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He is also making his own wine (Konstantin tried in one of his video), so, it will be interesting to see if there are any new developments of his winemaking adventure
It is very nice that you chose a Spanish wine and that you rated it so highly. I think Spain now has very interesting high quality wines that sometimes are underrepresented when talking about world wines.
I'd agree but also that I've been lucky enough to be exposed to loads of great Spanish wines, apart from the obvious Vega, Pingus, Marques de Riscal GR, Torres Black and Castillo Ygay (R/W). There are many great Cava's as well, if one stays clear of basic Cava and goes for Corpinnat "rules" Cava - That is truely amazing, had Recaredo in all offerings and some vintages and it's just great apart from a single flat tasting bottle. Also Spanish wine can REALLY hold up with old Bx as well - Had a basic noname Rioja GR 1928 that was still drinkable (albeit not great or good, rated it 89) in 2017!
Werthers Echte is sold around the rest of the world (I can confirm UK, Canada, USA, and Australia) as Werther's Original. I had no idea that it originated from Germany.
Another exceptional video and you teach us so much, Konstantin. I love Rioja reds and whites and so glad to see you tasting and extolling the charms of Vina Tondonia. As you note, Lopez de Heredia wines are extraordinary for the price.
Thanks for another great video. Just this spring my Dad and I had dinner at Obauer in Werfen, and their new young sommelier absolutely killed it. Several times before the house pairings had focussed on Austrian wines, which was of course also very informative and beautiful. But this new kid brought out the sensuality of the food with incredible international pairings. There was a dry, but with Botrytis vinified Austrian Riesling from 2015 to a liver dish, a Furmint with a river fish with higher fat content in a slightly creamy sauce and a young Tuscan 100% Sangiovese with veal variations. Sommeliers like this talent make it a thrill relying on their knowledge.
I absolutely loved the 2018 Pettenthal. It has to be the best German wine I´ve ever tasted. Maybe Barbeito Bual 1982 and 1995 could laso be cult wines. Both were absolutely stunning!
Another great episode! Would be cool if you did an episode on unicorn champagnes. It's a region with a lot of unattainable expensive wines due to its branding, but it could be fun to focus more on smaller producers which are equally hard to find but with big personalities. Thinking about stuff like Cedric Bouchard's rosé, Michel Fallon' Ozanne, Jerome Prevost's Grand Cru, etc.
I do both! I listen to the sommelier what he has to say but, I'm incline to the palate when I open a bottle of a good Bordeaux, or a good Rioja, etc, etc. I have family that came from Bordeaux and they brought me a couple of good bottles. They are young wines so I'm storing them in my wine fridge at 12 degrees Celsius for a few years. Cheers!
This review has really made my Friday Wine 🍷 Night, thankyou KB! I'm enjoying Château Dalem 2020 from Fronsac this eve, a little early to open but lacking the huge tannic quality of 2017, fruit driven and fun .. I would like to try the Keller 😊
I LOOOVE the Tondonia Blanco. Nice little selection too. The Clos Rougeard is still the greatest Cabernet Franc I’ve ever drank. I had a bottle with a Slovenian producer you had on the channel recently “Edi Simčič). I remember him saying, “this is an example of a Big wine without being a BIG wine…”
Hi Konstantin, thanks as always for the vid. To respond to your question: I am always keen to follow a som's recommendation. But they can be split into two. The first recommendation is designed to maximize profit for the restaurant. The second is to maximize pleasure for the customer. They are not the same. I like to think that eventually, the second will satisfy the first. But the first will not satisfy the second. Soms pay attention to the customer's desires are preferable
Love the hidden gems. Mine are the limited bottles, high quality wines that some producers in my country (ZA) make. Most are not too expensive and so memorable that you will never forget them. Examples (amoung many) for me are the Inkara Shiraz from Bon Courage Estate, Robertson, the Shackleton Old Vine Chenin from Stettyn Wines, Villiersdorp and the Stamboom Pinot Noir/Cinsaut from Vlok Family Wines, Elim.
Nice to see a episode that would be also a business oriented one . Not only wine geeks like me , but industry workers would benefit with this presentation ! Cheers !
Good video, thanks! I tend to avoid the sommelier suggestions as they have so many people to service and the advice is their own preference in a knee-jerk way. "What are you ordering?" "OK, then X bottle". Before I developed my own knowledge and palate, I was more impressed by their advice. On occasion, the sommelier is helpful when he/she has a special bottle or by-the-glass selection which is a geheimtipp.
I love that you included the Loire cabernet franc, I have never tasted one. Here in Hungary they produce quite a lot of franc, especially in Villány, but there are some excellent examples also from the Balaton region.
Thank you for sharing this video. I fell in love with Lopez de Heredia wines after tasting their Bosconia Reserva red a while ago. They care less what people think and still do things the old fashion way. I am not sure how they keep their prices reasonable, given that most of their wines are aged 10 years or more before release! I love their white wines too, but some are slightly oxidized and some tasters think the wine is off, but it's not.
I'm a huge fan of the wines from Heredia, especially the whites. But they are becoming harder and harder to find in the market, including their "entry-level" Gravonia. 12-15 years ago, you could find'em almost anywhere online, even in the Spanish supermarkets, and the prices were much lower (unbelievable, right?). But things changed in the last 10 years or so. Also, I wholeheartedly recommend their Tondonia Gran Reserva Rose, if you are lucky to get a bottle. A wine sold for 10 Euros in the recent past, now became their most exclusive offering. But, in my humble opinion, it's the most original, unique and exciting rose wine in the world (also, released after 10 years of aging in the cellar).
Have not had the fortune of trying the Tondonia Rose yet. However, Clos du Temple (Gerard Bertrand) is another magical rose that I can wholeheartedly recommend, certainly the most exciting and unique I have tried thus far.
@@keizersneesar7352 , I have tried the 2000, the 1997 and the 1995 Tondonia rose so far. All amazing and very different in character. A few years back, I remember trying the 1997 and the 1995 side by side and I was blown away instantly. The 1995 resembled a mature Burgundy Pinot and the 1997 had very Champagne-like flavors. Outstanding experience for me, those roses had absolutely nothing to do with any rose I've ever tasted.
I was still able to find the Tondonia Gran Reserva red in Carrefour and Corte Inglès in May and June in Madrid for 40€, and the cubillo is not hard to find too. The white is more difficult outside of specialized shops though.
I actually am fortunate enough to be working in a wine store that sells the red Tondonia 2005, 2009 and 2010 vintages. So I can drink them often enough with an employee discount haha. The white though is indeed very difficult to get, our supplier is hoarding them and refusing to part...
You should mention that this Ganevat is a négoce wine. These labels are the negoce wines with grapes coming from Jura but not from his estate... There's a HUGE difference in quality.
Loved the video, as I guessed you also did making it! My experience with sommelier suggestions is on the opposite spectrum; I remember once we wanted to combine some Greek smoked cheese and cured meat with Dalamaras Kapnistos (which translates to Dalamaras Smoked), a unique blend of Malagouzia & Assyrtiko from Northern Greece that’s oxidised (hence the kapnistos), and the sommelier was actually quite hesitant to offer it to us, suggesting it’s a very ‘unique’ cult wine and we wouldn’t enjoy it as much. Needless to say we tried it, and were genuinely surprised at how wonderful it was (try it with pasta and Cretan apaki, an equivalent to smoked cured pancetta, you’ll remember me).
Agree completely about Tondonia which I’ve bought from Hedonism in Mayfair London (also owned by a Russian multimillionaire), Jura/ Savagnin and Loire/ Cab Franc. But I’d need a lot of convincing that there’s any value in taking AG1 as opposed to easy-to-obtain healthy food (fruit, tomatoes, nuts, avocado etc) and can easily go in your car or on a plane alongside your pain au chocolat. Almost certainly you’re not short of the stuff in the packet, spend the money on more wine!
I am a fan of your videos, and this one is among my favorites that you have posted. I love the honest reviews of wines I drool over, but rarely come across. Hope you are able to make more of the same! 🥂
Great discussion! Will try to find some of these. I’ve seen the Rioja, except it’s red…. So many “cults” to try. Just had Schrader red wine one of his Kolon Beckstoffers (sp?) wow! Thank you! Hope you can do reviews on Burgundy and more on Cali Cults. Thank you!!!
Nice vid Konstantine,FYI about Tondonia that i know pretty well,if you order directly to the cellar as a wine dealer,you have to buy 6 bottles of red Tondonia to get 1 bottle of white Tondonia,is really really limited,but is worth it cause red Tondonia is Great! Cheers!
The Werthers Echte note should be butterscotch on the tasting wheel. My sommeliers recommendation wine that I like a lot is the Cour-Cheverny Moelleux. 100% Romorantin.
I was lucky enough to taste in the cellar at Clos Rougeard. We tasted two vintages of the three reds and three vintages of the white. The white was absolutely world class. One of the best wines I've ever tasted. Very interesting how they make it too as some of the grapes have botrytis.
Clos Rougeard is a jewel in my opinion. I discovered it quite late but was lucky enough to enjoy Le Clos, Les Poyeux and the regular Saumur Champigny. I remember a 2005 which was a pure beauty. I would like very much yo try this Keller Riesling - German Rieslings are so exciting and quite underrated
Super interesting. I’m a Lambrusco fan. I’ve actually have some white Lambrusco that also has its second fermentation in bottle. I likewise love the tondia. Amazing wine. I’m going to keep my eyes open for the others. Thank you for another great video.
Interesting to see Savagnin featured. I just left the Jura yesterday and only had the opportunity to try the non-oxidative version once. While the oxidative wines fro. Stephane Tissot were unique and interesting. Domaine Ratte were kind enough to open their winery yesterday for a tasting of their low intervention Arbois wines, i can recommend trying them if you can get ahold of them.
The Ganevat wine belongs to their negoce wines (you can see at the the design of the label) and is not a domaine wine. I would always go for their domaine wine - more difficult to find and even more expensive but very elegant and worth the money.
I've had the Heredia before and didn't pay *nearly* that much for it. And, yes, I bought it from a trusted source. And I have to agree with you on the overall wine. It is luscious, has an amazing seductive mouth feel, and is, in a word, delicious. It's totally worth the price you pay for it; but I didn't pay hundreds of dollars for it.
"Today I get more enjoyment tasting under the radar grape varieties from unknown wine regions" - looking forward to a video or two (or even a whole series) on this topic!
Although I’ve enjoyed wine for quite a while now, only recently am I really diving deep into wine. Depending on the restaurant or wine list, I do ask the sommelier for advice. The few times I’ve done so they’ve been very helpful and making sure they know my palate and budget before recommending a wine. I’m sure after more of your videos I’ll be able to make these choices more on my own 😎
Love the channel! Curious what happens to all these wines you open after they are tasted? I suppose it’s possible you drink 5 bottles a day, but maybe not. What happens to all these great wines? Thank you.
I just bought a bottle of the 2017 Clos Rougeard “Le Bourg” for a special dinner coming up. The very last bottle in the shop, a donation from a client’s private cellar, no less! I really wonder why he “donated” it, but hey, more for me😂 Greatly looking forward to the experience😉
@KonstantinBaumMasterofWine Very nice and informative video, I tried the Blanco but i'm not sure if my palette is really developed enough to appreciate it. It definitely was "different" to any other whites i've ever had, but was also the first aged white I ever had. I would love to see you do a tasting of the whole line of reds from Lopez De Heredia, not many people seem to have compared the Vina Tondonia Reserva, Vina Bosconia Reserva, or Vina Cubillo together. Or especially the Rosado they make, which is quite hard to get in the US for anywhere near a reasonable price if you can find a bottle.
I always think of hazelnut in Tondonia’s Blanco & Gravonia white - a moreish nutty richness, not quite as rancio & almond-y as sherry … there are a lot of moving parts to grasp in describing those wines. Also in agreement the un-vogue status of Grange, the Bin A Series Chardonnay is the Penfolds Sommelier’s wine - loved when shown blind & scored exceptionally then resented when unmasked - palates don’t lie 🍾 😂
One suggestion for a future video - a blind tasting of low or no-alcohol wines vs their varietal pairs with alcohol in a similar price range. For example, a no alcohol Chardonnay vs a good “normal” Chardonnay in the same price category, perhaps for 3/4/5 different varietals. I would be extremely curious whether the alcohol free wines would be a real alternative for everyday drinking without alcohol, or when you have to drive.
Nice video like usual! I think that would be interest that you try some of the extreme wines from Argentina, for example Otronia Winery, the most austral proyect in the world in the 45º parallel (i recommend Otronia Block I Pinot Noir), and if we talk about extreme wines we need to talk about Colomé Winery, they have one of the most elevated vineyards in the world, Altura Máxima is about 3.111masl(10.207ft); also this wines can be catalog like "cult wines".
Great and super interesting episode!!! I think other wines that might be considered "SOMMELIER CULTS" are the wines from Pierre Yves Colin Morey and Caroline Morey.
Another cool video and an interesting collection of wines. I have heard of most of them, though the Clos Rougeard was new for me. When I am in a restaurant I usually listen to the sommelier's opinion, though I do second guess my choice at times. I was at a wineries' restaurant in Villany, Hungary on vacation and had the baked trout. The menus' suggestion was a Riesling, but server's suggestion was a Chardonnay Battonage, it was an amazing wine. But would the Riesling have gone better with the trout, hmmm? I totally agree with you that the excitement in wine is finding under the radar and underrated wines before they are discovered by the famous critics/magazines. I have been drinking Hungarian wine now for more than 10 years now and started with the famous and big wineries. But now with them receiving high scores from Decanter, Suckling and Parker, prices creeping up and availability going down, I am starting to discover small family and boutique wines/wineries. So far the results are pretty great. Also always on the lookout for emerging regions from the "traditional" countries e.g. France, Italy, Spain, Germany, Australia, etc.
Great vid.! I believe however that Ganevat is from its micro negoce and not his Domaine. Its quite tricky. I’ve had his domaine vin jaune for ex and it was out of this world..
As a sommelier, it is interesting when it comes to my own palate. I love some of the cult champagnes (Selosse, Prevost, Marguet Sapience, etc), the Lopez de Heredia Gravonia blanco (the Tondonia is a bit too lean for me), and Clos Rougeard Le Bourg (with age [2009, 2010, 2011]) is just heavenly! Many somms like very natural wines like Ochota Barrels in Australia and some wines that look like cloudy orange juice. That's not for me, since I personally prefer Old World classic styles. To each their own!
Cool tasting! I’ve lusted over the Heredia whites for a while now, after having tasted a couple of their reds. Your description of the Clos Rougeard reminded me of carménère, our flagship variety, which is extremely popular as a pairing wine precisely because of the same attributes (bell pepper aromas and flavors mixed with black fruits, high acidity and gentle tannins). Well, when it’s made properly at least 😬 You should give it a try if you can!
Funny it’s just been said because I feel the same about Leon! I can see him driving around Europe in a Mercedes SUV, picking unusual wines for Baum. Man of mystery…
great video, Ive tried Lopez, Keller, and clos Rougeard's wine, and while theyre great, I do have to agree that theyre just wines. The wine store I work at gets an allocation of GG keller and one guy hacked into our store's website to buy us out of it the moment it arrived! We could barely sell the stuff before Keller blew up. Oh well..
Thanks for this video some discoveries for me on this one! The Ganevat wine is an entry level wine and first of all a Negociant cuvée I would love to see you taste some of his higher end. The best one being Les Vignes De Mon Père which is very hard to find at a reasonable price but worth it! It’s a masterpiece! I would love to see more Jura so many exciting new wine makers that are just top notch for a fraction of the price that is Ganevat Labet Overnoy Houillon or other Jura speculative super stars.
It depends on the restaurant. Here in the USA I will rely my skill set to pick a wine. But in Europe I let the waiter guide me. They will usually bring me a small tasting glass of anything Btg, and I can pick from there.
I appreciate the advice of a good sommelier; and could go for his recommendation to try it with my own palate..... Always after hoping to find rayas or DRC at allocation price on the carte des vins. Only to be quickly disappointed....
Hey Konstantin, your video is my Sunday pleasure!!! CLOS ROUGEARD isnt anymore a family owned property, bought in 2017 by Bouygues (french big corp), you drank i think the last real foucault made millesime. 😊 If you have any recommendation on cab franc from loire i'll take it. Clos rougeard Les Poyeux is for now the best i've tasted so far. Cheers
@@KonstantinBaumMasterofWine hey so glad you reached out. As you can guess influence by the price like Kering with Clos de Tart and LVMH with.. The rest 😅 Cheers and continue comme ca mon ami, j'adore tes videos ! A quand une video sur les grands du Languedoc? Daumas gassac. Grange des peres. Etc etc
@carbamyl Les Poyeux from the Foucault is also the best i've tasted. Now that it have been sold, it have lost a lot of it's interest... Chek out for Domaine du Collier (Antoine Foucault, son of Charly) and La Porte St-Jean (Sylvain Dittière, son in law of Charly.
Dur a trouver le domaine du collier. Charpentrie me fait de l'oeil depuis un moment. Merci pour les recommandations. clos nouveau de Bel-Air qui vaut le detour.
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Love this channel! And I'm so glad I caught a video after it just posted, too! I tend to go with my gut--or palate, in this case--when it comes to wine. That said, I'll very occasionally go with a sommelier's recommendation if the wine is something that's in or near the wheelhouse of what I already like (semi-dry reds and sweeter whites), or if it's a style that I've never tried before. Also: a good video would be wines from North Carolina (particularly the scuppernong wines from Duplin winery--to me they taste like spiked Kool-Aid, but I'd like to get your take on it). I'd love to see you try something from the States that isn't from the Western US or New York.
thank you for the video Konstantin, really interesting wines. The Lambrusco metodo classico is very surprising! Pity that the Keller wine is way above my budget, I am moving to the Rheinhessen next year. It would be great to have some more suggestions for Riesling outside the Rheigau and Mosel/Nahe
Grasparossa is not even a true Lambrusco - genetic studies show that it's a cousin at best, closer to Ancellotta. To me, Grasparossa is an unruly, overly tannic mess used by Emilians with an inferiority complex trying to disprove the stereotype of sweet, watery Lambrusco. It is the most unrepresentative and divergent example of the Emilian wine culture. Konstantin, do yourself a favor and have a Sorbara!
Hi Konstantin, First of all thank you for a great channel. Really like what you are doing. I have a question about Vina Tondonia. I learned about this cult wine about 10 years ago and managed to get some bottles. I have a 2000 bianco reserva and 2 bottles of 2007 reserva. What kind of food pairing suggestions do you have and for how long can I save them before they turn bad? Drinking window? I have them in a wine cooler . Best regards
When I was a bit younger, and a little more arrogant, I never wanted wine recommendations. I thought I always knew best. Now, even though my wine knowledge is much greater than it used to be, I always like to chat with somms about their favourites. Best way to find hidden gems that may have stayed off my radar. Question for you, Mr. Baum; what ae your thoughts on the Antonio Scala Ciro Rosso Superiore? Recently brought in a case to the shop I work at, after not having it for years, and it's as delicious, and insanely good value, as I remember. Curious if you agree.
One more cult wine producer : Tyrrell’s, but more specifically their “sacred sight” Shiraz range. Tiny quantities produced as they are from individual blocks on the Tyrrell’s estate. They come in at low 13% usually, and they are very fine, elegant and exceptionally well balanced. They are only available directly from the producer on allocation.
Great video again Kondtantin just one question why do you taste the wines straight after opening them? In my experience cab frsnc needs a lot of time decanted before it opens completely and the experience is very different. Also for the keller.
Yes, I sometimes give the wines some time before tasting them but it is just difficult logistically to prepare multiple wines with different requirements before a video. That’s why I do it the way they do it at most professional tastings
Hey Konstantin, Thanks so much for your videos ! Wondering, what do you do with all those opened bottles? Organize massive diners with other sommeliers straight after? If there's a guestlist somewhere 😅🤣🤣🤣🤣
Hi Konstantin, have you ever tried Txakoli? I just picked up a bottle not knowing what it is, but I see it’s a white from the Basque region that seems interesting - would love to see a video on this style!
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Man, I really hope Leon is a paid intern. I believe his wine hunting skills over the last few videos have have earned him a promotion.
He is also making his own wine (Konstantin tried in one of his video), so, it will be interesting to see if there are any new developments of his winemaking adventure
I had white Rioja from that producer several times, evidently I really like, it’s a bit sherryesk.
He has been promoted from intern to employee
Not bad even if it is an unpaid job, the value of the wine he drinks but didn't pay for probably exceeds many people's pay
I was thinking, "Lucky Leon. What a fun and interesting job."
It is very nice that you chose a Spanish wine and that you rated it so highly. I think Spain now has very interesting high quality wines that sometimes are underrepresented when talking about world wines.
Definitely! I love Spanish wines, they have so much variety on offer, at excellent prices and often with playful or unique twists.
I'd agree but also that I've been lucky enough to be exposed to loads of great Spanish wines, apart from the obvious Vega, Pingus, Marques de Riscal GR, Torres Black and Castillo Ygay (R/W). There are many great Cava's as well, if one stays clear of basic Cava and goes for Corpinnat "rules" Cava - That is truely amazing, had Recaredo in all offerings and some vintages and it's just great apart from a single flat tasting bottle.
Also Spanish wine can REALLY hold up with old Bx as well - Had a basic noname Rioja GR 1928 that was still drinkable (albeit not great or good, rated it 89) in 2017!
Werthers Echte is sold around the rest of the world (I can confirm UK, Canada, USA, and Australia) as Werther's Original.
I had no idea that it originated from Germany.
I love everything from Lopez - the way they age their wines always ensures an interesting tasting.
Another exceptional video and you teach us so much, Konstantin. I love Rioja reds and whites and so glad to see you tasting and extolling the charms of Vina Tondonia. As you note, Lopez de Heredia wines are extraordinary for the price.
Thanks for another great video. Just this spring my Dad and I had dinner at Obauer in Werfen, and their new young sommelier absolutely killed it. Several times before the house pairings had focussed on Austrian wines, which was of course also very informative and beautiful. But this new kid brought out the sensuality of the food with incredible international pairings.
There was a dry, but with Botrytis vinified Austrian Riesling from 2015 to a liver dish, a Furmint with a river fish with higher fat content in a slightly creamy sauce and a young Tuscan 100% Sangiovese with veal variations. Sommeliers like this talent make it a thrill relying on their knowledge.
A Furmint? Amazing. Courageous. Even Vega Sicilia recognize the varietals potential in Hungary.
Hope that was by the glass!!
The sommelier’s name is Maximilian Zankl.
I absolutely loved the 2018 Pettenthal. It has to be the best German wine I´ve ever tasted. Maybe Barbeito Bual 1982 and 1995 could laso be cult wines. Both were absolutely stunning!
I saw the lineup and got super excited. I think that officially makes me a wine snob. Great work- keep it up! Love the content!
Lovely episode!! I hope they were enjoyed after and didn’t shut down!!
How can it be, better videos each time!! The best wine channel in the world right now!
Thank you 🙏
Another great episode! Would be cool if you did an episode on unicorn champagnes. It's a region with a lot of unattainable expensive wines due to its branding, but it could be fun to focus more on smaller producers which are equally hard to find but with big personalities. Thinking about stuff like Cedric Bouchard's rosé, Michel Fallon' Ozanne, Jerome Prevost's Grand Cru, etc.
🦄 🥂 🎥
I do both! I listen to the sommelier what he has to say but, I'm incline to the palate when I open a bottle of a good Bordeaux, or a good Rioja, etc, etc. I have family that came from Bordeaux and they brought me a couple of good bottles. They are young wines so I'm storing them in my wine fridge at 12 degrees Celsius for a few years. Cheers!
Love the idea of going after the uncommon varieties or locations to find new experiences.
Thank you Konstantin! Hope to see you one day! Cheers!
We have the Rioja red and for its type it does amazingly well. I showed an elderly Spanish gal our riojas and she made a beeline right to it.
More of these sommelier wines please! Thx a lot for all this info!
In less ripe years, Ontario CabFrancs can be very vegetal/green peppery. Many seem to dislike this, but I love it. Perfect for vegetarian dishes :-)
This review has really made my Friday Wine 🍷 Night, thankyou KB! I'm enjoying Château Dalem 2020 from Fronsac this eve, a little early to open but lacking the huge tannic quality of 2017, fruit driven and fun .. I would like to try the Keller 😊
When I think of cult wines Dalla Valle, GAJA, Silver Oak, Opus One and Screaming Eagle come to mind. All but maybe the Silver Oak are out of my range.
I LOOOVE the Tondonia Blanco. Nice little selection too. The Clos Rougeard is still the greatest Cabernet Franc I’ve ever drank. I had a bottle with a Slovenian producer you had on the channel recently “Edi Simčič). I remember him saying, “this is an example of a Big wine without being a BIG wine…”
Hi Konstantin, thanks as always for the vid. To respond to your question: I am always keen to follow a som's recommendation. But they can be split into two. The first recommendation is designed to maximize profit for the restaurant. The second is to maximize pleasure for the customer. They are not the same. I like to think that eventually, the second will satisfy the first. But the first will not satisfy the second. Soms pay attention to the customer's desires are preferable
Love the hidden gems. Mine are the limited bottles, high quality wines that some producers in my country (ZA) make. Most are not too expensive and so memorable that you will never forget them. Examples (amoung many) for me are the Inkara Shiraz from Bon Courage Estate, Robertson, the Shackleton Old Vine Chenin from Stettyn Wines, Villiersdorp and the Stamboom Pinot Noir/Cinsaut from Vlok Family Wines, Elim.
Appreciate this topic, thank you, Konstantin!
❤👏🫶
If anyone has never had Lopez Heredia, they need to try immediately. Really beautiful wines at all price points and always ready to drink.
Nice to see a episode that would be also a business oriented one . Not only wine geeks like me , but industry workers would benefit with this presentation ! Cheers !
I was working with Tondonia wines, I've tasted some truly exceptional ones from Heredia!
Good video, thanks!
I tend to avoid the sommelier suggestions as they have so many people to service and the advice is their own preference in a knee-jerk way. "What are you ordering?" "OK, then X bottle".
Before I developed my own knowledge and palate, I was more impressed by their advice. On occasion, the sommelier is helpful when he/she has a special bottle or by-the-glass selection which is a geheimtipp.
Of these, the Keller Riesling really appeals to me. Sounds really delicious, right up my street. Nice one Konstantin!
I love that you included the Loire cabernet franc, I have never tasted one. Here in Hungary they produce quite a lot of franc, especially in Villány, but there are some excellent examples also from the Balaton region.
Thank you for sharing this video. I fell in love with Lopez de Heredia wines after tasting their Bosconia Reserva red a while ago. They care less what people think and still do things the old fashion way. I am not sure how they keep their prices reasonable, given that most of their wines are aged 10 years or more before release! I love their white wines too, but some are slightly oxidized and some tasters think the wine is off, but it's not.
With Sommeliers Michelins I learn a lot , because in this restaurants I will find diferentes and unics wines
I once had the 1981 Heredia Blanc and it straight up tasted like lemon grass and beeswax. I will never forget that flavor.
Great description!
ASMR moment at 4:09 👏well done with the sound deisgn apart from anything else! High quality stuff!
Pettenthal is just out of this world fantastic and definitely more than 96 points.
I'm a huge fan of the wines from Heredia, especially the whites. But they are becoming harder and harder to find in the market, including their "entry-level" Gravonia. 12-15 years ago, you could find'em almost anywhere online, even in the Spanish supermarkets, and the prices were much lower (unbelievable, right?). But things changed in the last 10 years or so. Also, I wholeheartedly recommend their Tondonia Gran Reserva Rose, if you are lucky to get a bottle. A wine sold for 10 Euros in the recent past, now became their most exclusive offering. But, in my humble opinion, it's the most original, unique and exciting rose wine in the world (also, released after 10 years of aging in the cellar).
Have not had the fortune of trying the Tondonia Rose yet. However, Clos du Temple (Gerard Bertrand) is another magical rose that I can wholeheartedly recommend, certainly the most exciting and unique I have tried thus far.
@@keizersneesar7352 , I have tried the 2000, the 1997 and the 1995 Tondonia rose so far. All amazing and very different in character. A few years back, I remember trying the 1997 and the 1995 side by side and I was blown away instantly. The 1995 resembled a mature Burgundy Pinot and the 1997 had very Champagne-like flavors. Outstanding experience for me, those roses had absolutely nothing to do with any rose I've ever tasted.
I was still able to find the Tondonia Gran Reserva red in Carrefour and Corte Inglès in May and June in Madrid for 40€, and the cubillo is not hard to find too. The white is more difficult outside of specialized shops though.
I actually am fortunate enough to be working in a wine store that sells the red Tondonia 2005, 2009 and 2010 vintages. So I can drink them often enough with an employee discount haha. The white though is indeed very difficult to get, our supplier is hoarding them and refusing to part...
I’ve only ever had the Bosconia Reserva 2009 and the Tondonia Reserva 2008 but I adore both. Hopefully I get to try the white one day!
You should mention that this Ganevat is a négoce wine. These labels are the negoce wines with grapes coming from Jura but not from his estate... There's a HUGE difference in quality.
100 %
Loved the video, as I guessed you also did making it! My experience with sommelier suggestions is on the opposite spectrum; I remember once we wanted to combine some Greek smoked cheese and cured meat with Dalamaras Kapnistos (which translates to Dalamaras Smoked), a unique blend of Malagouzia & Assyrtiko from Northern Greece that’s oxidised (hence the kapnistos), and the sommelier was actually quite hesitant to offer it to us, suggesting it’s a very ‘unique’ cult wine and we wouldn’t enjoy it as much. Needless to say we tried it, and were genuinely surprised at how wonderful it was (try it with pasta and Cretan apaki, an equivalent to smoked cured pancetta, you’ll remember me).
I can't think of any other channel so fun, informative and funky 🙌 keep, keep it on 👏🤩
Agree completely about Tondonia which I’ve bought from Hedonism in Mayfair London (also owned by a Russian multimillionaire), Jura/ Savagnin and Loire/ Cab Franc. But I’d need a lot of convincing that there’s any value in taking AG1 as opposed to easy-to-obtain healthy food (fruit, tomatoes, nuts, avocado etc) and can easily go in your car or on a plane alongside your pain au chocolat. Almost certainly you’re not short of the stuff in the packet, spend the money on more wine!
I am a fan of your videos, and this one is among my favorites that you have posted. I love the honest reviews of wines I drool over, but rarely come across. Hope you are able to make more of the same! 🥂
Great discussion! Will try to find some of these. I’ve seen the Rioja, except it’s red…. So many “cults” to try. Just had Schrader red wine one of his Kolon Beckstoffers (sp?) wow! Thank you! Hope you can do reviews on Burgundy and more on Cali Cults. Thank you!!!
Nice vid Konstantine,FYI about Tondonia that i know pretty well,if you order directly to the cellar as a wine dealer,you have to buy 6 bottles of red Tondonia to get 1 bottle of white Tondonia,is really really limited,but is worth it cause red Tondonia is Great! Cheers!
The Werthers Echte note should be butterscotch on the tasting wheel. My sommeliers recommendation wine that I like a lot is the Cour-Cheverny Moelleux. 100% Romorantin.
I was lucky enough to taste in the cellar at Clos Rougeard. We tasted two vintages of the three reds and three vintages of the white. The white was absolutely world class. One of the best wines I've ever tasted. Very interesting how they make it too as some of the grapes have botrytis.
Rougeard is something❤
im going to tours in a few weeks, is it easy to visit?
Clos Rougeard is a jewel in my opinion. I discovered it quite late but was lucky enough to enjoy Le Clos, Les Poyeux and the regular Saumur Champigny. I remember a 2005 which was a pure beauty. I would like very much yo try this Keller Riesling - German Rieslings are so exciting and quite underrated
Super interesting. I’m a Lambrusco fan. I’ve actually have some white Lambrusco that also has its second fermentation in bottle. I likewise love the tondia. Amazing wine. I’m going to keep my eyes open for the others. Thank you for another great video.
Definitely love the explanation of the wine 🍷
Really enjoy your videos! Would love to see a tasting of the cult Tertre Roteboeuf
If the wine is in my wheel house but I haven't tried it before and the sommelier recommends it, heck yes I'm going with it.
Interesting to see Savagnin featured. I just left the Jura yesterday and only had the opportunity to try the non-oxidative version once. While the oxidative wines fro. Stephane Tissot were unique and interesting. Domaine Ratte were kind enough to open their winery yesterday for a tasting of their low intervention Arbois wines, i can recommend trying them if you can get ahold of them.
I tasted Tissot in my Jura Video and some other interesting wines.
The candy you are thinking of is Werthers Originals! They are popular among older people in the US. It is so fun to hear the German name hahaha
Did you know that it is a German brand?
Intriguing and educational, thank you! The Fontana dei Boschi is not listed in the description?
The Ganevat wine belongs to their negoce wines (you can see at the the design of the label) and is not a domaine wine. I would always go for their domaine wine - more difficult to find and even more expensive but very elegant and worth the money.
I've had the Heredia before and didn't pay *nearly* that much for it. And, yes, I bought it from a trusted source. And I have to agree with you on the overall wine. It is luscious, has an amazing seductive mouth feel, and is, in a word, delicious. It's totally worth the price you pay for it; but I didn't pay hundreds of dollars for it.
"Today I get more enjoyment tasting under the radar grape varieties from unknown wine regions" - looking forward to a video or two (or even a whole series) on this topic!
I have done a lot of videos on lesser known region, wine styles etc. have a look in the library.
Although I’ve enjoyed wine for quite a while now, only recently am I really diving deep into wine. Depending on the restaurant or wine list, I do ask the sommelier for advice. The few times I’ve done so they’ve been very helpful and making sure they know my palate and budget before recommending a wine. I’m sure after more of your videos I’ll be able to make these choices more on my own 😎
Love the channel! Curious what happens to all these wines you open after they are tasted? I suppose it’s possible you drink 5 bottles a day, but maybe not. What happens to all these great wines? Thank you.
Good question! Usually I share, drink and dump the wines.
I know he has a coravin.... I really don't understand why he doesn't use it for these tastings
Blessings KB, from Hawkes Bay nz wine country .
Q for u Kon Bau, is
OUR hero red grape?
Syrah or Bordeaux blend?
You mean my favorite grape? I don’t have one … it all depends on style, occasion and mood
I just bought a bottle of the 2017 Clos Rougeard “Le Bourg” for a special dinner coming up. The very last bottle in the shop, a donation from a client’s private cellar, no less! I really wonder why he “donated” it, but hey, more for me😂 Greatly looking forward to the experience😉
@KonstantinBaumMasterofWine Very nice and informative video, I tried the Blanco but i'm not sure if my palette is really developed enough to appreciate it. It definitely was "different" to any other whites i've ever had, but was also the first aged white I ever had. I would love to see you do a tasting of the whole line of reds from Lopez De Heredia, not many people seem to have compared the Vina Tondonia Reserva, Vina Bosconia Reserva, or Vina Cubillo together. Or especially the Rosado they make, which is quite hard to get in the US for anywhere near a reasonable price if you can find a bottle.
I always think of hazelnut in Tondonia’s Blanco & Gravonia white - a moreish nutty richness, not quite as rancio & almond-y as sherry … there are a lot of moving parts to grasp in describing those wines.
Also in agreement the un-vogue status of Grange, the Bin A Series Chardonnay is the Penfolds Sommelier’s wine - loved when shown blind & scored exceptionally then resented when unmasked - palates don’t lie 🍾 😂
One suggestion for a future video - a blind tasting of low or no-alcohol wines vs their varietal pairs with alcohol in a similar price range. For example, a no alcohol Chardonnay vs a good “normal” Chardonnay in the same price category, perhaps for 3/4/5 different varietals. I would be extremely curious whether the alcohol free wines would be a real alternative for everyday drinking without alcohol, or when you have to drive.
Dont forget that these wines also gain their reputation as they are mentioned in certification syllabuses.
Good question of the day. I honestly look for more affordable wines. 15-50 Euro. So far I am really enjoying this price category 😅
Nice video like usual! I think that would be interest that you try some of the extreme wines from Argentina, for example Otronia Winery, the most austral proyect in the world in the 45º parallel (i recommend Otronia Block I Pinot Noir), and if we talk about extreme wines we need to talk about Colomé Winery, they have one of the most elevated vineyards in the world, Altura Máxima is about 3.111masl(10.207ft); also this wines can be catalog like "cult wines".
Great and super interesting episode!!!
I think other wines that might be considered "SOMMELIER CULTS" are the wines from Pierre Yves Colin Morey and Caroline Morey.
Another cool video and an interesting collection of wines. I have heard of most of them, though the Clos Rougeard was new for me. When I am in a restaurant I usually listen to the sommelier's opinion, though I do second guess my choice at times. I was at a wineries' restaurant in Villany, Hungary on vacation and had the baked trout. The menus' suggestion was a Riesling, but server's suggestion was a Chardonnay Battonage, it was an amazing wine. But would the Riesling have gone better with the trout, hmmm?
I totally agree with you that the excitement in wine is finding under the radar and underrated wines before they are discovered by the famous critics/magazines. I have been drinking Hungarian wine now for more than 10 years now and started with the famous and big wineries. But now with them receiving high scores from Decanter, Suckling and Parker, prices creeping up and availability going down, I am starting to discover small family and boutique wines/wineries. So far the results are pretty great. Also always on the lookout for emerging regions from the "traditional" countries e.g. France, Italy, Spain, Germany, Australia, etc.
Great vid.!
I believe however that Ganevat is from its micro negoce and not his Domaine. Its quite tricky.
I’ve had his domaine vin jaune for ex and it was out of this world..
As a sommelier, it is interesting when it comes to my own palate. I love some of the cult champagnes (Selosse, Prevost, Marguet Sapience, etc), the Lopez de Heredia Gravonia blanco (the Tondonia is a bit too lean for me), and Clos Rougeard Le Bourg (with age [2009, 2010, 2011]) is just heavenly! Many somms like very natural wines like Ochota Barrels in Australia and some wines that look like cloudy orange juice. That's not for me, since I personally prefer Old World classic styles. To each their own!
Cool tasting! I’ve lusted over the Heredia whites for a while now, after having tasted a couple of their reds. Your description of the Clos Rougeard reminded me of carménère, our flagship variety, which is extremely popular as a pairing wine precisely because of the same attributes (bell pepper aromas and flavors mixed with black fruits, high acidity and gentle tannins). Well, when it’s made properly at least 😬 You should give it a try if you can!
Funny it’s just been said because I feel the same about Leon! I can see him driving around Europe in a Mercedes SUV, picking unusual wines for Baum. Man of mystery…
great video, Ive tried Lopez, Keller, and clos Rougeard's wine, and while theyre great, I do have to agree that theyre just wines. The wine store I work at gets an allocation of GG keller and one guy hacked into our store's website to buy us out of it the moment it arrived! We could barely sell the stuff before Keller blew up. Oh well..
It would be fun if you tried some Moschofilero! Troupis Winery makes excellent and really affordable wines. Their wild fermented rosé is amazing
Thanks for this video some discoveries for me on this one! The Ganevat wine is an entry level wine and first of all a Negociant cuvée I would love to see you taste some of his higher end. The best one being Les Vignes De Mon Père which is very hard to find at a reasonable price but worth it! It’s a masterpiece! I would love to see more Jura so many exciting new wine makers that are just top notch for a fraction of the price that is Ganevat Labet Overnoy Houillon or other Jura speculative super stars.
It depends on the restaurant. Here in the USA I will rely my skill set to pick a wine. But in Europe I let the waiter guide me. They will usually bring me a small tasting glass of anything Btg, and I can pick from there.
Great video👍 what would be the perfect food pairing with Tondonia?
Gabriel glas...yay 🥂👍
Love you man!
I usually shorten a list and then if I need to zero in on the right wine, then I consult the sommelier. To get their advice on the final selection.
I appreciate the advice of a good sommelier; and could go for his recommendation to try it with my own palate..... Always after hoping to find rayas or DRC at allocation price on the carte des vins. Only to be quickly disappointed....
Hey Konstantin, your video is my Sunday pleasure!!! CLOS ROUGEARD isnt anymore a family owned property, bought in 2017 by Bouygues (french big corp), you drank i think the last real foucault made millesime. 😊
If you have any recommendation on cab franc from loire i'll take it. Clos rougeard Les Poyeux is for now the best i've tasted so far. Cheers
Yeah- I missed that. It will be interesting to see how this will influence the wine
@@KonstantinBaumMasterofWine hey so glad you reached out. As you can guess influence by the price like Kering with Clos de Tart and LVMH with.. The rest 😅
Cheers and continue comme ca mon ami, j'adore tes videos ! A quand une video sur les grands du Languedoc? Daumas gassac. Grange des peres. Etc etc
@carbamyl Les Poyeux from the Foucault is also the best i've tasted. Now that it have been sold, it have lost a lot of it's interest... Chek out for Domaine du Collier (Antoine Foucault, son of Charly) and La Porte St-Jean (Sylvain Dittière, son in law of Charly.
Dur a trouver le domaine du collier. Charpentrie me fait de l'oeil depuis un moment. Merci pour les recommandations. clos nouveau de Bel-Air qui vaut le detour.
I was hoping for Screaming Eagle 😂😂😂😂😂
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Love this channel! And I'm so glad I caught a video after it just posted, too!
I tend to go with my gut--or palate, in this case--when it comes to wine. That said, I'll very occasionally go with a sommelier's recommendation if the wine is something that's in or near the wheelhouse of what I already like (semi-dry reds and sweeter whites), or if it's a style that I've never tried before.
Also: a good video would be wines from North Carolina (particularly the scuppernong wines from Duplin winery--to me they taste like spiked Kool-Aid, but I'd like to get your take on it). I'd love to see you try something from the States that isn't from the Western US or New York.
Thank you 🙏 turn on the alarm bell if you want to be notified of a new video
thank you for the video Konstantin, really interesting wines. The Lambrusco metodo classico is very surprising! Pity that the Keller wine is way above my budget, I am moving to the Rheinhessen next year. It would be great to have some more suggestions for Riesling outside the Rheigau and Mosel/Nahe
Grasparossa is the most tannic of all the Lambrusco varietals and really stands out from all the others
Grasparossa is not even a true Lambrusco - genetic studies show that it's a cousin at best, closer to Ancellotta. To me, Grasparossa is an unruly, overly tannic mess used by Emilians with an inferiority complex trying to disprove the stereotype of sweet, watery Lambrusco. It is the most unrepresentative and divergent example of the Emilian wine culture. Konstantin, do yourself a favor and have a Sorbara!
Hi Konstantin,
First of all thank you for a great channel. Really like what you are doing.
I have a question about Vina Tondonia. I learned about this cult wine about 10 years ago and managed to get some bottles. I have a 2000 bianco reserva and 2 bottles of 2007 reserva. What kind of food pairing suggestions do you have and for how long can I save them before they turn bad? Drinking window?
I have them in a wine cooler .
Best regards
This guy is good
Been trying to find Clos Rougeard, never mind buy it, for ages. Still haven’t tasted it.
When I was a bit younger, and a little more arrogant, I never wanted wine recommendations. I thought I always knew best. Now, even though my wine knowledge is much greater than it used to be, I always like to chat with somms about their favourites. Best way to find hidden gems that may have stayed off my radar.
Question for you, Mr. Baum; what ae your thoughts on the Antonio Scala Ciro Rosso Superiore? Recently brought in a case to the shop I work at, after not having it for years, and it's as delicious, and insanely good value, as I remember. Curious if you agree.
One more cult wine producer : Tyrrell’s, but more specifically their “sacred sight” Shiraz range. Tiny quantities produced as they are from individual blocks on the Tyrrell’s estate. They come in at low 13% usually, and they are very fine, elegant and exceptionally well balanced. They are only available directly from the producer on allocation.
Screaming Eagle is still that winery in the U.S. Not only "hard to get," but also super expensive.
Thank you Konstantin - do you ever recommend "hyper-aerating" wine?
AG1 lets goooooo!
Great video again Kondtantin just one question why do you taste the wines straight after opening them? In my experience cab frsnc needs a lot of time decanted before it opens completely and the experience is very different. Also for the keller.
Yes, I sometimes give the wines some time before tasting them but it is just difficult logistically to prepare multiple wines with different requirements before a video. That’s why I do it the way they do it at most professional tastings
Thanks for the answer
Hey Konstantin,
Thanks so much for your videos !
Wondering, what do you do with all those opened bottles? Organize massive diners with other sommeliers straight after?
If there's a guestlist somewhere 😅🤣🤣🤣🤣
many Somms are so full of themselves they just want to be seen as cool and inclusive in their Somm club.
Should definitely try Savagnin / Païen from Histoire D’Enfer 2020
Hi Konstantin, have you ever tried Txakoli? I just picked up a bottle not knowing what it is, but I see it’s a white from the Basque region that seems interesting - would love to see a video on this style!
Yes! It can be delicious