An Unlikely Surprise from California

originally posted by MLipton:
originally posted by Steve Edmunds:
I am very suspicious!Back in 1972, when i first got into the business, I noticed all sorts of otherwise-respectable wine folk lauding Gallo's Hearty Burgundy, and so I tried it. I could not bring myself to swallow it, it was so disgusting! Still the raves continued. So I tried it again, trying to figure out if there was something wrong with me. Same result. Mind you, I had purchased said "wine" in the 1/2 gallon size (each time), and poured out every drop of it. After three times I said to myself, enough is ENUF! I feel like Charlie Brown being invited to kick the football Lucy's holding at the point. Fuck it, I ain't bitin!
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You must be one of those folks with a pronounced sensitivity to Thompson Seedless, Steve. As I'm still reading Christy Campbell's "Phylloxera" I can't help recalling the reactions of several French tasters to various wines made from American grapes (V. labrusca and V. riparia, mostly).

Hey, but you had the exact same reaction to that Biale Zin I brought to Rahsaan's farewell jeebus! Admit it: you just don't like Zin, Steve (insert a whole raft of those smilie winkie things)

Mark Lipton
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Actually, I have had numerous conversations about this "wine" over the years with people who suggested that Gallo showed various wine writers a (winky-winky) "special" edition of the GHB! Does this ring any bells, boys and girls? What I smelled, and put in mouth, only to expel in the most projectile manner I could muster was just really wacked-out shit! Yuck...
But...speaking of Zinfandel, and great old vine stuff that used to go into that product (attention Mr. Bree!) all the Brandlin fruit, for years, was under contract to the Co-op, and destined for that product. Naturally they were selling grapes out the back door when they could.
 
According to this article from 2006, when the wine was first re-released, the varietal composition is zinfandel, syrah, sangiovese, pinot noir, grenache and cabernet sauvignon. So Sharon, your syrah speculation hits pretty close to home!

Although our bottle had a fake cork, not a crown cap.
 
originally posted by Jay Miller:
Damn. You never open the good stuff when I'm around.
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I'll be sure to bring some the next time I see you.

By the way, that article comments favorably on the wine's balance as well; maybe Kane was on to something after all.
 
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