EP 848 California Wine Tasting with Some Thunder

Gary gets back to the Thunder Saddle and picks 3 California wines, a Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Cabernet, that have some serious hype to see if they live up to it!

Wines tasted in this episode:

2008 Wind Gap Chardonnay YuenSonoma Chardonnay
2007 Foxen Julia’s Pinot NoirSanta Barbara Pinot Noir
2007 Justin IsoscelesPaso Robles Red Blend

Links mentioned in todays episode.


Latest Comment:

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luca bercelli

92/100

Lines of the day, This wine smells like a steak’ and Mott’s pretentious home run, ‘would you say it’s big but it doesn’t lose control’. I bet Mott can’t believe he said that.

Steee – rike. Great show helped by a couple of stonking wines

Tags: chardonnay, Pinot Noir, red, review, Video, white, wine, wines

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  • Anonymous

    better than 100 percent of tv!

  • Anonymous

    better than 100 percent of tv!

  • hockey
    Good show

  • laurieinvt

    lass?! oops 😉

  • One of my favorite shows in awhile because I visit Foxen winery regularly (not in the club, though, might have to change that) and my brother just took me to Justin in Paso Robles where he is a member. They take you to a “Special Club Members” area that requires a gate code just to get into the lot. The place is uber creepy but fun. I also agree with you on the Isosceles. Waaaaaay too much oak on most of their wines.

    QOTD: Born and raised in L.A. so it's been the Dodgers since I was in diapers.

  • Anonymous

    pretty sad

  • Anonymous

    pretty sad

  • A_S

    Great episode Gary! This is going to be an awesome week on WLTV!

  • johnfarrin

    QOTD: SF Giants

  • Hey Gary, good show. You got off on a tangent with the swirling and smelling thing. Have you noticed the difference in the nose pre-swirl vs. post-swirl? Often it is huge so you kind of get two shows for the price of one.
    QOTD:Twins 87. World Series. I was Back from Europe to visit friends and family in Minnesota. I took part in the pandamonium that insued in the streets of Mpls. that fine night.

  • Thanks for showing Calif wines some love this week. QOTD – SF Giants, now & forever. BTW, if the Justin folks are reading the comments, our friends have also had many Justin vertical tastings over the years & we found similar concerns as you did (recent wines a little disjointed, too oaky). Kinda torn because we have loved the wines in the past but a little less enthusiastic now.
    BTW am guessing you like “smoky eyes” (think Kim Kardashian) rather than “raccoon eyes” (Chrissie Hynde) but I could be mistaken. No question Chrissie has more talent, but the look is severe punk. Like a raw inky Syrah IMHO.

  • Anonymous

    You go girl! I watched your episode and you showed nice skills!

  • Anonymous

    You go girl! I watched your episode and you showed nice skills!

  • tflangan

    Who? 11/18/2010. I say u finally got Robert Parker to agree to come on the show. Tell me I'm wrong.

    QOTD: Yanks

  • Bobby Wino

    No price on the Pinot and a simple Google shows Parker at 89+ on the Isoceles … Fire K. Murph !

  • Edward Salonia

    Great show today. Thanks GV.

    Speaking of guests, you should have Kristen on more often. It's always nice when she makes an appearance.

    QOTD: NYY, of course.

  • b777capt

    I'm a long time member of the Foxen Anchor Club. Foxen makes a huge variety of wines with very, very few misses. I just attended their annual Vintner's Festival Dinner at the Alisal Guest Ranch last Saturday. It is always a great time with outstanding wines. The hit of the night for me was the 2008 Bien Nacido Block 8 pinot noir with the duck risoto. They usually make enough wine that you can go to their site and buy it unless it is a special, limited production wine such as their Sea Smoke pinot or especially their Select Smoke pinot (very limited production from the Sea Smoke Vineyard).

    QOTD: The only team I have deep feelings about is the Dodgers, but not the current team, the Dodgers from the late '50s and early '60s. I really liked the Johnny Roseboro, Sandy Koufax, Don Drysdale teams.

  • Ray

    Throwing out old baseball names: Juan Gonzalez, Matt Williams, John Olerud, Tim Salmon, Mickey Tettleton, Carlos Baerga, Jay Buhner, Ken Caminiti (RIP)

  • laurieinvt

    Good show- high energy today!
    QOTD: Red Sox, out of loyalty, though I pay only marginal attention any more- hasn't felt like any of them play out of love for the game for a long time now. Local HS and farm team ball is way more interesting.

  • dontime

    Atalnta Braves.

    The new Cork'd leaves a lot to be desired. Have you visited lately???

    dontime from PA

  • Anonymous

    The comments that came later say the 89 was for the reserve isoceles, only availible at the winery?

  • Anonymous

    The comments that came later say the 89 was for the reserve isoceles, only availible at the winery?

  • waynoooo daaaaa winoooo

    WEEEEEE LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVVVVVVE KMURPH !!!!!!!!!!!! :O)

  • waynoooo daaaaa winoooo

    WEEEEEE LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVVVVVVE KMURPH !!!!!!!!!!!! :O)

  • waynoooo daaaaa winoooo

    WEEEEEE LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVVVVVVE KMURPH !!!!!!!!!!!! :O)

  • Nice to see you back in the saddle!!! And you are very very welcome!!! YOU ROCK!!

    QOTD: The World Champion Chicago White Sox!

    hmmm marked my calendar 11-18-10 ..New Book?

  • Victor

    qotd – the 1992 Toronto Blue Jays winning the World Series. Sure the players were mostly all American but hey you take Stanley Cup wins with Canadian, Russian, Swedish players…A win is a win.

  • NY Pete

    good show dude!
    NY Mets … that is all.

  • Anonymous

    love the smarties but never one at a time. I’ll have to retrain my smarties palate and taste them one at a time…….

  • Anonymous

    love the smarties but never one at a time. I’ll have to retrain my smarties palate and taste them one at a time…….

  • Anonymous

    love the smarties but never one at a time. I’ll have to retrain my smarties palate and taste them one at a time…….

  • Anonymous

    I feel your pain

  • Anonymous

    I feel your pain

  • Anonymous

    I feel your pain

  • NY Pete

    Keep the faith Sasha!
    Lets Go Devils!!!

  • Anonymous

    TrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrryyyyyyyyyyytheeditbuttonnnnnnnnnnnnnWaaaaaaaaaaaynnnnnnnnoooooooooooooooooo

  • Anonymous

    TrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrryyyyyyyyyyytheeditbuttonnnnnnnnnnnnnWaaaaaaaaaaaynnnnnnnnoooooooooooooooooo

  • Anonymous

    TrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrryyyyyyyyyyytheeditbuttonnnnnnnnnnnnnWaaaaaaaaaaaynnnnnnnnoooooooooooooooooo

  • richardvinifera

    So you're a “Foxen fan” not a Foxen Friend?!

  • troytee

    QOTD: NYY

    Small FYI + Corkd = Domination of my day today. Nice job all around.

  • waynoooo daaaaa winoooo

    Yo castello, Ya got me….?….. Did Ya snag that Dehlinger Pinot yet ????? I’ve
    been on their mailing list since the 1992 Pinot Vintage & ain’t had a bad Pinot
    from them yet (at least for my “pal”)……..

  • waynoooo daaaaa winoooo

    Yo castello, Ya got me….?….. Did Ya snag that Dehlinger Pinot yet ????? I’ve
    been on their mailing list since the 1992 Pinot Vintage & ain’t had a bad Pinot
    from them yet (at least for my “pal”)……..

  • waynoooo daaaaa winoooo

    Yo castello, Ya got me….?….. Did Ya snag that Dehlinger Pinot yet ????? I’ve
    been on their mailing list since the 1992 Pinot Vintage & ain’t had a bad Pinot
    from them yet (at least for my “pal”)……..

  • lawrenceleichtman

    Haven't thanked GV in a long time and I feel remiss. Thanks for putting in the time. As the Dead said, what a long strange trip. That said, the Foxen and Isoceles are both in my wine cabinet and have been for a while. I have Isoceles back to 1996. Foxen gives you great tastes when you go to their tasting room and the Pinot is always outstanding. Haven't liked baseball since the early to mid 60's. My favorite were the Yankees '59, '60, '61.

  • waynoooo daaaaa winoooo

    WHOOOOOOOOOOOOO SAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYZZZZZZZ ????!!!!!!??? :o)

  • waynoooo daaaaa winoooo

    WHOOOOOOOOOOOOO SAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYZZZZZZZ ????!!!!!!??? :o)

  • waynoooo daaaaa winoooo

    WHOOOOOOOOOOOOO SAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYZZZZZZZ ????!!!!!!??? :o)

  • Qwerty

    I'm gonna come out of the “lurker-ether” to say K-murph's a cutie for sure! Guess I'm a creeper and not a lurker now, heh.

  • northwest_pk

    Hey Gary – enjoyed the show. Stop apologizing for talking to Mott, etc, I don't know. Wish I could afford that Pinot, sounds amazing. QOTD: Seattle Mariners, old fav is the Redsox – former Masshole here. Thanks, and goodnight!

  • waynoooo daaaaa winoooo

    whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaats daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat ??????????? :o)

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