

QOTD – i too don’t drink that much merlot. Really like Kenwood’s Jack London Merlot 05 (i think) pretty smoky/bacon fatty and 04 Franciscan (i forget what vintage). Worst merlot two tone farm.

At least the show lived up to its name, the internet’s (or universe, galaxy, solar system’s) most PASSIONATE wine program. A bad showing for Merlot’s today but still an enjoyable show for me.

QOTD – i too don’t drink that much merlot. Really like Kenwood’s Jack London Merlot 05 (i think) pretty smoky/bacon fatty and 04 Franciscan (i forget what vintage). Worst merlot two tone farm.

gary,

“see, that’s why I don’t drink…” ;0). good show. like the blind tastings !
check out Chateau Gazin (Pomerol) for some nice merlot (mostly)at a nice price-point.

best regards,
MG

Hey Gary – Long time lurker from Northern Ireland here.

I am a big Merlot fan, though I mostly focus on Pomerol and Sicily. I’ve never tried one from the US, but this show certainly wouldn’t make me want to try any!

QOTD:
Best – Chateau Angelus 05 (okay, it’s a blend)
Worst – Norte Chico Merlot from Chile

Keep up the great work!

Good show Gary. Love the blind tastings keep it up. Best merlot recently was the Cougar Crest 05 from WA st.

Wow. We’ve all had bad days, but most of us are lucky enough not to have them in front of a camera. Entertaining episode, for all the wrong reasons.

QOTD: Honestly, I don’t keep track of what I drink. When you drink the cheap stuff, it doesn’t much matter. (Although I do recall that Two Buck Chuck was pretty foul.)

Interesting show. I know its all on the fly but whoever picked the wines didn’t understand that you are trying to show that Hollywood shouldn’t be dictating what we drink. Or maybe they did know….

QOTD- Best Merlot, Humberto Canale Estate Merlot, Argentina
Worst- haven’t had one that stands out… I guess that’s the opposite of this show.

Love the J Low comment, LOL and it was spontaneous too- even better. Being from Washington, I always root for the home team being it?s the grape that got us on the map but tuff showings for us and all around. Some WA Merlots that have rocked my socks off include, 04?Pepper Bridge, 03? Pleasant Hill Cellars, and a 06? Stevens Winery . I got to give props to Cali too, with the 1999 Palomar that was by far the best wine I tasted this year.

Twomey!!!!!! A bit overpriced, but excellent merlot.

Keep up the hard work GV – an inspiration you are.

Just for you Gary. Fun show to watch; it’s rare to see Mott a little off his game. Does anyone ever screen these winners, especially if they have major flaws? QOTD: My worst was a late 90’s Pahlmeyer that had way too much new oak. I waited years to drink it and what a disappointment! My best was a ten year old Arrowood that I drank just at the right time.

Just for you Gary. Fun show to watch; it’s rare to see Mott a little off his game. Does anyone ever screen these winners, especially if they have major flaws? QOTD: My worst was a late 90’s Pahlmeyer that had way too much new oak. I waited years to drink it and what a disappointment! My best was a ten year old Arrowood that I drank just at the right time.

You wore a new shirt and then filmed back to back episodes. Will we see the same shirt tomorrow?

Good show — too many Washington wines, however.

Best: Tie between a Charles Krug 2004 and a Mondavi 2004.

Worst: Tie between a Two-Buck Chuck and Oak Leaf from Walmart.

Just like the Red Sox getting swept by the Yankees, don’t wait another day and pick another 6 Merlots and do a blind show and give them a chance to come back and show their stuff.

Just like the Red Sox getting swept by the Yankees, don’t wait another day and pick another 6 Merlots and do a blind show and give them a chance to come back and show their stuff.

Gary,

How about you make it up to us with another Merlot tasting tomorrow but with Merlot’s from around the world. At least give Merlot a fighting chance!

QOTD: Really like the Swanson Merlot and the Long Shadows Pedestal

Gary,

How about you make it up to us with another Merlot tasting tomorrow but with Merlot’s from around the world. At least give Merlot a fighting chance!

QOTD: Really like the Swanson Merlot and the Long Shadows Pedestal