If I hear GV apologize for the wine one more time I am going to hurl. And then I am going to gather it all up and put it in my bacon smoker out back so it will smell like burnt vomit all up and down the street. Seriously G, if the wine is flat there is no reason for you to be. I know you're passionate about the wine but you are even more passionate about your user base. You should bring the thunder come good wine or bad IMHO. On top of that, we get just as much if not more useful info from you when you pan a wine as when you rave. Don't get me wrong Gary, I love you man (Not in a Siegfried and Roy sense, you understand), so this is meant to be constructive and is only one man's opinion.

In my analysis there aren't going to be as many episodes left in this show as people think. At some point in the not too distant future, there has to be changes to the show as we now know it. The community will mainly shift to corkd at that point. I have a whole theory about why this is the case but it doesn't really matter. I may just as likely be full of hot air. In any event you should still bring your “A” game whenever you can – good wine or vinegar.

OK, I've rambled on far too long. I'll stop bagging on Gary now. He is still the best at what he does and I wouldn't trade him in for a daily, in person wine consultation with Robert Parker for life. So, Here endeth the lecture as a great Scotsman once said.

Don't let em grind you down Gary – if the wines are not up to standard to get passionate about then your allowed to show it. It's only natural that your not gonna be too pleased if the wine doesn't bring the thunder, I think maybe some people are beginning to expect a bit too much – this show is about wine, and like people, they have good days and bad days.

QOTD: My fav at the moment is Rare Vineyards Malbec Vin de Pays d'Oc 2009 (I don't think it is available in the US) just launched in the UK, a cross between Cahors and Argentina with the best bits of both. Made by Alain Grignon

Like a Malbec now and then. Nice coffee table….QOTD-Punto Final, Martino, Norton. http://www.winelx.com

Love the Brown Bag shows!!! even if the wines don't work out.

Ha! I suppose we do, touche sir!

I find Malbecs in general to be very hit or miss, I've come accross many poor over priced examples. My fav has to be the Dona Paula Estate 2007 Malbec.

Hey I agree with you that the episode lacked pazazz, but that has to be down to the fact that the wines were poor. The length of the episode is due to the fact that it was a “Laid Back Friday” Ep. Give the man a break.

Props to Gary for bashing the Crios. I had just bought that wine from Wine Library as it is on their 90 point list… and I thought it was average at best. But have to give GV credit that he still proves this is not about them selling wines.

I agree the shows where Gary rips apart the wine are just as good as the shows where he loves them. You can learn from the bad as much as the good.
QOTD: My brother introduced me to Gascón last year, and that's what I usually pick up in the stores now because it's a great value.

Why do you keep apologizing when you don't like the wines? we tune in to hear your opinions, good and bad, not just to see you excited about the wine!

The brown bags are the best because you are truly honest and not biased by all that other content….until you reveal, thats a true assessment.

GV…the air quotes are getting more than a bit annoying..

Hasn't been a good week for the bags, but I love the honesty.

QOTD: So far, anything Catena, especially the Alta.

PS – Randi, you still got your plug at the beginning…lol.

This post lurker reminds me of what this show is all about. Navigating through the winding rivers of wine and trying to find something that brings passion and phenolic thunder into one's life. Don't get me wrong, I love wine more than most things in life, I make my living off wine. However, if one complicates anything to a point of superfluous calculation it eventually becomes drab. That is why this show is great, Gary does everything he can to prevent this from occurring. Thank you drwino, and Gary.

Those are good points well taken cr5. I hope everybody understands that I am not saying that GV sucks when the wines suck. Not at all. It is just a question of degree I suppose. In fact, even in this disjointed, distracted episode Gary has flashes of pure brilliance (5:55 for example). I just want Gary to understand that the wines don't make the show – GV and the community do. As passionate as we all are about the wines, they are just props.

Have a great weekend yourself.

thnx JR!

Will always care about my “name” over my sales!

thnx CtWalt

ELRON not sure what happened lol!

2006 Seresin “Leah” NZ Pinot Noir, in the glass this evening… Not bad… But have to admit, not as exciting as the 2005 Joseph Drouhin Pommard i had last night… “Leah” lacks a little structure and omph, in my opinion. But it's a well made wine, definitely.

“Leah” 88p.
Pommard 91p. Cheers!

Decent show, Please keep up the brown bags regardless of yours and others disappointment in the wines and in some peoples case the last couple shows. Even you can't Crush it 24/7 365, you are only human man. It is possible that some people are losing sight of why this show kicks serious ass. Loved the impromptu laid back friday!

QOTD: I had a Malbec Tempranillo blend recently that was damn good. Cannot remember the name of if for the life of me.

I completely agree with Gary being over extended. This would explain why he is trying to consolidated his time and energy. He basically stated this in the short video he posted a while back. And I also agree that someone that is as Busy and involved as Gary cannot keep everything up at 110% no matter how much he might want to. I also agree that he was a little distracted in this latest installment. He forgot to rinse the second wine, I don't know if I have ever seen him forget to rinse. I am reading way too much into this myself now. we all must like GV's show to some extent even the haters (not implying you are Just Jack sorry if it came across that way), otherwise we would not watch and comment. Hope you keep bringing thunder to our lives and yours.

Hi Gary nice show but you dislike Argentina at all! I ve been watching all your wine tastings and maybe..I don´t know…maybe you should come to Argentina…maybe the wines you get are always similar and there is not different labels. How many times you tasted wines from Susana Balbo? QOTD My favorites malbecs not so so so expensive Achaval Ferrer Malbec Mendoza 2008, Val de Flores 2005, Doña Silvina Reserva 2006 bodega Krontiras, Colomé Estate 2007, come on! taste one of these

Hey Gary! the best one I have had is Altos las Hormigas I think is 2007 , 2nd best was Sophenia Malbec reserva , both from Mendoza Argentina,
By the way, I exciting because tonight I'm having new wines…NEbbiolo Masi 2007 , and Campofiorin Masi 2008…

CUBA!!! I totally know that! No worries…I wasnt being rude either…
Just sayn, I was surprised..
🙂

I drink mostly Cahors

have Eugenie reserve and Coutale now