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EP 827 California Thunder- Serious Cabernet and Pinot Noir Tasting – Epiosode #827

Gary picked out three iconic wines from California with big scores and put them to the test.

Wines tasted in this episode:

2007 Drew Mcdougall Ranch Pinot NoirSonoma Pinot Noir
2006 Beaulieu Vineyard George De Latour Private ReserveNapa Cabernet
2005 Crocker & Starr Stone Place Cabernet SauvignonNapa Cabernet

Links mentioned in todays episode.


Latest Comment:

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luca bercelli

90/100

line of the day – ‘I can’t taste this I just had a breath mint (Mott). Good, a couple of shows ago you almost knocked me out….just joking’

Monster wines, happy show

Tags: cabernet, california, napa, Pinot Noir, red, review, Video, wine, wines

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  • nathaniel

    I am quite picky about meat (I worked as a butcher for years.)

    The grain of each common cut's musculature is interesting and determines how it will be cooked and for how long. The thickness of the cut is also crucial to achieve the appropriate internal temperature.

    I hardly ever order meat in a restaurant, but if I am in a restaurant I generally order “rare” – defaulting to the possibility that it will/can be overcooked. I can deal with it under, but never over. When I am cooking at home I like a true medium-rare, where the meat is heated just to the point that the juices have just barely begun to release from the flesh. The secret with a steak is that it must have a surface texture (hard sear without an excess of charring) while also having been heated to a point where there is no cold meat and also note heated so much internally that juice begins to leach out of the flesh and pool on the plate or surface of the meat. I often times let it sit after searing so that it sucks the juices back in.

    It is a painstaking process, but so worth it. The ways to achieve it vary based upon cut as well. That is how I like my steak cooked.

  • ahahhhhhhhhahaahahahhahahahahahha

  • Waits

    Prøv en bourgogne, gå til en rigtig vinhandel & spørg en der ved noget om det. Men være parat til at betale lidt mere for en bourgogne end du normalt ville for en flaske vin… det er dyrt nu til “daws”. Vi kan vist ligeså godt snakke dansk ‘ik? ; )
    Rart at se endnu en dansker her på WLTV….

  • QOTD: Gary I agree with you on the Black & Blue, it's the way to order a steak. I usually order my steak rare, or cook it rare at home.

  • castello

    Nice. I agree that letting it sit but it often gets cold. They say tent it with foil but still. Fine line between…… Do you put it on a warm/hot plate?

  • castello

    Cows can't digest corn very well.

  • ironmics

    Hey Gary, just a note about your comment on the alcohol on the Pinot, you are not allow to label across tax classes so the maximum that one could be is 13.9.

    QOTD: I mostly eat ribeye, so I take it a little bit more done than other steak. Medium-rare to medium there, what can I say, I love fat. Other cuts I take rare though.

  • teckdeck2008

    The wine's sounded great today. If only I had the money to spend on them lol. You know how it is with us ckc's. Seriously though, I appreciate well done big yet focused wine and that seemed to be the theme of the day.
    Qotd: I like my steak medium rare, just enough undercooked to have the blood ooze out a bit and add flavor to the spices they used in the rub. Yet cooked enough to make it tasty and also feel safe about germs on the outside.

  • is it just my bad math or are the comments actually decreasing?

  • Anonymous

    Let’s convince Gary!!!

    Verstuurd vanaf mijn iPhone

    Op 05 Mar 2010 om 11:04 heeft “Disqus” het volgende geschreven:

  • kasperhip

    Back in the USA, huh? Nice to see the states doing well in WLTV. I was laughing my ass off when you mentioned the heavyness of the bottles, since this something I've been wondering about myself. Do wine makers really think consumers are more likely/will be fooled into buying a bottle of wine if it's really heavy? What are they thinking? I just came across a bottle of Argentinian Malbec (15 bucks) that was TWICE as heavy as any other bottle in the supermarked, although it was only 750 ml….

    QOTD: I'm boring here: Medium rare…

  • kasperhip

    I would like to get peoples opinion on this:
    Gary talks about value wines as something other than these BIG american wines…what about value wines from the US?

    My Question is this:

    Are european wines at say 10-30 dollars generally better at bringing thunder than american wines in the same price range?

    Obviously there's a lot of things to take into consideration, but what are these, and how do you guys choose wine in general??

  • audiofan

    If you're talking Syrah/Grenache dominated wines, then the southern Rhone (Gigondas, cotes de Rhone, etc) as well as Spain (especially for old-vine Grenache) are often better values. Choose carefully. There are many great Sangiovese-dominated wines from Italy for under $30, yet this varietal, for whatever reason, has not been well-represented in the US. To say nothing of Rioja, Barbera, etc.
    Basically, unless you're talking Cabernet Sauvignon or Chardonnay, almost every region in the world offers better value-for-money OVERALL than the US. If you have access to a copy, check out Robert Parker's newest book on great value wines. Most are from France, Spain, Italy, S. America, & Australia. Even with Cali's claim-to-fame, Cabernet Sauvignon/Chardonnay, it not easy to find great examples under $25-30. Same for Oregon and Wash.

  • audiofan

    Because many WLTV viewers seem to be fairly new to wine, I have MY questions of the day for GV:
    Gary, you are carefull to rinse your glass after each wine; what about your palate? Do you believe that the first wine is totally gone from the taste buds when you go to the second, third, etc? Interesting to hear your view on this.
    On many wines, the oak & tannin will integrate as the wine ages; the Beaulieu was only a '06, a vintage with less charm & up-front appeal than say, an '04 would be at the same point. You mentioned several times that the Pinot was “very young” – so was the Cab. You could inform your new-to-wine viewers that, many times, the oak DOES become better integrated (as do the tannins).
    One last bone to pick…in this episode, you mentioned that the wines had been “open two hours”; but sitting on a desk in the bottle really doesn't allow the wines to “open” much at all… especially when they're so young. Another chance to let new viewers know about the benifits of decanting…does not always have to be because of sediment (though most modern, well-made wines WILL throw some after a year or two in the bottle). Thanks.
    QOTD: When someone else is buying.

  • kasperhip

    Funny you mention it, I was actually thinking about some of the Rhone wines, for instance, this awesome 15 dollar 2008 Lirac which I have very high hopes for in a couple of years….
    The reason why I was asking is that my experience (which is not a whole lot, but you gotta start somewhere..?) is that overall it doesn't pay to choose an american wine in europe (I'm in Copenhagen, Denmark) unless you're willing to go 40+ dollars because of the QPR on european wines.

    Thanks for replying. Have a nice weekend.

  • Richie

    Nice to hear you not bashing Napa Cab for a change. I had the 98 Sterling Vineyards a few weeks back. Great stuff.
    QOTD: Rare to medium-rare. Depends on my mood.

  • Junon

    Ok! Now this is the kind of show I tune in for. Picked up some new wine facts, thank you.

    QOTD: Medium. Any less cooked than that I'd need a sauce or a compound butter to go with it.

  • Junon

    Do think that applies to Zinfandel?

    For me thats the red wine I identify California with.

  • I think you've been inflating your scores a little bit the past month…must be in a good mood or something 🙂

    QOTD: Just past rare. If a steak is past medium rare I gotta send it back…

  • I think there are a ton of really great 07 cabs/chards that are coming out for under $20 because of the weak market and the awesome vintage….so there is a little more value coming out of the US just now and I think we'll see some crazy closeouts from wineries trying to service their debts.

  • GermanChemist

    Hi there,

    nice show! Nice comments! I do think that GV has been scoring high the last couple of weeks/month!
    QOTD: I like it medium and delicious 😉

    One more comment on US wines. (I am writing from Germany but used to live at Chicago for some time so I know both sides of teh medal) Over here at Europe you have 2 choices 1) cheap and ugly or 22) really expensive and delicious. Over there at Chi I could get really good stuff let´s say starting from 20 $ / bottle.

    Regards Steven

  • GLrocks

    you do Napa Cabs and all you can taste is 2 wines ? As well, why did you not throw in
    an '07 Napa Cab you had '05 and '06 ? This show would have been a great opportunity to show and explain the importance of decanting and that it can apply to Pinot Noir (especially the higher end Sonoma and Napa Pinots) …the 2007 Pinot in this show needed to be decanted and so did both cabernets . QOTD: Charred medium rare Porterhouse at least a 24oz .

  • GLrocks i can revisit 🙂 and will for u!

  • You do german? I gave that some thought….I really think i just have had a good run, but maybe, i will think about that….

  • hmmmmmmmmm let me think about that, I guess I must be, LOL!

  • Agreed Richie, Napa is something I can be unfair to from time to time…

  • Ironmics i know you aren't allowed…….but…………..

  • GLrocks

    Gary .. sounds good. By the way the show is really wonderful for all levels of winelovers.
    I forward the videos to friends all the time. Regarding wine in general: quite the humble subject.You just can't know it all. Which is great for those of us that just can't get enough. Remember we need to support Artisan winemakers in this economy they are getting lost . See what you can do to help that. Artisan wine is a very important part of the process. It is kind of like supporting new/young/aspiring artists…some can become Picasso or DaVinci

  • Any hints on today's wines?

    Couch time!

  • GLrocks

    FYI. I am a guy from Jersey that lives in Napa….how many of us do you think are out there? From my experience…….not many at all.

  • Anonymous

    Yes we do like heavy bottles because we think they put more thought into it. And usually they do.

  • Rob B

    Good show Gary, Starting to find the time to get back to watching the show again.

    Like my Steak Medium Rare.

  • cooked just enough for it to be safe to eat

  • thedreamweaver

    i would like to know what the oak monster looks like in gary's mind. in my mind he is kind of a friendly monster b/c deep down he doesn't intentionally want to scare people but he is a monster non the less. kinda like the monster from monsters, inc. also, i picture him exploding out of oak barrells and scaring people.

    qotd: i used to go as rare as possilbe but i am kinda over that and if its actually medium i like it like that but of course err on the side of rare.

  • Steve_T

    qotd: either black & blue if it's grilled, or rare if it's pan fried.

  • BrettFavre

    How about a show in honor of the Chilean wine industry? They're hurting!@

  • huskerjamie

    Medium rare with salt and pepper. Nothing fancy, let the meat do the talking.

  • porscheguy

    I wonder if anyone else thinks having a good wine selection at home RUINS going out?
    All I can think of when I order a $7+ glass is I have a BOTTLE of better wine at home that cost $10. And if I decide to order a bottle ~$40…..JEEEZ I have some way better bottles that cost less.

  • EU regulation will make that a non profit venture for us : (

    Better if Gary branched out and started Winelibrary within EU, then we could talk some business 😀

  • tcatjo

    black and blue; always rare!

  • I'll take my stake with a nice crust and just warm enough not be cold when I get done. I am real excited about the tour of the library.

  • RocketRon

    Like my steak medium rare, but Black and blue sounds like it be worth a try.

  • GLrocks

    Napa Cabs Blind !! Napa Cabs Blind !! Napa Cabs Blind !! Napa Cabs Blind !! Napa Cabs Blind !!

  • God_Father

    Very ironic… My wife owns a Deli in Ca and her friend brought a bottle of Drew for her to try the day before this video aired. The wine maker went to a local school w/ my wife and her friend that was ever so kind to share his bottle. Tried the Pinot and was VERY pleased and then saw the video. We didn't really know anything about the winery until then… Steak -> Bone-In-Fillet Med/Rare. In SF – go to Bobo's.

  • srdonjulio

    Steak: medium with a nice crust. “a French guy or girl… with a tan”. Hilarious! No-one likes a pasty looking Frenchman/woman! 😀

  • gatvalk

    what about harlan…valandraud owner has epic opinion about that california-bordeaux tendency guy?

  • I enjoy a rare steak. Perhaps not black and blue but…. black and rare. No BS extras, give me some salt & pepper and toss it on the grill.

  • I like filet mignon wrapped in bacon, cooked medium rare. I am quite hungry now and it is only 8:50 am on the west coast.

  • I would like to see Gary blind taste 3 Cabernets $30/$60/$90 and see if he can tell them apart.

  • aaroncello

    I've always wanted to try a pittsburgh. I like a crust, and I guess the inner temperature depends more on the quality of the meat/restaurant. But definitely want a crust, and a bottle of Brunello. Only had steak and brunello twice, but one of my favorite eating/drinking moments.

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