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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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  • Jamjojam

    ah ha

  • Jamjojam

    ah ha due

  • Anonymous

    You are not getting real old!! Cut that out! 😉

  • Looks great – will watch after work done.
    Are all 4 from Napa? Why not put Napa in ep title instead of California?

  • GV,
    Thank U for the Red Cali Wine Tasting episode.,,,makes me crave 1…

    QOTD
    Digging the 2006 Hall Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignons …….yumm

  • ALLAN

    Top 10, and I get a shout out….. AWESOME! THNX GV & MOTT!!!

  • Anonymous

    bueno bueno bueno, aqui estoy

  • Cdean801

    QOTD: I’ve been digging Krutz Family Cellars, amazing small producer. On the value side, check out Kunde “Magnolia Lane” Sauvignon Blanc or call there tasting room and order a 90 point chardonnay for $99 a case(707) 833-5501.

  • Herm

    Thanks Gary good show…very few wines that I’ve not liked from California

  • Zino

    Like the word calibree. QOTD: Not tasted that many Californian wines. They’re not so available in the UK, but I will try to seek more of them out and hopefully find some of great calibree. Have I spelt your new word correctly? my computer doesn’t think so.

  • JTR9179

    I remember being introduced to J Lohr Cab from his “Carol’s Vineyard.” Specifically the 2004 (I think)

  • ALLAN

    Ravenswood Old Wine Zin for a while… I like the simplistic fruitness-up-your-nose-run-of-the-mill-style… 🙂

    Great show by the wayyyyyy!

  • Adam C

    Hey Gary! drinking a 1998 Chablis right now. Tastes like licorice and honey, with some really funky mushrooms on the finish. I noticed that the cork was turning black in some spots. Not sure what I think of it yet. I dont drink a lot of high end cali cab, but used to like Newton.

  • Anonymous

    QOTD:
    Have been, and continue to be a huge Sojourn Cellars fan. I’m a mailing list member and they continually keep me satisfied with their pinots and cabs. Other than Sojourn, Flora Springs is excellent. I reviewed the 2006 Trilogy and Legacy at the Austin Cellar Classic on my wine and food blog. I have the single vineyard Flora Spring cabs in the cellar aging.

  • Anonymous

    Ditto on the Sojourn for me. Consistent quality producer.

  • Anonymous

    2006 Hall is very good. Got some in the cellar now. Don’t really think it lives up to the Parker score though.

  • QotD: Freestone 2007 Chard. Has a focused and elegant intensity rarely seen in Cali Chards. Just gorgeous

  • Alex_s

    QOTD: I always like the Larkmead cabs that I’ve had, and I like the 07 Girard Artistry.
    Part 2: 2002 to 2003 Frogs’ Leap and Silver Oak is when I first realized that wine is awesome. My manager would take us to Fleming’s steakhouse and we’d do flights of Napa cabs with steak. Nostalgia helps my recollection of those wines, but isn’t that what all wine should be judged on (who, when, where)?
    California Love? I think Tupac and Dre were on to something.

  • NY Pete

    hey hey

  • Anonymous

    The best cab I have had this year from Cali is the 2006 Chimney Rock Stag’s Leap District Cabernet. Incredible fruit, not goopy, and silky mouthfeel. Very impressed.

  • NY Pete

    what night are you taping wine and web or are you doing the show live? ha ha ha

  • ALLAN

    “Can’t get enough of sweet cocain
    get enough of Mary Jane……….”

  • SniffySmith

    Napa thunder on a Tuesday! Gotta love it. Some episode thoughts: Not a suprise you weren’t big on Luna. Having been there, I noticed a lot of thier reds go for the big oak. Some of thier red efforts are more polished and balanced, but you have to spend some coin to get there.

    Props to Flora Springs! I don’t think I’ve had a wine I didn’t like from them. Thier Chard is AWESOME.

    As far as Lewis goes, I haven’t had a chance to try thier wines, but it sounds like they make some serious juice. Out of my price range, but interesting nonetheless.

    QOTD: Right now, I’ve got a man-crush on Livermore wines. You GOTTA do a show on that reigon. Ruby Hills Reserve Chard ($20) beats the living crap out of cougar crack (AKA Rombauer). Stony Ridge Trifecta (Cab, Syrah, Petite Sryah blend) is also a wine you should try to find.

    QOTD – B – I was a Ledson crackhead for a long time. Barbera, red blends, zins, they were right in my wheelhouse. Plus, they might have the coolest looking winery I’ve ever seen.

  • Tremendous show. I enjoyed the late rally a-la-Jets–it was palpable.
    QOTD: Gloria Ferrer Blanc de Blanc NV sparkling wine. It makes me feel like a star and at$12-15 a bottle it is a steal.

    p.s. I got two bottles of Chartogne-Taillet NV (after the episode with the Sommelier), it will be an amazing Thanksgiving.

  • SniffySmith

    Ravenswood was my familys’ go-to wine for a loooong time. Makes me think of BBQ lamb and summers in Sonoma growing up.

  • Anonymous

    Awesome show Gary. I really like the American theme for this uniquely American holiday. QOTD: Trilogy holds a special place in my heart. I am so pumped that the 07 brings the thunder.

  • Teknojoe

    QOTD— As far as Cali…. I’ve been enjoying Anderson’s Conn Vally wines. Big, bold and age worthy. Happy Thanksgiving!

  • Anonymous

    QOTD — I rarely buy many of any one wine, so I can’t answer the question posed, but I did love the 91 Napa Cabs, esp from the Stag’s Leap area

  • SniffySmith

    I’ve got an ’04 that I’m laying down right now.

  • I have never heard of the Ledson winery though the property does look impressive. What is the deal with them (any current releases)?

  • John__J

    Great show, really nice to see a classic 4 wines no frills chewin the fat episode again.I agree with K Murph, I’m always looking for any varietal, region, wine style I’ve never had. I’m still searching for Uhudler, even though I doubt there’s a lot of quality to it. I actually dreamt last night I saw that a Schilcher was available thru a small distributor in the beverage journal, and was really excited to the rep to bring it in to taste, only to wake up and be disappointed it was a dream.Qotd: One of the 1st wines I ever really loved was Stag’s Leap Petite Syrah (they spell the petite sirah that way for some reason). Then last time I had it a year ago or so, I didn’t really get why I remembered liking it so much. Tastes and palates evolve and forever change I guess, which is exactly the way I like it.

  • Thanks for the Lion shout out. Hoping for the best Thursday. :)QOTD: Only thing I’m loving right now is green tea. Hoping to chase away the bubons by Thanksgiving.

  • Mestern

    My California wine of the moment is somewhat atypical because it’s a Tempranillo from Dare, an offshoot of Viader. Delicious. I think it beats their cab by a mile!

  • ALLAN

    Good for u, i like that thought! :O)

  • John__J

    Got to try an ’04 Larkmead last night, it was really hedonistic

  • John__J

    I had Ravenswood’s Dickerson Vineyard Zin a while back. I was quite pleased with it. I remember swirling it around an awful lot in the glass without realizing it and some real mint came out that wasn’t present in my co-drinker’s glasses.

  • JimChem

    Friday our wine group had Luna Sangiovese but it was beat out by 3 Washington Sangioveses.

    QOTD: In the late 80’s the Whitehall Lane Merlot.

  • ALLAN

    I feel like i, have known you, for a lifetime now…….

  • Paul C

    I don’t actually know anything about California wines – they more or less don’t exist in Europe. What we actually need is a book on California wines. Care to name one that might be detailed?

    Paul C

  • Fuzzball

    2006 Calafia – Napa Valley – fav at the moment. you asked!

  • SniffySmith

    Not sure about current releases. The best thing to do is go there and taste for yourself (if you can). It’s not nearly as stuffy as the website makes it look. The people at the wine bars are very friendly. They do have a deli/gift shop, which is a tourist trap, but you can open and drink thier wines on sight if you want. I recommend checking it out.

  • ALLAN

    I feel that there is alot of Vayniacs, that deserve a shout-out, more than me!!!: John Farrin, castello, John J, MelbaLI, NY Pete, waynoo da vinooo, lucyfuer, Gyfooma the dotcomgal, AndersN, Laurieinvt, Cellarrat5, mattgmann, alexandre fc.? move it on… Vayniacs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • Mike Kopanski

    Gary, on the Luna Merlot, I think you may have been picking up the nose of heavy toast oak. possibly more than the quantity. My experience has been that Merlot responds better than expected to heavier toast. Your comments on the flavor profiles, though accented by oak were still as not over the top as we thought when you discovered the oak monster on the sniffy sniff. The fact that this is an 06, on a new release, tells me they see bottle age as enhancement. My experience tells me that some medium to medium heavy toast Napa Merlot sitting in the cellar for 10 years, develop some very nice secondary and tertiary flavors that are enhanced by the oak. But still, they maybe overdid a little

  • Bearsfan

    Back in the day when I first became interested in wine the one Cal cab that I can say is still in my taste memory and I have never tasted an equal…1984 BR Cohn, Olive Hill Vyd. I think Helen Turley was winemaker at that time. I was experimenting with some less expensive Cal cabs and Bordeaux then. Tasting this really blew me away…I went out and bought as much as I could find I think I ended up with 7 or 8 bottles….it was awesome!

  • PurplejuiceBruce

    La Filice Petite Sirah Paso Robles XLNT!

  • ALLAN

    I wasn’t blown away either, I liked it! That’s it! Not the Dickerson though!! Just the Napa old vine. 07

  • Anonymous

    My favorite wine in California right now may be Williamson’s Malbec. It used to be Ridge Lytton Springs Syrah. I’m kind of spoiled for choice living in the Bay Area. Too many great wine growers/producers.

  • Oklahomamichael

    QOTD= I was crazy cracked out over anything from Rosenblum for quite a while in the late 90’s. I have had a dozen or so Lewis wines and have always been overwhelmed by the use of highly toasted new oak and was surprised by the 07 Alec’s last year because it was soooo good and not as oaked. I cant wait to give their cab another shot.

  • It sure is great to taste different kinds of wine but I think that it takes serious skills to be able to spot the distinction among all the wines that one has tasted. Cheers!

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