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EP 841 California Chardonnay Tasting

Gary has a confession to make- he’s starting to like oaky and buttery Chardonnays again. Today he tastes through 3 different wines in search of these flavors….

Wines tasted in this episode:

2008 Clos Blancheau James Berry ChardonnayPaso Robles Chardonnay
2007 Neyers Chardonnay El NovilleroNapa Chardonnay
2007 Newton Unfiltered ChardonnayNapa Chardonnay


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luca bercelli

90/100

line of the day – ‘that’s a girl I did years ago’

Everyone who’s ever had a glass of wine should watch this and realise that what you like one year you might not like the next

Tags: chardonnay, review, Video, white, wine, wines

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  • cellarrat5

    When did the butter bandit start packing heat GV? I was always a fan of the eye patch. And even though you and the Oak Monster may be bunking buddies now, hopefully once and a while he will make an appearance.

  • Dawn9850

    Love that you tasted CA chardonnays…….my husband and I had drifted away from the CA chards for the exact same reason you did; too much oak. But recently we have started trying them again.
    QOTD: Have had the Neyers since we are wine club members and have enjoyed them. Not familar with the Clos Blancheau, although we have found some great wineries in the Paso Robles area. Besides coming back to CA chards, I have recently come back to drinking rieslings. Haven't had them in years because they tended to be too sweet for my palate. Discovering drier rieslings and loving them!

  • cellarrat5

    You must know he is married by now, right? 😉

  • Phaser

    Ya,
    You get a few of them from him. My fav is when he asked Mott, “We shoot turkies don't we?” when refering to a food pairing.

  • Richie

    QOTD: I have gone back to cereal. Cinnamon toast crunch for ever!

  • Phaser

    Nice show,
    Have not reied many at all, never liked the taste of chardonnay that much.
    QOTD: None yet, but I did start programming again and that is a fun difference at work.

  • zrm

    48 seconds i yell out “NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! Thats impossible!!!!”

  • philoxera

    Yea sold out to the oak monster Bozo!

  • thumbs up on the sylvaner! have had a few austrians that were sharp and clean.
    actually on the hunt for a rieslaner hybrid.
    I hang towards the tart side…

  • Phaser

    Should someone start collecting them and post them on the boards? We all know the main ones, Link it up and such. COuld be a book of GV quotes!

  • gotsha

    QOTD…I've come back to the cheap Aussie shiraz. Hey, it's getting warm out and I need a good fruit bomb to go with my burger on the grill.

    Also…GV, In the quote, “Whether they like it or not,” have you ever really clarified who “they” are? I'm feeling perplexed.

    Yes…I've finally registered for the comment section. Getting tired of posting as a guest.

  • Ben

    Yes Gary my Palate has change I am now craving big CA Red.. Lots of Oak and Malo…. I used to be more into French and Delicate… i am sure we will both come back…

  • dude…I just had a set of Riesling last week at a trade tasting and the St. Nikolaus Hospital ’06 trocken was great, and with just a little bit more residual sugar (3.1% – below the perceptible sweetness level, the Züm Riesling ?08 Mosel QbA is a freaking steal. The post is at: http://www.vtwinemedia.com/vt_wine_press/?p=565 rieslings at the bottom. Cheers.

  • WineWoman

    QOTD: Have always been a fan of the Newton. They say as you mature you tend to gravitate to more sugarfied tastes. Maybe the palate doesn't remain as sharp as you grow older. Kind of like one's mind. I got sick of the big Aussie Shiraz's and even some Cali Zins, but I still love most Zins. Right now I am drinking more light-to medium bodied wines and do enjoy some of the off-dry still wines and sparklers–just not anything that is cloyingly sweet.

  • Kurt M.

    http://lukeimpossible.ytmnd.com/

    April Fools day part II?

  • Don Simpson

    What on EARTH just happened…? I really did think it was Aprils Fools Day Part II — I thought at the end Gary was going to yell April Fools and do a WWF Tag-Team action with Sasha against the Butter Bandit and Oak Monster.

    QOTD1: Nope, not my style

    QOTD2: Actually going back to Malbec – drank a ton while I was in Argentina a few years ago, then gave it a rest and was drinking mostly old world. Don't cry for me Argentina, I'm coming back home!

  • elron

    CR5, don’t get me involved!

    😉

  • elron

    Nah, I don’t like Gary. He’s a Jet fan.

    Who is Alan?

    Randi, I know you’re a big fan of Gary’s so I’m just messing with ya.

  • elron

    🙂 🙂

  • MarkFitzpatrick

    How about the one about teenage girl bedroom or something – the smell of the room.

    The GV “Classic wine descriptions you've never heard anywhere else” Collection

  • All roads lead to Mosel Riesling, I agree with you there!

  • Anonymous

    It’s too late, the vortex is growing larger!!

    Sent from my NSA brain implant

  • waynoooo daaaaa winoooo

    OOOH BOY, OOOOOOOOH BOOOOOOOOOOY, Looooks like Some NIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIICE
    VINOS in daaaa HIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIZZZYYYYYYYYYY !!!!!!!!

  • Nice to have the thundershow back Gary
    QOTD:

    I'm seriously thinking about a different wine every day for a year but it's going to be pretty difficult to organise/fund. I do drink as many different wines as possible but this means I never get to have what I like! I'm really into Malbec, cooler climate Aussie Shiraz (WA rules) and Southern French Reds, CDR, Cahors, St Chinian etc… Whites I love Riesling and Gewurtz.

    If I had to pick just one it would be Riesling 'Philoxera' nailed it with that one!

  • ONUMello

    Wow, out of retirement early 😉
    QOTD: No and no; granted my palate hasn't had nearly the time to change as many here (only drinking wine for 3 year) In that time, I've grown steadily more and more addicted to acid, and further and further away from sweet (except for a good dessert wine now & then, but even then acidity wins extra points)

  • SamKw

    *Shock horror* What's going to be next, white zinfandels?

    Just kidding 😉

    Palates change, I understand that.

    QOTD1: No, haven't had any of those.
    QOTD2: My wine-drinking career hasn't really been long enough for me to experience swings. Especially since I've been trying to drink something new every time, I haven't settled into the habit of drinking wine of a certain kind. But when I look back, some of the things that seemed pretty good at the time seem mediocre, in the light of all the better wines that I've tried since.

  • waynoooo daaaaa winoooo

    Yo cellarrar5, When Yur HOT, Yuuur HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOT !!!!!!!!!! :o)

  • drt999

    QOTD 1 — nope, but the first one does sound tasty
    QOTD 2 — no, not really, but I am starting to yearn for some S French rose. But that's just because of the weather!

  • cellarrat5

    Don you are awesome, someone needs to come up with a graphic for that doubles tag team!

  • They are …………….

  • castello

    wa rules?

  • castello

    Have you guys got a suggestion for under 50? dry riesling right?

  • mattgmann

    qotd 1:no
    qotd 2: My wine journey seems to be never ending. But in my beer quest, I seem to have made a full lap and am back to sqaure one: pabst blue ribbon/stroh's. I'm sure I'll take another lap around the beer world, but there seem to be a lot of snobs round these parts these days. Not a group I care to hang out with.

    On the table for tonight, a cheap cava I've never had, a priorat I've been drinking a lot, and a Domaine de St Siffrein Chateauneuff du Pape I'm excited to try. I stole a small swig while pouring into the decanter and it was a delicious tart explosion.

    On acidity: That's the one property I've found lately in all of the wines I'm really enjoying.

  • QOTD 1: Had the Neyers in an earlier vintage, and liked it. I was big in to butter-bombs a few years ago when I first started getting into wine, I think cause it was the first flavor I could definitely identify. Anyway, a friend dissed me for always wanting to drink Rombauer, and got me some Neyers to show me I could get my butter fix outside of Rombauer. It worked, and I was able to tell that it wasn't as flabby as the Rombauer, which I dug.
    QOTD 2: I haven't been in the game long enough to go through any taste phases, but it's been a while since I've bought a buttery, oaky Chard. I think I'll give that a whirl tonight.

  • wyotim

    I thought this was the Arpil fools episode with you liking oaky chards

  • waynoooo daaaaa winoooo

    Yo castello, go wit Alsace Riesling…. Albert Mann & Schoffit can be had for
    around 20 bones. For a few more bones, Ya can get Domaine Weinbach and
    Zind-Humbrecth !!! EEEEENNNJJOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOYYYY !!!!!!!! :o)

  • Pete G

    Nice of u to share your pal change with us. Makes wine drinking that much more fun when
    u re-discover.

    QOTD 1: negative

    QOTD 2: I've found myself liking the big,fruity bomb Aussie, Barossa shiraz a little bit
    more as of late. Call it comfort food (wine)

  • Paul C

    Bordeaux 2009 – Commentary Please.

  • ndog

    Go Niners Gary! Freudian slip? Not buying that backtrack/attempt to save. Just like the palate you are finally coming over from the dark side!!!

  • castello

    You still have Strohs?? Haven't seen it in years on the left coast. I can't believe it still tastes the same.

  • well you're just going to have to do another palate development episode to figure out why your palate is changing haha

  • Geez, an old man like me having a “bromance” moment, well, almost 14 mins worth. 🙂 Great show and yes, you are “coming back” to these really nice wines and flavor profile. My man brought the “thunder” today with some really kick-ass wines.

    QOTD #1: I have tried the Neyers and the Newton and loved them. Will need to try the Clos.
    QOTD #2: Love the “wink.” Wine-wise, I have come back to the esoteric whites, i.e. Greek, VA Viogniers. At my age, I wish I could “go back” in more ways than one but can't find any takers.

    Happy Passover to you and your family

    Cheers!
    Dom

    P.S. Yes, hate the 9ers though one must say Singletary is old school so a breath of fresh air.

  • Anonymous

    Im a big fan of the Jets…and Gary…
    I know youre messn w.me…that seems to be the theme! LOL
    😉

  • Hey Gary, I posted earlier (for the first time, been a lurker for a while..), but had a thought – I've been hearing some goods things about Baja Mexico wines, but haven't had a chance to taste any. Maybe you could do a show on them? Sounds like a cool Cinco de Mayo show..
    P.S. Huge fan, love the Thunder Show!

  • Dude, you should do a sort of “recesssion wine” episode. good cheap wines. But MOST importantly, New York State Wines are severely unrepresented on the thunder show. You doodooed on that Long Island Wine a while back but that doesn't mean all New York wines are bad. This is a shout out! Taste some NY state!

  • Steve F. in Jersey

    Awesome show… i'm all about the toasted oak!

    QOTD #1: Can't say I have…definitely will have to.
    QOTD #2: I literally have come back home. I lived in San Diego, CA for a while but missed my huge Family and had to come home. Glad I went tho…great experience!

  • slave2thevine

    It's nice to see some coverage of the higher end wines…it would be nice for those who are local (I'm sure) to get a chance to do the taste-along thing you said you'd do more of this year. Yesterday was great…

    QOTD: I guess you could say I've come back to enjoying drinking wine again. It's been awhile since I truly enjoyed drinking wine…but I'm on a roll since opening a few “nice” bottles. Hell they aren't worth anything if you're just looking at them.

  • davidemillombard

    THIS is why I started watching WLTV. You're nuts. Awesome show.

    QOTD 1: Never had any of those. Def plan to.

    QOTD 2: I know what you mean about coming back to something you dissed for a while for sure, but not in the wine world (don't have enough notches on the wine belt). Beers…yes. Hobbies, sports for sure!

  • Tnx……i think 😉

  • ahahahhahah NEVER!

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