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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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  • ASTROS!

  • JC

    Hey GV – Good show. Needed a good one. Glad to see good, quality vino on the show with good reviews, however, would like to see more of the $25 and under price points.
    Sure would like to see a show on the Mourvedre varietal. Recently had some great samples from Chateau Romassan – Domaine Ott, and Hewittson Old Garden.

    QOTD – Big Red Machine – 1970-1974. Johnny Bench and crew were the high water mark for baseball in the last 40 years, bar none. Went to a game at the new and not completely finished Riverfront Stadium in the spring of '70. NOTHING LIKE IT IN THE WORLD, at that time to a 10 year-old. It was ball-day. Still have the ball…

    JC

  • boomy13

    Nice show G.

    QOTD: Minnesota Twinkies. How about that new stadium? 9 and 3 last time I checked.

  • damn satellite is moving at snails pace…this may have to wait until the office tomorrow.
    Rats.

  • NY Pete

    didn't the A's three-peat during that Big Red Machine era … 🙂

  • thedreamweaver

    Good show. I want to try the pinot b/c i generally don't get into pinot but like the idea of a bigger one.
    qotd: i am lucky enough to be a life long die hard Red Birds fan! My fav season would have to be 85. i know i know we lost the world series that year but as a little kid from mid missouri the I-70 series was cool. it was like the civil war. brothers against brothers… and i am not a bird fan that dwells on it but “the play” in game six was some series bull. btw-We look really good this year and any chance you get to watch pujols bat you should stop and savor it b/c one day you will get to tell your grand kids that you were lucky enough to watch the greatest hitter to ever play the game.

  • nbwino

    I think the candy you are referring to is ROCKETS, little candy discs you get at halloween. I get it in low end light-medium body acidic wines. Not something I think of as a positive too fakey-fake. Smarties are like M&M's.

  • Allan

    Did you win at Wimbledon?

  • pawncop

    Good episode, love the energy.

    QOTD – Well the team I support continually is my Texas Rangers despite the troubles and inconsistiencies they continue to demonstrate.

    All time favorite, back in the 50's I was a diehard Yankee's fan. I wanted to be a pitcher like Whitey Ford so bad I could taste it. Lost my interest when Big George took over. Just was not the same.

  • WesMcAllister

    Gary, Thank you for doing this show. I can not wait until the thank you economy comes out.

    QOTD: For me 2009 was my first big year getting into baseball. I am not sure why, but I think maybe it is because I am getting a bit older and enjoy the numbers aspect of the game. Its a casual sport that gives plenty of time for community.

  • NJ Big Chris

    QOTD: YANKEES! GV, I have a question for you! Where can I can get a big ass glass like yours?

  • Allan

    It’s; “Why thank you Hr. doctor….” ; )

    Cheers!

  • Ha Ha!
    simply poetic…
    but who would drive?

  • missatiejacket

    great episode. If I didn't know better, I would think you might have been drinking before filming this one. It's probably just your energy level. I've tasted the past couple of vintages of Justin Isosceles and I've thought they have been overextracted messes of oak bombs — not for me at all. I think there are some much less expensive Spanish wines that taste very similar. I have no idea why anyone would pay that kind of money for that wine as it is today (I'm sure some of the older vintages were very good, but I've never had any of those). Anyway, keep it up. I don't care about sports at all. That's my answer to the qotd.

  • Allan

    Say hello to Jancis for me ; )

  • I haven't really cared about baseball since they cancelled the '94 World Series, but this year I'm pulling for a Rockies-Twins series. Football games are more fun in the snow; why can't we do this with baseball too?

  • Bredsun

    QOTD: ANAHEIM Angels…Orange County born and raised…

  • castello

    Bottega del Vino. It's the burgunder. Awesome!

  • ron westlund

    Come on Gary, why to go. good show. You used the A word twice; acid in reference to the chard. Thanks!!! Tell us why acid is so important. Idea: do a show without reference to Parker and to numerical reference!! I dare you….and i'll bet you that you cannot. ron

  • California Love, Awesome.

    QOTD: when I was a young lad I used to root for the Cubs no mater how bad their seasons went. Lately I've been a Yankees fan.

  • ahillsey

    Detroit Tigers…still can't believe the old Tiger Stadium is gonzo.

  • Gary! I am surprised that you liked the Foxen Pinot Noir. I tasted this one about 6 months ago.. Way too stinky and dirt-like and gamey for me. I like some earth but this one was over-the-top. However, Foxen is a great winery (I like their chenin blanc and chard) and there is a waiting list to get on their list.

  • O'Shea

    St. Louis Cardinals fan from birth!!!!

  • divyamistry

    Good show, and happy to see wines that went over 90 pts 😉 Although… very sad that none of those are wines I can afford 🙁

    QOTD: No idea. Don't watch baseball, never have. Cricket pretty much does it for me!

  • I am more than happy too 🙂

  • Gary – the chocolate drink you described reminds me very much of a chocolate phosphate. You ever have one of those?

  • GFish

    Gary, good to see some wines hitting home rus with you. I like foxen as well, but with 15.2% alcohol and all that fruit did you notice any residual sugar? That's one of the biggest turn offs for me about Cali (and some Oregon) pinot.

    QOTD – Mets are my favorite. I also like my adopted home town of Chicago with the Cubbies (way over due for winning the world series) and White Sox.

    QOTD 2 – Even though they were a little crazy, the '86 Mets is my favorite year.

  • tracy mercer

    QOTD: Used to be the NYY, but since they traded the best player ever (hideki matsui), both in attitude, effort and humility, my new favorite team is the Angels . . . Oh-medate-Matsui-san!!

  • finenmandy

    Do smartees have a smell?? I only like preseason baseball, when I can go to games here in Tucson. I prefer the football talk :). And since you kinda seem like you want to get away from the show, just so you know what brings me to the site is the ability to see you taste live and observe the nuances in tasting wine. Though I don't usually seek out what you've tasted I approach wine with a clearity and openness. thanks!

  • SF Giants fan since my childhood. I actually just found an old Barry Bonds poster. He was smaller.

  • Don Simpson

    BOMB POPS!!! Those are the best!!!! Good show.

    QOTD: Washington Nationals are TERRIBLE, so I'd have to say “meh”. When I was growing up I watched the Braves and David Justice was my favorite player. That was quite some time ago…

  • DETROIT TIGERS!!! Family is originally from the Detroit area & my Dad played baseball in Tigers Stadium back in the 1960s – he was also drafted by the Tigers out of college. Nothing better than drinking a cold can of beer and working in the garage while listening to the game on an old radio tuned to the AM station!

  • NIB

    QOTD:I have been a huge Yankees fan since I was a kid, back before Thurman died and Reggie played for them.

  • Pat__B

    The enthusiasm was stellar and this episode was fantastic. I like all of those wines. For me, Justin has always been pretty consistent though they seemed to have missed your palate on the past couple releases…whatever, your despcriptions were right on.

    QOTD: TAMPA BAY DEVIL RAYS

  • cmaloy

    QOTD: The LA Dodgers

  • Curt

    Thank you Gary. I hope you continue to do this show for many years to come. With family, work and everything else that makes life so chaotic at times, your show is a welcome break that I always look forward to. I have great memories of watching the cubs at spring training growing up in Mesa, AZ. as a kid. So I'm a cubs fan.

  • Yankees since I would listen to the games in the mid 70's on a transistor radio under my pillow. Let's go for #28…

  • Good bounce back after a so-so week. I do love the brown bag, but I just wished they would have brought at least a little thunder, a rumbling if you will.

    Also, Colorado Rockies. Born and raised in CO, so I'm an avid Rockies/Broncos/Avalanche/Nuggets fan.

    PS, more hockey talk please.

  • Gary,
    I am a “new world,” as you would call it, Vayniac! Not only am I new to winelibrarytv.com but I am also new to wine asa Just discovered the show and I am absolutely loving it. It has really encouraged me to explore a lot of new things that I would not have tried before. Thank you, thank you, thank you for doing what you do! We should all be so lucky to do what we love, with so much enthusiasm and pride, and get paid for it. haha getting onto the question of the day… Though it may be hard for you to hear, I am a New York Yankees fan. And I can't think of a cooler season than last year's 2009 World Championship Year! Gotta love my boy Joe Giradi, calling out his shot… picking number 27 to acompany World Championship #27! Classic stuff. Once again, thanks so much… you rock and I look foreward to viewing many more episodes of “The Thunder Show!”

    Sincerely,
    Sean H.

  • SamKw

    I find it interesting that you go out looking for buttery, oaky chards but you're still sensitive to oak in red wines. Not that there's anything wrong with that, of course. It's your palate after all.

    QOTD: I don't have a team that I follow in US baseball, per se (whereas I'm passionate when it comes to the Korean league, where one of my uncles plays professionally). But I've been rooting for Chan-Ho Park since his Dodgers days. He's not what he was at his peak, but he's been an inspirational figure for me since my youth nonetheless.

  • Anonymous

    Mott wouldn’t like that. He’s a Giants fan.

  • castello

    You either love em or hate em. Hate button please.

  • castello

    I will read cork'd. Keep plugging it!

  • waynoooo daaaaa winoooo

    Yo G & Mott, FAAAAAAAAAANTAAAAAAAAAAAASTIC ENERGY / THUUUNDEEEEER / VINOS
    in daaaaaa HIIIIIIIIZZZZZZZYYYYYYYYY !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YOU was in PRIIIIIIIME
    FOOOOORM G !!!!!!!!!

  • JohnsGSD

    This is classic WLTV. Great wines? Check. 80s collectible toys? Check. Oak monster makes an appearance? Check. References to candy I ate as a kid? Check. Tasting note devolving into blind alleys about actresses from the 70s & 80s?!?! Check. Sports talk? Double check. Entertainment factor? Yeah baby! The only things missing are you freezing your nards off in the snow & your Dad giving you crap! Nice to see you back after last week dude!

    QOTD: I HATE MLB now. Yeah, I said it. America's past-time my ass. The strikes & the steroids lost me forever. Played since I was a kid through Varsity HS ball, pitcher & 3rd base. Dad is a huge Yankees (Mantle, Maris, etc.) fan. But if I do watch it, I always root for the small market teams – the Brewers and Royals especially. If I go to a game, it's purely for the company of having a dog & a brew with friends.

    – John D.

  • tooch

    PHILLIES
    PHILLIES
    PHILLIES
    PHILLIES
    PHILLIES
    PHILLIES
    PHILLIES
    PHILLIES
    PHILLIES
    PHILLIES
    PHILLIES
    PHILLIES

  • tooch

    FLYERS!
    FLYERS!
    FLYERS!
    FLYERS!
    FLYERS!
    FLYERS!
    FLYERS!
    FLYERS!
    FLYERS!
    FLYERS!

  • My favorite baseball team is the Mets. I have been absolutely sick to my stomach with the pathetic product they have been putting out on the field. I just want Jerry Manuel and Omar Minaya fired and rebuild this team from the ground up. I really like the fact that they called up Ike Davis as well. That's the first time in a while that something the Mets did got me excited! Hopefully he can be the Mets diamond in the ruff.

  • Cardiff_Kie

    Gary I always say “Look good feel good” doing it big with the button down on a Monday

    Killer energy today, absolutely love the Central Coast wine selection. Let me be the first to tell you NO CHANCE a “Paso” (no hand quotes) Chard is 12.9 at least 13.7 unless they picked before preseason football.

    Foxen rocks and the Foxen wine trail is even better. Justin has the ISO name and is now making wine for the shelves with the Oak Monster making an appearance they're saying cellar that I guess. Great Show CHEERS.

    Go Padres (1 of 3 teams that have not had a No-Hitter yet, including the Mets)

  • FullOnNelson

    QOTD: The San Diego Padres

    As for the chalk board on the wall, my guess is that your daughter Misha was born on 11/18. That makes her first birthday 11/18/10.

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