Great video. Chateau Branaire-Ducru is one of our favorites. From our experiences it’s consistently been a very elegant, earthy Bordeaux, not at all austere. We are currently cellaring many bottles of the 2014, 2016, 2017, and 2018. Recently we opened a 2017 as it’s supposedly the weakest vintage of the bunch and it was excellent! Exactly how I described above. I’m thinking another 3-5 years it will even be more complex. Yes, highly agree, it’s definitely a bargain.

@AttorneySomm

3 ай бұрын

Thanks very much! Completely agree with you. Very glad you enjoy it too! Nice that you don't have to wait 10 years on that one and the prices are hard to beat!

I love that you add history of the vineyards. Along with your wine reviews🍷

@AttorneySomm

3 ай бұрын

Thanks very much, Natasha! Very glad to hear that. For me, that is important to fully understand and appreciate the wine. Hope you enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Nice video! Guidalberto is my go-to since all the Bolgheri top wines have sky rocketed in price 👍🏻

@AttorneySomm

3 ай бұрын

Thank you! Glad you enjoy it too! 👍🍷

Thanks for the great video, added Branaire Ducru to the list and bumped up Rafael Palacios! Just tried Donjon a few weeks ago and really loved its depth of fruit, slight rustic style, and complexity. Huet and Kumeu are world class value indeed!

@AttorneySomm

3 ай бұрын

Thanks very much! Appreciate your input! Hope you enjoy these wines as much as I do!

Off topic, apologies. Today I finally goggled 'the school of Hard Knocks' you always mention. I finally get it! Here you go, you educated me on something else, besides wine 😁

@AttorneySomm

3 ай бұрын

Thank you, Laura! 🍷🍷

Awesome recommendations. I’ve that Huet (plus several others) in my cellar, a 2010. It’s drinking beautiful now but has lots more life in it. Thank you again!

@AttorneySomm

3 ай бұрын

Thank you! Glad you enjoyed the recommendations! Such a tremendous wine! Appreciate you weighing in. Cheers!

Another very useful video! Thanks for sharing.

@AttorneySomm

3 ай бұрын

My pleasure! Glad it was useful! Thank you kindly! Cheers!

Amazing video John thank you. Great selection of wines.

@AttorneySomm

3 ай бұрын

Very glad you enjoyed it! With spring/summer approaching, I included some more whites. Glad you enjoyed it. Thank you!

Had the 2003 Branaire, in november. must say is a damn good vine. prob 20 years since i had it last...

@AttorneySomm

3 ай бұрын

Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it! Definitely a tremendous value!

Another excellent video, keep them coming. Cheers 🍷

@AttorneySomm

3 ай бұрын

Thanks very much! Glad you enjoyed it. Cheers!

Always enjoy your videos. Very informative and helpful for those who are shopping for wines that over deliver on the quality to price ratio! You need to explore hybrid wines of the Midwest. I am aware of many throughout the Midwestern states that make very enjoyable wines for BBC early consumption that won’t break the bank. In Indiana especially, whites and roses are very popular……..be daring……and try them out if you’re in the area!

@AttorneySomm

3 ай бұрын

Thanks! Appreciate the suggestion. I have been trying some new things recently (e.g., Texas wine, Georgian wine, and have an Armenian wine on my desk) and will keep that in mind! Much of my travel for work is on the coasts, but hopefully I will be in the Midwest again before too long. Cheers!

Attorney Somm, one of my biggest ever AHA moments in wine was when I tried my first high extract, expensive Gruner from Wachau. I had almost written GruVe off because almost all of the sub $20 bottlings are so similar/slightly boring and ultra thin. A bit character-less. The higher end GruVe's can be mindbowing, however. Have you experience this progression with Gruner from Austria or seen others experience it?

@AttorneySomm

3 ай бұрын

Absolutely! I visited Wachau about 6-7 years ago. I expected to enjoy the Riesling the most, but was very impressed by the Gruner! Producers that I particularly enjoyed (and visited) include Knoll, Alzinger, Nikolaihof, and Jamek. The Gruner really pairs well with the local cuisine too. But yes, for the most part it is the higher end Smaragd offerings that were interesting.

Great advice again John! Will definitely look into some wines you suggested. Kumeu River is such a great producer. I can also recommend the Maté’s Vineyard. An absolute banger. For people with a bit less budget the Estate Chardonnay is also very good!

@AttorneySomm

3 ай бұрын

Thanks very much! Completely agree with you!

Thanks for your time and effort 🎉

@AttorneySomm

3 ай бұрын

My pleasure! Hope you enjoyed the selections!

@hxl6162

3 ай бұрын

@@AttorneySomm As usual very valuable info

@AttorneySomm

3 ай бұрын

@@hxl6162 Muito obrigado! Saude! 👍🍷

Another enjoyable and useful video, John. I still have three bottles of Branaire-Ducru, 2005 in my Climadiff. Hope it's not over the hill. Love Massolino. Its 2011 Barolo was my joint wine of 2023 (along with a 2015 Val di Suga Brunello di Montalcino). I have some 2022 Kumeu River, made under the Wine Society Exhibition label. I am trying to keep my hands off them for a year or two but I might succumb and open one this year. I drank one of my last 2012 Gevrey-Chambertins from Boillot (Nicolas Potel) last night - I think I have one left in the cellar - excellent. Tonight, a £10 2020 claret from the Wine Society - I don't usually drink claret that cheap but Tim Sykes, the buyer, persuaded me to give it a try. I bought three bottles and this is the first. Thanks, again.

@AttorneySomm

3 ай бұрын

Thank you, Steven. I think you should be fine on the 05 Branaire-Ducru. While it can be enjoyed younger, it is still definitely capable of aging as well. Glad to hear you enjoy Massolino as well! I came away from my visit very impressed 4-5 years ago. Hard to go wrong with Kumeu River! Such excellent wines at all price points! Hope you enjoy the claret tonight! I'll be having some white Rhone here. Patio weather in Dallas.

@stevenholt4936

3 ай бұрын

Lucky you. Still cool and showery here. I have always enjoyed Rhone viognier, especially Condrieu but I couldn't get on with Marsanne/Rousanne until I realised that they needed at least a year in bottle to get rid of that bitter finish I so dislike. Enjoy.

@AttorneySomm

3 ай бұрын

@@stevenholt4936 Thank you kindly! Cheers!

I really love your wine collecting 101 series, John. It is so helpful! And in this new video, you have presented a formidable selection of great cellar defenders that can be cellared for years as well. They do cost a lot more in my country - that is, if they are available at all - but I paid a fair price for a Massolino Barolo in a restaurant in Barolo. Château Branaire-Ducru would be around US$100 where I live but I can probably buy one in France, should I get a chance to return again. I appreciate the variety of wine regions represented in this selection as well as your insights on each of the wines. Definitely, it would be amazing to find most of them especially Le Vieux Donjon and Tenuta San Guido Guidalberto. Oh, I do have a wine from Clos du Marquis but I can’t remember what it is at the moment. Purchased it in France in 2019 so I think I should be drinking it sometime soon? Thanks again for putting together this well-researched list. Excellent presentation, as always. Cheers, John!

@AttorneySomm

3 ай бұрын

Thanks, Margaux! Much appreciated! Glad you enjoyed the selections (at least the red wines)! Hmm. The Clos du Marquis could be 2015 or 2016. If so, it could potentially be in its early window soon. It will certainly continue to gain complexity in the bottle, though. Hopefully you can do another shopping spree in Europe to take advantage of their better pricing! Cheers!

@margauxml

3 ай бұрын

@@AttorneySomm Oh, I also love the white wine options in this video! As you probably know, I’m a huge fan of Austrian wines and it’s a country that’s very dear to me. I also adore Vouvray, one of my top go-to whites. Actually did a quick online search just now, but couldn’t find Rudi Pichler Ried Kirchweg Smaragd Riesling, Domaine Huet Le Mont Moelleux, or Kumeu River Coddington Chardonnay. But I’ll definitely keep this list for reference! Thank you, once again, John, for this outstanding video. Thanks also for your thoughts regarding Clos du Marquis. You may be right about the vintage! And, of course, you’re always welcome!

@AttorneySomm

3 ай бұрын

@@margauxml thanks very much, Margaux! Hope you can try one or more of the whites too!

Lmaooo. The location change really threw me off 😂.nonetheless, amazing video.

@AttorneySomm

3 ай бұрын

Ha! Thanks! Was out all week, so had to record in the hotel. Glad you enjoyed it!

GrantAHall, why don’t you get your own channel and talk about the wines you like and leave John and his channel alone. I learned a great deal from the information and knowledge he provides.

@4:39 fascinating recommendation

@AttorneySomm

3 ай бұрын

Thanks very much! Cheers!

Spain is well known and respected for amazing reds but, honestly, those, salty, oceany, acidic whites is where its at for me. interesting recommendations!

@AttorneySomm

3 ай бұрын

Thank you! Yes, I'm a big fan of the whites from Galicia!

@GrantAHall

3 ай бұрын

Are you joking?!!!! They will change your understanding about the world of white wines! Go to more tastings, especially blind tastings, you will change your opinion.

@AttorneySomm

3 ай бұрын

@@GrantAHall I blind taste all the time.

@GrantAHall

3 ай бұрын

@@AttorneySomm I was agreeing with you....

@GrantAHall

3 ай бұрын

Also, just because you blind taste "all the time" doesn't mean a thing. How about reading, studying, questioning, and constantly learning and sharing those that know more than you? Or does that not exist in your world?

How would you say Le Serre Nuove dell'Ornellaia 2021 compares to Guidalberto? They are around the same price IM My market (Finland)

@AttorneySomm

3 ай бұрын

Tough choice! Hard to go wrong either way as they are both two of the best ever vintages for those wines. In terms of style, the Le Serre Nuove is 50% Merlot, 28% Cab S, 11% Cab F and 11% PV, but the oak was a bit more noticeable.

@joe-zp7ge

3 ай бұрын

interesting! i was going to ask the same question.i find this Bolgheri section of tuscany most interesting. im constantly looking for wines under 100 in this area that can stack up to sassacaia and ornellaia. The demand for these latter two wines in miami are off the charts and driving the prices upward.

@AttorneySomm

3 ай бұрын

@@joe-zp7ge Thank you! Yes both are excellent choices! Can’t go wrong with either or both.

Would you say there’s something that defines a 60$ wine? How would you know something tastes like 60$ versus 40$ or 20$?

@AttorneySomm

3 ай бұрын

Great question! Not necessarily. As just one example, prices are hard to compare due to varying taxation and price policies. I can buy the same Produttori Barbaresco that costs $45-50 in the US for $25 in Italy. There can be a correlation between price and quality, but there are definitely wines that cost $40 or 50 that are better than other wines I know that cost double that amount. But I will also say that in many instances, wines that cost about $20 are typically wines designed to consume on release whereas wines at $40 and especially $60 can be more serious wines that are capable of aging and improving in the bottle over time. That means that some may not show as well immediately, but should definitely be better over time. These videos about wines at certain price points are really just a way for me to organize my recommendations. Many viewers have budgetary preferences and don't want to spend more than a certain amount for particular wines. So I try to do these videos at a variety of price points.

@GrantAHall

3 ай бұрын

Try blind tasting. Its all about preference and therefore bias.

@AttorneySomm

3 ай бұрын

@@GrantAHall I blind taste all the time.

@AttorneySomm

3 ай бұрын

@@GrantAHall I’m an excellent blind taster and attend numerous trade events as media. You have no idea about my background. You assume you do but you’re wrong.

@GrantAHall

3 ай бұрын

@@AttorneySomm To call yourself an excellent blind taster means you haven't been challenged. I would gladly put a varietal in front of you that you've never tried. You are exactly what I preach and teach people I'm around not to be, which is cocky. Wine deserves humility and respect, not overconfidence.

Useless video. You tell us nothing about the wine or how it tastes, only the winery itself. Pointless.

@AttorneySomm

2 ай бұрын

Thanks for the input. I definitely explain descriptors and profiles for several of the wines such as the Godello, the Austrian Riesling, Huet and the NZ Chardonnay. Most of my viewers know what to expect from CdP and Bordeaux so I don’t include tasting notes for those absent something that is particularly distinctive.

@AttorneySomm

2 ай бұрын

I will also add that the background information regarding the winery tells a lot about the wine. For example, when I discuss the oak maturation program, whether they use new or old oak, French oak or American oak and the length of the maturation, those factors all have a direct and predictable impact on the taste of the wines. So too is a discussion of whether a producer is traditional or modern, etc. It is admittedly a more advanced discussion in many instances than what you may find elsewhere.

There are endless amounts of amazing wine that go for $60... I don't need to watch the video. I could also give you bottles not even named that are better. (Also that most have never heard of bc they sell locally not globally). With all do respect, lawyers are not sommeliers, they are able to buy wines, it is not their life. I will gladly argue my point. KZread needs to ends this nonsense! James Suckling, Robert Parker... how about the people in the industry that have actually dedicated their lives to wine?!!!!!

@AttorneySomm

3 ай бұрын

Thanks for weighing in. My viewers are worldwide so I pick wines everyone can buy. It would be pointless to recommend boutique wines few people can get. You don’t even watch my videos but criticize me. I have devoted a huge part of my life to this and enjoy sharing my knowledge for little financial gain. I have a DipWSET. That’s a serious credential. I obtained it so people in the business would realize I know my stuff. And I do.

@GrantAHall

3 ай бұрын

What a consumer can buy in Arizona, versus Austria is completed different. "worldwide" is opaque and ambiguous. Its based off of your local market.

@AttorneySomm

3 ай бұрын

@@GrantAHall In these videos I recommend wines that are readily available everywhere. I certainly know a lot of excellent local wines all around the world. But it doesn’t help if I recommend wines only a few people can locate so I don’t feature those here.

@GrantAHall

3 ай бұрын

@@AttorneySomm But why not? Push your viewers to try newer things, not what is within reach or accessible. Thats why us wine nerds exist, to push people to try new things and get wines that aren't easy to buy.

@GrantAHall

3 ай бұрын

Not expensive but hard to find/buy.