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EP 819 Head to Head California Chardonnay Tasting

Gary picked out 2 Chardonnays that had high scores and tasted them side by side to see if they lived up to the hype.

Wines tasted in this episode:

2007 Highland Estates Camelot Highlands ChardonnayCentral Coast Chardonnay
2006 Maldonado Chardonnay Los OlivosNapa Chardonnay

Links mentioned in todays episode.


Latest Comment:

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luca bercelli

90/100

Good show with delicious sounding wines. Even Mott comes to the party with his newly discovered tasting skills

Tags: california, chardonnay, Head to Head, review, Video, white, wine, wines

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  • Don Simpson

    Awesomeness. Great word, totally underused 🙂 Welcome to the Thunder Show!

  • Don Simpson

    Bacon + ANYTHING = Delicious

  • SourGrapesFC

    so say we all

  • Sorry guys! I've been slackin, have to watch the new episodes!

  • Anonymous

    I am in Everett Washington…I get it at a local shop(Wicked Cellars)…I paid $45 last year and $47 this year..

  • Don Simpson

    Nice one! Unfortunately I wear one Monday-Friday. Ugh…

  • Don Simpson

    Nutella = DELICIOUS!

  • Don Simpson

    MOTT! (Clicked the “like” button)

  • Don Simpson

    There’s gotta be a way to block Lifetime and Oxygen channels so the ladies can’t watch them. That would be a good prank…

  • Richie

    QOTD: The sun fighting the snow outside of my window at the moment.

  • Anonymous

    tx

  • Le_M

    QOTD:
    Watching a lot of football (the european kind) I'm fairly used to draws. But then if the game was fun to watch people usually agree that the spectators were the winners. Would work for todays show as well.

  • drt999

    QOTD — not sure off hand, but I do miss ties in football, etc.

  • drt999

    Yeah, I think he must have taped several in a row before this one!

  • slave2thevine

    QOTD: I guess it would probably be a toss up between two curry based dishes that I've been making lately. Both different, yet both equally enjoyable.

  • donutcrisis

    I dig it when you say “nuts in my mouth.” It appeals to my inner twelve-year-old.

    QOTD: the personalities of Charles Barkley and Charlie Sheen

  • NY Pete

    when is that slacker Stanisci going to update the spreadsheet?

  • NY Pete

    damn, I forgot that is now KAHUNA's gig … 🙂

  • I really enjoyed this show, expanding my white wine knowledge with wines that brought thunder. When you were describing the differences in the wines and mentioning the two boxers, I instantly thought of Tommy Hearns v Sugar Ray Leonard.

    Last tie: When I ate one the most perfectly cooked steaks along side great tasting garlic mash potatoes.

  • Leo

    Don't know where you got these prices … but … not in my neighborhood … double them … not such a value then. Must be from your old, old inventory.

  • RocketRon

    QOTD- UFC 104 Machida vs. Shogun. Too close to call.

  • Not a big Chard fan but I plan to try more. This is a great dish white wine!
    Feel the Love!
    Chef Robert's Salmon Skewers of Love happydiabetic com

    Salmon is truly a fish for all seasons. It can be prepared in so many tasty ways, and this is one of my favorites. Baked or grilled, the light marinade makes this dish unforgettable. It's easy and quick to prepare, but your friends will think you cooked all day.

    Ingredients

    2 medium-size fresh salmon filets
    2 Tbsp fresh garlic
    1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
    1 tsp fresh basil
    2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
    1 red pepper
    2 green peppers
    1 red onion
    1 large Portobello mushroom
    4 bamboo skewers

    Directions

    Skin salmon and cut it into 1-inch pieces. Mix garlic, oil, basil and lemon juice in a bowl. Combine with salmon and refrigerate for 2 hours.

    Place skewers in cold water for 10 minutes before building the skewers. (This will keep them from burning.)

    Alternate peppers, onions, mushrooms, and salmon on skewers.

    Place on a hot grill for 8 to 10 minutes, turning often, or place on a baking sheet in a 375-degree oven for 10 to 12 minutes.

    Nutrition at a Glance (per serving)

    Calories 226
    Total fat 26.5g
    Carbohydrate 9.31g
    Protein 40

  • NY Pete

    rewatching the show … what a butcher!

  • NY Pete

    QOTD … there were a couple of Olympic hockey games that ended with the scores being tied …. and then they went to OT, which is OK … but then they went to a frackin' shoot out, which is a sucky way to break a tie imho … but being of eastern european descent, I was ecstatic to see Slovakia “beat” Russia … 🙂

  • Bill

    Fun ep.

  • johnr

    CONGRATS GV!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! JB award would be awesome!!!!!!ROCK ON!!!

  • Don Simpson

    I have to to say, this episode surpasseed my expectations, for sure. To be honest, I have not purchased ANY white wines from California in the past year. With so many value plays in other parts of the world, I haven't messed around in CA. HOWEVER… this episode gives me hope.

    Good battle

    QOTD: Tie…. hmmm. I ate some Thai food recently 🙂 Does that count?

  • Don Simpson

    Good one!

  • Don Simpson

    He's had nuts in his mouth and smelled a 16 year old girl's bedroom all in the same week. DICEY! 🙂

  • Don Simpson

    Oh yeah… Peyton Manning and Steve McNair were co MVPs one year too, 2003 I believe.

  • Don Simpson

    Another tie = my desire to go get coffee right now vs. continue to lay on my couch (drank a bit too much Gavi and Primitivo last night!)

    By the way, awesome QPR for the Vaynernation. I bought the 2008 Terriliogio Primitivo from a local wineshop for $8.99 and it CRUSHED a ton of the Cali Zinfandels for double or triple that amount. $8.99!!! As Gary describes it, a “great Wednesday night wine when the kids are pissing you off” Amazing QPR. Except, I don't have kids, I drank it on a Friday night, and it surpassed all expectations.

  • 750ml

    We really need an update of “kissing your sister”.

    How about sexting your ex?

  • winecup

    Camelot Highlands Chard – I joined Kendall Jackson's wine club because of this wine … plus we had such a great time in their tasting rooms (both Healdsburg and in Fulton). But, I also like some of the comparison wines that you mentioned, esp Cakebread.

  • jsums

    I lose it every time you say “nuts in my mouth”. I'm such a child. I just can't help it. Awesome. QOTD – Momofuku pork belly buns vs. Fatty Crab pork belly buns. Very different, but equally thunderlicious.

  • leni

    thanks

  • wayno daaa wino

    YEEEEEEEEEEEHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAW, Cali Chardonnay gettin' some Loooooooove
    in da Hizzy !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :o)

  • Yo G! Have to agree with you 100 % on that Coopers Creek SB from the last episode…..

    Went a little “Casper the friendly Ghost” on me, in the finish to say the least…..

    And quite a bit grassy…… ; )

  • lordsauvignon

    Hey congrats on being a semi-finalist for the James Beard award by the way. You deserve it!

  • jerkheadface

    Pretty sure the winemaker on the Maldonado is Abe Schoener, of Scholium Project.

  • wayno daaa winoooo

    Yo G , About Time for another Secret Pack, What do Ya Think ???!!!??

  • Anonymous

    I will in a few months.

    Sent from my NSA brain implant.

  • happyhokie

    Good show 🙂 Do a side-by-side of some VA wines and visit Virginia Tech!! We love you down here!

  • Interesting episode. Both sound like they would be good choices. The price of the Moldonado broke the tie for me. Thanks for the review.

    QOTD: Well no doubt the finest tie there has been was with my son last Easter. Scroll to the bottom:
    http://www.beautiesltd.com/PRODUCT.ASPX?pn_dept…

  • corkscrew

    I enjoy Cali Chard allot, and you can find so many different styles with them. I was at KJ's tasting room in Healdsburg a couple years back, always thought they were low end until I tasted their reserve wines, most are very good. Some best Chards with value, Stonestreet-07-$20, St Francis-Behler Vineyard-07-$20, X-Winery-07-$16, Sonoma Loeb-07-$18, Wellington-07-$11, Thumbprint-07-$13, Kendall Jackson-Grand Reserve-07-$15. QOTD- what should of been at best a draw-Marvin Hagler-Suger Ray Leonard (Hagler really should of won) http://www.winelx.com

  • wayno daaa wino

    Yo corkscrew, checked out your sight (winelx.com)…. NOOOT BAAAAAAAD!!!!!!! :o)

  • Biznass

    great show. need a blind tasting soon!

    qotd: tie for most unwatchable, Olympic woman's hockey and Ellen

  • 24/SEVEN

    Gary, that last tie I saw was the confusion I experienced after this show -(1) were you tasting Chardonnay that tasted anything like the varietal vs (2) (as others had commented) why did you say Joe Willie Namath had golden locks?

  • garyleak

    A tie? When you have a simultaneous ….

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