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EP 845 Brown Bag Challenge – Sauvignon Blanc Taste Off

Gary starts a blind tasting challenge with 2 Sauvignon Blancs and some surprising results.

Wines tasted in this episode:

2008 Cliff Lede Sauvignon BlancNapa Sauvignon Blanc
2008 Grieve Sauvignon BlancNapa Sauvignon Blanc


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luca bercelli

90/100

Line of the day, ‘I don’t need your two cents Mott’

Funny episode, Lizzie phones randomly and Mott has an opinion that is different from GVs. Wild!

Tags: napa, review, sauvignon blanc, white, wine, wines

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  • love the synchronicity .. mott is so cute say hi for me…. looking forward to the next episode thanks so much…. you look well rested.. what can i do 4 you…. love lucyfuer…

  • wesleymcallister

    QOTD: For the favorite I am going to say the 2007 Kim Crawford. I really did not like the 2008 Cat Pee on a Gooseberry Bush.

    Great show. While up and studying Finance this is the break I needed.

  • PurpleGrillz

    Little Bear? Is Lizzy a dead head?

  • Cristian M.

    Thanks Murso, you are totally getting the point.

  • Cristian M.

    Thanks pal… and good luck with your “juice”. Is it Carmenere?

  • cliffordjames

    I sure did enjoy the show as much as you! LOVE the bb shows

  • appx 220lbs Carmenere, 100lbs cab sauv, and 100lbs Malbec…may bleed off a bit of the malbec and carmenere early on for a rose.
    Cheers!

  • rieslingrich

    Favorite “Lobster Key” Marlborough, New Zealand
    Least “Charles Shaw”

  • Cristian M.

    Where did you get them from?

  • Sauv Blancs differ too much season to season for me to be able to pick a “favorite” consistantly and I haven't tried many this year. That said, I really like just about everything Honig does. Hope it was a hit at the birthday.

  • TommyB

    The magic of wine – even the pros can get it wrong, its amazing how difficult it can be when the bottle is covered up!
    QOTD: worst: Oyster Bay from N.Z, Marlborough – totally over-rated, fake, confected.
    Best: The Reach, Vavasour, Marlborough, N.Z – classy, balenced, not over the top, better than Cloudy Bay (or as good as at least for half the price).

  • QOTD: I can't pick favorites or leasts without any notes around. Too bad you didn't ask Gewurtz because I had one the other day I really didn't like.

  • A_S

    Best: JEAN PABIOT DOMAINE DES FINES CAILLOTTES POUILLY FUMÉ 2006
    Worst: ? Not sure…

  • Anonymous

    I must have been delerious, in the middleof the night, when I read and wrote this. I was totally seeing, and thinking MULDERBOSCH, which I pretty much love… Sauv. Republics are better ‘n ok. and normally around $15 for us, depending on which soursce

  • QOTD: Grigch Sauv Blanc is spectacular. Especially 2007.

  • gerrymonahan

    Has anybody noticed the similarities between Mott and Spot from Covino and Rich?They're all N.J. dudes,all five of them.Spot and Mott are both named Christisn.Both of them big loveable galluts.There personalities seem to be quite similar(quite and knowlegdeable).It's stunning the more you watch or listen.The funniest thing is they all live so close together to each other.

  • AG

    Spottswoode. My wife and I loved it when we did the Napa tour, and the Spottswoode people were amazingly friendly.

  • Jeff

    Next April Fools day..I think Mott needs to go off and yell at you Gary! Perhaps even smash up the office…that would be shocking!

  • Cheryl S.

    I can't say on the best or worst, but the Sauvignon Blanc I've been enjoying lately has been 2008 Neil Ellis Sincerely.

  • winestein

    loved it. your stunned look was priceless. i agree with you on the cliff lede, i remember it being less grassy though. favorite sauv blanc dont have a specific but really like the new zealand stuff as well as some coming out of chile. cali sauv blanc SUX. ive had a handfull that are good but for the most part i tend to agree with you.

  • brixforbrains

    GV, how could you not be at least tipped off by the bordeaux bottle (and maybe lack of stelvin).
    When was the last time you saw a NZ SB on the shelf in anything but a burgundy bottle?

    Good gosh, I'm a great armchair QB!

  • mike N

    Great Show! All I can say is we need more Mott on camera!

  • JiminAtlanta

    It is good to see that even the great Gary V can be fooled in a blind tasting. I thought it was just me. I enjoy most styles of Saugvignon Blanc. New Zealand can make some good ones as long as they are not over the top with citrus flavors. White Bordeaux are also good, in a less acidic way.

  • jagron11

    Great show. SBs are personal fave, especially in the summer with grilled seafood.

    QOTD: No real favorite but love NZ SBs and from Napa, actually a big fan of the Honig you recommended to Lizzie. Worst though was a Sancerre that just tasted jumbled.

  • Don Simpson

    Fun show!!!

    Favorite = SANCERRE!!!!!! and the Loire Valley all around high fives.
    Not so much = Argentina Sauv Blanc – stick to Malbec!

  • Mike in C-town

    Thank god Mott took care of his nose hair.

  • Clemclone

    Best: Lail Vineyards Blueprint or Margerum Sybarite. I also like Neal.

    Worst: Anything with a screw cap.

  • chukheadted

    brown bags for life!!!!! its fun when you go out on a limb like that.

    p.s. thanks motttt!!!

  • teckdeck2008

    crazy dude, i've had a cali sav blanc like that first one before. it really threw me for a loop.
    qotd: I don't have one specific like or dislike in this varietal. as far as styles go, i dislike the butter bandit style of sav blanc and prefer something a with a balanced fruit and vegetable play.

  • Brad

    Mott: I love your honesty, but i wouldn't make a habait of not backing up your boss…especially when he almost bet his show.

  • jsstraub

    Keep the brown bag shows. There great. Brown bags is the way I learned about wine and educating my palate.
    Favorite: Spy Valley
    Least: Silverado

  • lawrenceleichtman

    Most favorite, Merry Edwards. Least, almost any Malborough Sauvingnon Blanc. I'm getting tired of grass and cat pee.

  • s. watson

    Oh Gary, You darn well it depends on the moment/fd/friends/etc..- @ one time Kim Crawford was my fav–love the grape frt- but lately a less citric- Chilean->Casas Patronales ('08) fit the bill. I just love the flexibility of wine- and having more than 1 choice 🙂 Swats1!(lurker that's just catching up with episodes).

  • Winefan011

    It would be nice if you tried a double-blind tasting. That would be interesting. Of course, we wouldn't hold you to the accuracy found in other tests but it would be fun to see if you could guess the wine type.

  • QOTD: I love the umami factor pricey California Sauvignon Blancs bring to the table. Everyday stuff: Montes Limited Selection. Least favourite: not so much the wine but I hate the extra $2-$5 I have to shell out for the glamour of the Marlborough name on the label.

  • LonelyGrape

    Most Favorite Sauvy – Battle of Bosworth (organic from McLaren Vale)
    Least Favorite Sauvy – anything from NZ. I hate the way they are dumping average quality wine onto the Australian Market.

  • ewb

    Love the brown bag. Keeps it real for sure.
    QOTD: Fav: Merry Edwards
    Not fav: Markham

  • Why would anyone not like brown bag!? It's fun, mixes up the usual and lets us see you really spin your sh*t and show some skill. Nice show

  • alisgray

    Have you guys really never looked into the difference between a “blind taste test” and a “double-blind taste test”?

    In the first the person handling the product knows which is which (or what is what) and in the second the administrator of the test also has no idea which is which (or what is what.)

  • Flygirl_Michelle

    Mudhouse Marlborough 2009 Sauvignon Blanc…. NZ!!!!Winner of Top 100 Champion Sav Blanc 2009 and Champion Wine of Show. Gold Air NZ Wine Awards 2009…. Loved meeting you Gary recently in our lounge on your way home for our onboard tasting at Air NZ's inflight wines… hope to see you again back in NZ for longer than 2 hours next time…. kind regards.. Michelle

  • Clemclone

    Close… but in a blind test the tester does NOT know what they are testing. In a double blind the person setting up the test does not know which is which.

  • JPM

    Even a busted clock is right twice a day– right GV??!! Just kidding- Loved the episode.
    Has anyone tried the Hundred Acre Summer Dreams Sauv Blanc? Wondering if it lives up to expectations!?
    QOTD: Since we're tasting Napa Sauv Blancs—Had a tasty Keever recently that changed my thinking on Cali Sauv blancs.

  • JayZee13

    That was totally awesome! And your reaction was “priceless”.

    QOTD: My favorite SB is any decent Sancerre. My least favorite is some cheap-ass SB from Saouth Africa that we had the other night – it was terrible.

  • One of the best episodes in a LONG long LONG long LONg VERY LONG time. The phone call from lizzie, Gary getting it WAAAAAAY wrong, Mott on the camera, Gary pretending to be Mott…you can't make this stuff up.

    QOTD 1-2: I'll go with country/region. Like NZ or AUS; dislike south american.

  • Nik_B

    I rarely buy sauv blanc any more.. probably because I had so many when I first got into wine and I'm now sick of them.

    QOTD – Isabel Marlborough (2003?)

  • Wow, shock result. I agree with Jwink, one of your best episodes in a while. Keep up the good work!

  • Richie

    Thats what I call a great episode. Love the head to head brown bags. This is really what I like to see. Total truth revealed.

  • QOTD:
    Best SB 1. Illumination. 2. Duckhorn
    Worst: Too many to mention here.

    Kim Crawford is good on a hot day.
    I guess I prefer semillion mixed in with the SB (aka Duckhorn, Illumination).

  • lau1

    QOTD: Favorite Sauvignon Blanc has to be Gladstone from New Zealand, crazy good value and sooo lovely. We blind tasted it against a Sancerre, a Kaituna and, tradaaa… a Cloudy Bay and it came out on top. Great stuff.

  • Weston3220

    qotd:
    Fav – elephant hill Sauv Blanc Reserve Hawkes Bay! Oh Yeah

    least – Marl. NZ Green Pepper Juice SB

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