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EP 954 Tasting of New California Arrivals

Gary Vaynerchuk tries 4 Californian reds that have just arrived at Wine Library and also received massive scores in the press. He tastes them to see if they live up to the hype.

Wines tasted in this episode:

2006 Luna Napa MerlotNapa Merlot
2007 Flora Springs TrilogyNapa Red Meritage
2008 Lewis Cellars Alec’s BlendNapa Rhone Blends
2008 Lewis Napa Cabernet SauvignonNapa Cabernet


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luca bercelli

90/100

line of the day – ‘Calibree; it means calibre and pedigree all in one.’

GV’s passion over the last one is so infectious – it really makes me want to taste the wine…if only!

Tags: cabernet, california, meritage, merlot, napa, red, review, Video, wine, wines

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  • Anonymous

    Work at an Italian restaurant so itals are what I drink on the regular (due to both preference and cost).
    Best Calis that I’ve tried lately, to give them props:
    07 Flora springs trilogy, Blackbird Arise (merlot/cab), Frank Family Reserve Cab & Zin and the Wall Vineyard Cab from Sbragia Family
    Good stuff! I can appreciate them even though I would drink a Barolo first 100% of the time 😛

  • Current wine moment was with an 04 Pax Obsidian from a mag. Served it for thanksgiving. Also had a great moment with the current wine maker there (its now called Donelan Family wines) Tyler. All the 08 Donelan wines were unreal!!!

  • Anonymous

    GV – GOING…GOING…BACK…BACK…TO…CALI…CALI!

    QOTD: I heart Ridge and all of it!

  • Anonymous

    More old school WLTV love… good stuff.

    QOTD – love the Cali Zin scene…

  • Anonymous

    Whitehall / Trefethen = Love the quality / value dynamics

  • Timinspokane

    Cool show! I love the Flora Springs wines….

    QOTD – my first huge addiction in California wines was the 2001 Belvedere Cabernet Sauvignon. I bought about 2 cases of that juice. Belvedere (now C. Donatiello) was a funky winery that made some pretty decent wines, but that cab was crazy good!

  • Anonymous

    For me, it’s pretty much always CA Cabs, Blends & Pinot Noir.
    A couple of years ago I went on Plumpjack bender.

  • Anonymous

    Totally addicted to of anything To-Kalon. In particular Hobbs, Realm, Tor and Schrader wines. Also the ’07 Buccella and Mica are amazing as is Continuum.

    Napa Cabs Rule. How can anyone be bored with Napa Cab? Taste the ’07 Spottswoode vs. the Lindstrom from Stags Leap AVA. 2 fabulous and totally different wines and then compare with Sherwin Family or Match from Spring Mountain. The AVA variety of the single vineyards cabs are so unique than I could never be bored.

  • Anonymous

    2006 Heitz Cellars Grignolino

  • QOTD. 90’s Dehlinger Pinots.

  • Anonymous

    big fan of the flora springs… their soliloquy SB is one of the best coming out of Cali… Trilogy is always good. A great meritage I recently tasted was Ferrari Carano Tresor

  • BuffaloLou

    QoTD: In the past, just about anything Phelps. These days, I’m buying a lot of Rosemblum as I love PS and Zin.

  • BuffaloLou

    QoTD: In the past it was anything Joseph Phelps. Lately it’s Rosenblum. Love their Petite Sirah and Zin, and they’re at great everyday juice prices.

  • Limerick Lane Zin. Could have lived on it late 90’s. Rafanelli’s Zin was also way up there. Oh and Field Stone petite Syrah mmm. But now much less about the big huge meal on it’s own reds and much more about wine that works with food well. Haven’t found a favorite like those were.

  • SQN Raven Grenache (2006) and 17th Nail in My Cranium are my favorites this year. Hard to find and very expensive but amazing wines.

  • Anonymous

    Great show, Gary! Funny you should bring up some points about California that I happen to share: A) Trilogy rocks! I’ve been a buyer since the 95 vintage which B) was awesome, as you pointed out. C) About the Bordeaux resemblence of Trilogy…I agree there is still a Bordeaux affinity in the wine but I find younger vintages (post 2000) to be more Paulliac-like whereas earlier ones used to be more like St. Emilions, with a dominant Merlot-component and I personally like that better.
    D) and QOTD: my palate is also gravitating back to California Cabs and I’m a huge fan of DR. Stephens Moose Valley Cab and Beringer Private Reserves.

  • Anonymous

    QOTD: My California wine of the moment is Starmont: 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 5% Syrah, 3% Petit Verdot. Just picked it up the other day and thought I’d give it a try and while it was a little bit oaky, I found myself enjoying what it was bringing to the table. Very nice wine.

  • Lando

    QOTD – Has to be anything from Aubert. I don’t get to drink it often but I relish the times I can drinki it!

  • Anonymous

    Hey Gary, love your show! A few months ago I did a GREAT weekend wine tour through Santa Barbara, hit all the “Sideways” movie spots! 🙂 Fell in love with a little boutique winery called Coquelicot (French for red poppy). Blackjack winery was another favorite, loved their Syrah & Chard. So much romance associated with California wineries…*sigh* 🙂

  • I love the shirt.

  • Steve Mulligan

    Gary – I totally agree with you (and rip you off) in my review of the 2008 Lewis Cab Cab.

    http://www.thefreewineblog.com/2011/09/this-is-why-i-got-married.html

    I’m sad I found this site after you started doing review…. The silver lining is I have a thousand of them to go through.

  • luca bercelli

    90/100

    line of the day – ‘Calibree; it means calibre and pedigree all in one.’

    GV’s passion over the last one is so infectious – it really makes me want to taste the wine…if only!

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