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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


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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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  • NY Pete

    hey hey

  • Gary V. Check your WineLibraryTV facebook page. To quote The Princess Bride.

    “Asssssss Youuuuuuuuu Wiiiiiiiiiish” *tumbles down hill*

  • Anonymous

    It?s the moments like this that make you remember.
    I don?t mind the oak and butter when it is done right and not fake or over the top.
    Sometimes I like to have a creamier wine with my food.

  • And how are we making our trout?

  • Nice catch gmann….didn’t see ya already had down the comments. Doh!

  • Anonymous

    just baking it w/ some butter herbs and spice. not too much, i like tasting the fish : ) i have a bottle of chard that i was thinking about opening b/c i just watched this, but decided to have a guiness instead haha

  • Yum. Save me a piece! Nothing wrong with having a Guinness. I am having a Honey Moon with my lobster ravioli. 😉

  • SniffySmith

    That initial reaction is begging for a t-shirt, priceless!

    QOTD: Typically, I’m not a fan of the butterball chards. I find most of them tend to be gloppy, fake, and heavy-handed. To me, its like over-oaking and extracting a wine, you’re just trying to cover up the quality of the fruit with a bunch of bells and whistles, all flash, no substance. Living in NorCal, I see it all too often.

  • NY Pete

    you roll too large for me GV … 🙂

  • Anonymous

    MMMMM, Gym Socks! Was it just used, sweaty Gym Socks or after use, left in the locker for a week Gym Socks? Good show Gary! I did catch the look the first go around, Classic! You said on the nose of the Louis Carillon that there was an oakiness to it. If it was stored in stainless steel, where did the oak come from? Do they infuse it? Thought for sure the fruit would be very prominent from being stored in stainless steel tanks?
    QOTD: I don’t mind the oaky or buttery taste on the palate, but not real heavy. Has to be on the lighter side. I prefer in my white wine with none at all, but will enjoy an oaky, buttery bottle from time to time.

  • jjt

    To avoid the risk of breaking your fans’ hearts, next time consider betting Mott’s career instead of your own LOL (just kidding)…or how about if you screw up K-Murph gets to do the show for a day (she could decide if you get to do a cameo…)

    QOTD: Basically with you on white burgundy vs. many of the oaky butterballs out of Cali, but sometimes it’s about the pairing – a hint of wood and cream can work with sharp cheeses, some fruits and game fish, for example…

  • Anonymous

    Heavy dollar wines to put to the test.

    qotd; Hold the butter.

  • Dave McNeilly

    I wonder if the huge butter component is as much from the 100% malolactic fermentation(combined with ripe fruit) than it is from the oak influence. I don’t think Kistler uses 100% new oak on this wine.

    Conversely, I bet the less ripe Chassagne saw some time in oak, but I’m unsure about malolactic %? Anyone know?

  • Anonymous

    QoTd I fI want buttered popcorn I go to the movies.
    It’s too bad that oaky buttery chards are so dominant in Cali, It causes many people out here to think that they don’t like chardonnay, when in fact they just haven’t tried it in a style more fitting to there palate

  • didovino

    Awsome Show !
    Action. Emotion. Mystery.Technical issue with the camera. Bet on WLTV….
    Just love the brown bag ! Still think the wines should be in the $30 instead of $50.
    Respect for Rosenthal portfolio as always.

  • Anonymous

    LOL — good double take. I guess my meals just don’t match the heavy-oak-butter style; haven’t had one in a while, but I never would search one out

  • Grill Factor

    QOTD: I’m totally onto unoaked chards in Australia, mate

  • Bret in Nevada

    My least favorite wines: oaked, buttery Chards.

  • Anonymous

    QOTD: If I were to buy a Chardonnay, which I’m not inclined to do, I would like this oakey butterball.

  • Mott was right, there was a hiccup at the end but not as “shocking” as this. 🙂

    http://twitpic.com/2xnl0d

    Trying to figure out how to send pics via Twitter but I think this should work.

    QOTD: Actually depends on my mood and what food I’m having though my favorites are Devil’s Lair (Oz) and Grgich Hills.

    Cheers!

  • QOTD: No doubt, I much prefer White Burgundy to new world oak/butter

  • Just Jack

    lol you bagged yourself a keeper with that one Dom. Nice catch.

  • A hair less!

  • My heart SUNK…

  • Dean

    Usually when I drink Chardonnay it is with dinner. I find the heavly oaky buttery Chard too over powering with food. If I could drink Chard at the movies (with a little popcorn) maybe I would pick the Kistler Chard.

  • Anonymous

    I’m not a big Chardonnay guy to start with, but I generally prefer the lightly oaked to unoaked lighter ones. Heck, my favorite white is German Riesling so that will tell you something.

    But I have a local wine friend who absolutely loves the thick, goopy, oaky, buttery Chardonnays. He makes no apology for it. I guess I have to respect him for that even though I don’t share his preference. Some quotes from him (not me): “If I’m going to drink Chardonnay, I want a big fat mouthful of flavor, what is the point otherwise?” (LOL). Another time he called these type of chards “A meal in a glass”.

  • QOTD – Not my style at all. Like the exact opposite of my style. Would much prefer a white burgundy

  • Chardonnay has just lost the power to blow me away. I had an entry level Leflaive awhile back I kind of liked, I love Jean-Paul Brun’s white Beaujolais, but I hate oak and butter bombs and I can’t see any reason why I would crack open a Chardonnay when there are so many other interesting whites out there.

  • Have you tried Devil’s Lair? Orgasm in a glass though I do remember some oak.

    http://www.southernwines.com/devils-lair-chardonnay-2007/wine-online.cfm

    Just wish WLTV carried it.

  • Just another note about Kistler. I had a couple bottles of some old stuff, 2000 maybe, and there wasn’t an ounce of oak in the bottle. It was DOA and I was floored. I assumed it would “age” much better but it did not. 🙁

    Note to self: Do not let chards sit around.

  • one more look http://goo.gl/zjvE

  • Jrouss

    I am not a chard fan, but of the ones I have liked they are very well balanced with the Oak and acidity. My favorite chardonnay so far is the Dutton Goldfield at about $23

  • Gregobianca

    oak and butter bombs don’t do it for me, give me crisp and fresh any day.

  • Mike Gallo

    QOTD: Don’t care for the butter & oak chard. at all. My least favorite style of wine. White Burg. is the way to go..also, more food friendly too.

  • Alexandre-CF

    HAEHAHAE, LOL, i almost had a heart attack with you. Priceless 😛
    that´s why i luv WLTV. heahe

    QOTD: oak definitely is´t my style. i prefer 1000 of times white burgundy.

  • Anonymous

    Too bad I saw your tweet before I watched the episode so I knew what was coming, or I probably would have peed my pants.
    QOTD: I can’t stand any oak in my whites, so I know I would love the Burg & hate the Cali wine, period.

  • WineWoman

    QOTD: I like the toast, butter, caramel, vanilla, components of chardonnay, but balanced and not over-blown. By a few percentage points, I prefer many of the French Chards to Cali, but not all.

  • Anonymous

    7:19 was a glitch in the matrix, right Mott?

  • http://craigswinejourney.files.wordpress.com/2010/10/garyvee-freaks-out.jpg

    There’s the moment in all it’s glory. Good episode Gary. Love the blind tastings.

  • QOTD – easiest one in quite a while – “no oak”

    …and you really scared me too watching it. I thought from your face you had called it wrong. Careful…

  • Senator

    Not a fan of the ML. Give me the natural fermentation every time.

  • Anonymous

    GARY!!!!

    Ive had that Kistler..liked it much!
    QOtD: I like it! (less Oak tho…)
    Priceless face Gary…I was scared FOR you!
    xoxoxo

  • Anonymous

    That is great!! I just tweeted out a screenshot from this ep….hilarious!

    http://gfreeshow.com/gary-v-almost-gave-up-the-game/

    Great episode, Gary!

  • middle2000lb
  • middle2000lb
  • CarolineJinPA

    qotd:
    california chards are over-oaked 90% of the time
    unoaked are boring
    preference: a subtle amount of French oak for body and complexity, but still allowing tropical fruit/minerality to come through. The Burgundy on this episode sounds precisely my style.

  • Anonymous

    QOTD: I love a buttery chardonnay with some toast, oak is nice but usually California goes a little over the top.

    Your mini freak-out Gary, gave my friend (looking over my shoulder) and I quite a chuckle.

  • Ellenkf

    Kistler is hardly an oak bomb – had that wine, it is elegant and balanced and delicious – one of my faves. Les Noisetier is a wine especially made for the restaurant market. Gary is in disagreement with many other prominent wine critics who can’t get enough of Kistler. I’m sure the Carillon was superb as well.

  • John__J

    Gary, I really like your guessing the origin before hand based on the color and I think you’re on to something. It would be really nice in the future when you do these blinds to step it up a notch for us. How about like you did, starting with color (when you can), but definitely with the nose-sniffy sniffin ALL the wines 1st and making assessments as to origin, quality, price, etc. BEFORE you taste. Then going thru and tasting all the wines to confirm initial evaluations or revising your thoughts? I think that would be a lot of fun to see and might spice things up a bit.Had a Beaujolais Blanc from Jean-Paul Brun a couple years ago that was SCREAMING butter popcorn, pretty cool.And Gary, you don’t need to keep betting WLTV on things, if you end up being wrong that’s not going to be good for ANYBODY.qotd: I don’t have any use for these butter bomb oak monster chard’s. I can’t understand why some winemaker’s set out to make chard’s that taste like a 2 by 4 slathered in butter. I know they were the rage in the U.S. a while back, but I’m noticing w my guests that that trend is starting to change. That style is also much harder to pair with food. So I do prefer more of the style that’s not so oak-smothered. I don’t mind oak when used judiciously, but I like by wine to taste like it was made from grapes, not a tree stump.Fun episode, that look of shock was classic.

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