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EP 932 California vs. French Chardonnay Tasting

Gary Vaynerchuk tastes two Chardonnays head to head, including a California Chardonnay and a White Burgundy.

Wines tasted in this episode:

2008 Kistler Les Noisetier ChardonnaySonoma Chardonnay
2008 Louis Carillon Chassagne MontrachetChassagne Montrachet


Latest Comment:

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luca bercelli

91/100

That was funny. Staking his whole career on getting these two wines correct, that’s our GV. Never in doubt

Tags: california, chardonnay, Chassagne Montrachet, France, review, Video, wine, wines

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  • Anonymous

    Excellent show, love the brown bags.

  • Wow, I thought you blew the prediction as well with the reaction:

    http://twitpic.com/2xlugc

  • QOTD: I’m not a huge fan of them but every once in a while, I like to pop one. I’ll usually keep one or two around the house just in case.

  • QOTD: There was a glitch in the matix… the over butter chardonnay has it’s place but it has been years since I have enjoyed one. The palette evolves and changes.

  • i wouldnt pay 50 for either of those wines

  • Anonymous

    Love da whites!!!!!!!!

  • Allan

    Let’s rock this joint. TOP 10! 😛

  • Gary,
    I would disagree that all Sonoma-Cutrer Chards are butter bombs. I reviewed their Les Pierres a while ago and although it’s got oak, it’s not an oaky butterbomb. Check it out: http://norcalwingman.com/2010/06/03/2000-sonoma-cutrer-les-pierres-chardonnay/

    Later
    Brian
    norcalwingman
    PS, Tweeted you a great shocker pic of yourself from #932

  • You still as crazy about the Louis Carillon at $50?

    QOTD: They have their place, you mentioned Ramey as a producer of that style that I love. But most of their wines come from Carneros which I hold a special place in my heart for Carneros Chardonnay. Over all I find I get more enjoyment out of the oakless, or subtle oak Chardonnay little to no malo where the citrus and apple shines through. I think the subtle notes are usually drowned out by the oak, and it takes a special winemaker to use a lot of oak in Chardonnay and bring it back from the brink.

  • Dan beat me to it. Here is mine…

    http://twitpic.com/2xlyrp

    Great show.

  • This should be good

  • passion4wine

    I saw ur face, cus I thought the same for a sec. , you should not bet your career anyway..I hate it when you go that far!
    I rarely drink Chard, but have enjoyed a Far Niente Chard from time to time.. they are good as an appetizer sometimes

  • Ah people beat me already haha. Here is mine http://twitpic.com/2xm0fi Priceless

  • Allan

    Did you call the Kistler No Stress? 😛
    Hillarious show. A little too easy to guess which was which.
    Didn’t really catch the Qotd because of a camera glitch.

    But here goes…. Qotd: I love both styles on location & occasion.

    That facial expression freaked me the f*** out… Peace!

  • Never do it again !!!

    http://twitpic.com/2xm1x4

  • Anonymous

    your not giving up after 1000 are you G?

  • Allan

    Great pic! 😛

    One of the funnier moments

  • Allan

    GV is lijit!

  • Anonymous

    [IMG]http://i921.photobucket.com/albums/ad52/mattgmann2/gary/gary_o_face.jpg[/IMG]

  • mary

    The first one smelled too smoky? How can that be? (said because I grew up in the South eating BBQ and am now addicted to everything smoky; cheese, pig meat, wine, etc.) Both of those sound great. I enjoyed the use of the wine term “gym socks.”

  • Anonymous

    qotd:….once in a blue moon I’m down with an oaky butter bomb. I actually dig a lot of unoaked chards. There are some tasty inexpensive ones. Charles Smith has a pretty good one. You should get that dude back on the show.

  • QOTD meltdown. I live for the QOTD. I saw the face–felt the panic.

    Maybe QOTD: would put myself in the less oaky camp for Chardonnay. I want to try the Kistler because you mentioned it earlier, in regards to mouth feel. However, am interested in secondary flavors and subtleties in wine. Those subtleties/complexities make the wine more exciting most of the time.

  • gabriel palley

    qotd: i really can’t be down with oak-furnace powered butter-balms. i would agree that oak-bombs have their place…when you have poor grapes to work with or when the winemaker f***s up. in terms of drinking…no, these wines have no place. -g

  • Why not for the Burg?

  • QOTD;Comfort food, buttered popcorn, oak monster these are not my cup of tea.

  • I love that guys wines… I did not think I would, but I had a lot of success with pairing the Chateau Smith Cab with some foods and they were great removed from food. Lower ABV too–nice wine. I am going to try his Chardonnay thanks to you. Have you tried any of his upper tier wines?

  • Had me laughing Gary… that was awesome.

  • Anonymous

    I’ve had a few of his K syrahs and have enjoyed them all. I can’t keep track of which is which though…..there are a lot

    I just got a bottle of his “Old Bones” Syrah 07 that my wine guy sold me. Apparently 99pts robert parker. I will report after consumption, but I’m holding onto it for a special occasion.

  • Jessmichaelboersma

    @GV: Like the semi-blind comparison concept. Looking forward to more.
    QOTD: Yes, butter balls have their place. For me, that’s 5-10% of white wine I drink. Otherwise I want minerals and acid!

  • Jessmichaelboersma

    I would look for reasonable village or even 1er cru Chablis for $20-35

  • Mattgmann good capture!

    QOTD: I like butter popcorn with a little bit of garlic salt on top. Not in a wine! but popcorn wise 🙂

  • like fourth time that creeps up on the show. 1000 is magic, yes, but to quit then?

  • Gary, great show, especially the ohpoop moment 🙂

    QoTD: Not a fan of Chards…

  • @QOTD
    I do not like this masked buttery style at all.

  • TimCtheFilmGuy

    QUTD – I really dislike anything with more than the barest hint of oak. So I never want a buttery oak bomb. Ever.

  • Decent show, like the bags.

    QOTD: I hate the big buttered popcorn chards, that’s why I thought I hated chards all together. Really enjoy chablis and oregon chards that are on the lighter side like Brickhouse and Cameron.

  • Jaybird76

    Here is that freeze frame http://tinyurl.com/qn8bby

  • Jag

    Butter, popcorn and oak are for the movies, not my wine. I am not a chardonnay fan in general, although I do like many of the classic chablis. I’ll give you that a little oak may help a white, and a chardonnay specifically… but it’s better when it is deep in the background.

    Clearly, I’m not a mainstream CaliChard drinker. Not even close.

  • ED R

    Do not care for the buttery oak thing at all. Was wondering do you still recommend the Montrachet at $50?
    Thanks
    PS just watched an episode from January and couldn’t stop laughing at your comment how the wine tasted like mint chocolate chip cookies minus the mint chocolate cookies.

  • I really thought you where wrong, looked like you were almost getting a heartattack

    QOTD: oak is fine but not to oaky on the finish. Not too buttery for me, keep it clean baby.

  • Anonymous

    QOTD: Like Sesame Street taught us The Oak Monster is sometimes food, (and not food friendly) shouldn’t overdo it as many producers do.

  • K2G

    Sorry to show no love but you get no props for the guess based on color, I think it was fairly easy to anyone who’s drank enough Chardonnay and White Burg.

    QOTD: I’m actually a fan of the Far Niente and Kistlers of the world, but I also like the White Burgs, so not sure what that says about me. But I definitely wouldn’t diss the Cali buttery Chards, I enjoy them quite often.

  • Anonymous

    Qotd.. I hate to say I hate the butter all together (time and a place for almost anything) but generally, not a fan of the butter…lest it’s on my popcorn or baked potato.
    P.S. how do I get me one of those shirts? my son would love it because right now…everything is “lijit” with him 🙂

  • Eirikpm

    Still love the brown bags!

    QOTD: Don`t like the oaky buttery california chardonnays. White burgundys is actually the only chardonnays I drink these days!

  • Anonymous

    🙂 for one second we could see the panic of a career slipping away. Priceless.

    QOTD: You know, having lived my whole wine drinking life in California, I’m not really sure that I can tell when a wine is over-oaked or not. If you grow up tasting a certain style you get used to those wines. So, the only solution seems to be this. You need to make a house call Gary where we will taste 5 or six wines to compare tolerences for oak. I’m free through next Tuesday if that works for you 😉

  • Anonymous

    QOTD: Not really knowing when I’m going to run into buttery, oaky, goopy chardonnay (unless the label says un-oaked) keeps me from buying it. Pazzz.
    Nice recovery after the California reveal.

  • Anonymous

    You just scared the shit out of me!

  • Anonymous

    Hey Gary, Not to bust your bubble, but myself and probably all the Vaniacs instantly could tell the origin of those chards based on color. And we looking at it on a screen. QOTD: Burgundy

  • rwino

    This one was a no brainer, knew from the start you would pick the french wine whe I saw it was against a Kistler. Other than a few dishes, big oak and butter chards are not on my drinking list. Had an older vintage of Gustavo Thrace chard the other night, it would have stood up well to that Montrachet, same style.

  • Anonymous

    did anyones jump at the QOTD?

    since i dont know what it was…i made a quiche today, and now i am about to eat a trout that I just caught. whats up!!?!?!?!?!

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