Yeah, he's maybe the best spokespearson for wine out there. Knowledge and presentation is incredibly professional, but you feel like you're hanging out at a local bar with the bartender casually explaining the menu. Compare his style to cigar people on CZcams. Now THAT is pretentious, and the industry strategy for cigars is seemingly to sell it as an elite, status-symbol. I just got into cigars, but I hate that there's nobody like Mack to be chill and knowledgeable.
I have no idea what you're talking about, but here's a bunny with a pancake on its head. I use that meme all the time and have never seen it in the "wild". Amazing! Cheers!
I've really enjoyed these videos hosted by André Hueston Mack and I did not know until this video that he was the sommelier at Per Se. My best wine pairing experience ever was at Per Se. My wife and I usually do the wine pairings at restaurants because we feel it presents a fuller picture of the dining experience. I don't know if Mr. Mack was there at the time, but I still remember how perfect each choice had been. Fingers crossed he was the sommelier... That decanting technique is next level. I have the same decanter, but never used light to see the sediment in the bottle. Total game changer for me. I wish this had been a blind taste test to see if he felt it was worth $1,500. As someone who is a professional and deeply in the art world, and an amateur wine appreciater(sp?), I've always assumed there was some bullshittery going on with wine prices. I'd be interested to see if Mr. Mack thought the wine was worth $1,500 if he didn't have the entire backstory.
Love your videos and look forward every time to the new ones. Your videos have helped inspire my love for wines and your style and demeanor make the videos awesome. Love how you keep it real. Thanks again.
I'm a working somm at a place that sells wines at this price with weird regularity. At the end of the day wine is just an expensive hobby like collecting watches or guns or whatever niche is cool for you; pick the one you like. The best wine is the wine you like the most, and the rest is all details and stories. Timex and Rolex both tell the time; If you think the Rolex is cool and don't mind the price, buy that one. Like what you like, and don't let anyone who does my job ever dissuade you or tell you your preferences are bad. Somms who talk down to people about their likes and dislikes are fake somms, and they should find something else to do for a living.
“1550$, if you had a roommate this would be like, your portion of rent” my brother in christ that is my ENTIRE rent, 1550 for a portion sounds like pure blasphemy for where i live
Always loved the label of Harlan Estate, Bond, and Promontory (the other two estates owned by the Harlan family). So cool that the label art was made by an artist who created the U.S. currency art
Great review. I just had the 2012 Harlan Estate at a steak dinner. Andre's comments are spot on. "Refined, balanced, real wine." It's excellent but I think it is relatively overpriced compared to BOND (sister company).
Very interesting to watch and I always appreciate what Andre has to say. Its too bad that most of us will never get to experience this type of wine. I wonder why Harlan doesn't tell you what grapes are in a $1500 bottle of wine... Great content.
There will always be a niche in every industry for people who strive to make the absolute best product they can. Likewise, there will always be a segment of consumers who appreciate that attention to detail, and THEY are the market that ultimately decides what this wine will cost. Personally, I'm glad there are folks willing to put up this kind of money so true artisans can pursue perfection.
That's how I feel when I watch videos about master Japanese artisans. On the one hand, they make products that I would never buy and, indeed, would probably never appreciate. I'm not the sort of person who really notices (or cares about) the difference between a $100 "great" product and a $500 "exceptional" product. But there are people who absolutely notice and appreciate that difference, and I'm glad there are people who can provide it for them.
You guys are so naive... Anywhere in europe the exact same values of handmade, true wines are available everywhere for a couple euros. True exceptional ones are in the 100-200€ but thats it. You dont need to pay 1500€ for a wine, and american wineries and distributor are making a fortune thanks to minds like yours. If you dont believe me, go to any small family winery in Spain or Europe, we have thousands.
@@JabadSBS If there are thousands of wineries like that, then the cost MUST be lower for them to remain competitive in the market. That's a real shame for the wineries, because they should be making far more for a product that is so time intensive to create.
There are dedicated winemakers whose families have been making excellent artisanal wine for centuries for much less money. California wine is very expensive due to real estate/land value and resources needed to produce. It's also partially catering to prestige at that price point.
FWIW 2017 was a very challenging vintage in Napa and especially in Oakville due to a stretch of 13 days where temps exceeded 100 degree highs every day in late August, then the fires that started on October 11th which forced an already rushed vintage to end. Harlan was very likely done picking before any threat of smoke, but the excessive heat of August alone puts 2017 as one of the weakest vintages in the last decade for Napa along with 2020 and likely 2023.
I am only a wine enthusiast and the most I ever paid for a bottle of wine is ~200 USD - (i know in the US you have crazy prices on wine but in Europe, 200 is a whole lot) and I would never buy a 1500 bottle purely to enjoy its taste but more for an experience, tasting something rare for instance. I love any video which has André in it :)
Thank you for giving us an insight into such a high-level Wine. Question is are you able to buy a $200 bottle that comes close enough to the $1500 bottle.
I live close to Napa and there’s a local family run winery that I drink a lot of their wines, and after the 2020 fires, some of their grapes were affected. They made a 2020 Tempranillo that I tried at their winery and I kid you not, it was smokey! So I bought a bottle to show my parents whose ranch was affected by the same fire. The odd thing was, the glass at the winery was SMOKEY but the bottle less so. It still had hints, but not the same. So I wonder if the bottle at the winery had grapes close to the fire while the other bottle was a little more protected. Either way it was fun and interesting!
Before watching I’m definitely interested in hearing about the profile of this wine. I passed on picking it up for my restaurant because I wasn’t sure how it would compare to the first growths we carry (for half the price) or even Screaming Eagle. Excited to see what the vineyard that claims themself as the “first growth of California” can produce!
I'd like to see an after-video to know what they did with the rest of the wine. Paired with food? Just passed it around for others to taste? It'd be interesting to know.
Make opening them with people who will enjoy them the special occasion, otherwise they'll get overshadowed if you can't sit there and talk about what makes them great amongst yourselves.
@@wineharvestinternso true! Special occasions are overrated anyway. Invite friends and fellow wine enthusiasts, tell them to bring some more bottles that are special to them and just make it a special occasion that way 😁
I think it would be interesting to have a real wino as a tester. Someone who normally drinks the very cheapest wine daily; set up 3 wines, one under $10, one for $100ish and one for $500ish. Now THAT would be a taste test. What a party! 😉
Great review Andre! My question: With so many inexpensive wines using coloring and flavoring, are there expensive wines doing the same, or do expensive wines rely totally on the grapes for quality taste?
Having a wine that's purely the grapes would make it natural wine (this definition not entirely clear but kinda means nothing other than grapes, organic, no added yeasts/sugar and no added sulfites). I think across the world you'll find many expensive wines where the makers will have added other stuff to it but I think you could say that most that make expensive wines actually care for the wine and want to keep the taste as "pure" as possible. That being said, it's common for winemakers to use all kinds of additives to wine (and this doesn't have to make the wine bad) like yeasts, sulfur, sugar (not only for taste but also alcohol %) and tannins (by adding grape skins or aging in wood).
@@rendy5092 Don't forget grape concentrate. In 2011 even the best Napa/Sonoma wines had concentrate added to them-- it was a very, very bad (green) year.
Generally not. There are some "manipulated" wines at nearly all price points but you get less and less as you go up. It would be pure scandal for any $100+ bottle to have coloring or flavoring added.
Here in Spain any bottle of wine made with self-grown grapes is in the range of 5-25€... I dont know how corporations convinced americans that a grape grown in the winery is a premium... The things you explained in this video that makes this absurdly expensive wine is the everyday winery working method back here in Spain. Search for the word "recolector" in the label and there you have it. In france it even says in the capsule "recoltant" when the winery also grows its own grapes... For 6€
It’s the same here, you can easily get bottles of estate grown wine at 9-13 dollars. It’s just not going to be guaranteed solid. The average American tends to refuse to buy anything above 30 USD. This is only pandering to rich ppl. Also Iberian wines are even the cheapest here too you’re lucky!
Josephinen Hütte No. 2 Universal. They’re individually hand-blown crystal and $90 per glass. Probably the nicest glasses on the market. I own a set and they’re unbelievably thin and elegant. My favorite splurge purchase ever
That's Josephine no. 3 ($100/per glass)but the cheaper option is the Cabernet/Merlot Riedel ($50/per glass). The Riedel same shape but larger and Josephine no. 3 is hand blown.
The Paris Wine Tasting of 1976, also known as the Judgment of Paris taught me what I need to know about reputation and prestige. In the end, taste is what counts.
The reason I like this host so much is that he comes off as being very real and passionate about what he does while not being pretentious.
He is but he described the wine as
Smelling like herby blood
Tastes sour but not fruity more like eating dirt.
...
Yeah.....
@@apersonnamedalex998have you ever tasted wine before?
Yeah, he's maybe the best spokespearson for wine out there. Knowledge and presentation is incredibly professional, but you feel like you're hanging out at a local bar with the bartender casually explaining the menu.
Compare his style to cigar people on CZcams. Now THAT is pretentious, and the industry strategy for cigars is seemingly to sell it as an elite, status-symbol.
I just got into cigars, but I hate that there's nobody like Mack to be chill and knowledgeable.
Yeah great host fr i enjoy watching his videos
He is the real deal
This series wouldn’t be anywhere near as popular if this guy wasn’t our host. So we’ll spoken and down to earth. I can’t wait to see what’s next!
André explains and rationalizes things so well. A superb master of wines, knows how to adapt his pitch to everyone.
I have no idea what you're talking about, but here's a bunny with a pancake on its head. I use that meme all the time and have never seen it in the "wild". Amazing! Cheers!
@@cbmorehouseMay the pancake be with you.
I paid 3100 dollars for my car. I think I have to stick to the Grocery Outlet wine specials lol
lowkey low budget where the gems are hidden
Costco wine aisle, $12 or less.
You selling that car or what?
@@denomdemon sorry, the little Suzuki 4x4 is needed :)
Especially this week with 30% off.
We need more for Andre 👏
I love every time Andre pops up on my feed I always watch! Explains everything so well
Lol. I only watch Andre!
love this guy please have him on more
finally got andre back and the mic is in a different room
I could watch Andre do wine reviews all day.
My only complaint is that you don’t produce more videos! Always a treat. Many thanks
Quality over quantity I guess
I love Andre. I learn so much and quite entertaining because he is down to earth and matter of fact with his analysis. We need more!!!!
I've really enjoyed these videos hosted by André Hueston Mack and I did not know until this video that he was the sommelier at Per Se. My best wine pairing experience ever was at Per Se. My wife and I usually do the wine pairings at restaurants because we feel it presents a fuller picture of the dining experience. I don't know if Mr. Mack was there at the time, but I still remember how perfect each choice had been. Fingers crossed he was the sommelier...
That decanting technique is next level. I have the same decanter, but never used light to see the sediment in the bottle. Total game changer for me.
I wish this had been a blind taste test to see if he felt it was worth $1,500. As someone who is a professional and deeply in the art world, and an amateur wine appreciater(sp?), I've always assumed there was some bullshittery going on with wine prices. I'd be interested to see if Mr. Mack thought the wine was worth $1,500 if he didn't have the entire backstory.
Andre's swag is not able to be put into words. We all love him!
Andre sitting here spitting facts about wine like a giant geek - love it
Love your videos and look forward every time to the new ones. Your videos have helped inspire my love for wines and your style and demeanor make the videos awesome. Love how you keep it real. Thanks again.
I see Andre, I click, I hit the thumbs up. Ain’t that hard
Still watching the pre-video ads but i KNOW this video is gonna be awesome
“Hey cut that” guy makes it the intro 😂
Your one of the only youtube personalities i do no fast forward through, BA needs to bring you in more.
andre is so eloquent i truly love these videos
Love this guy! Very knowledgeable and also personable.
I'm a working somm at a place that sells wines at this price with weird regularity. At the end of the day wine is just an expensive hobby like collecting watches or guns or whatever niche is cool for you; pick the one you like. The best wine is the wine you like the most, and the rest is all details and stories.
Timex and Rolex both tell the time; If you think the Rolex is cool and don't mind the price, buy that one. Like what you like, and don't let anyone who does my job ever dissuade you or tell you your preferences are bad. Somms who talk down to people about their likes and dislikes are fake somms, and they should find something else to do for a living.
I'm a somm too, I've had to re-iterate what you've said many many times. Expensive doesn't mean the customer enjoys that style of wine.
“1550$, if you had a roommate this would be like, your portion of rent” my brother in christ that is my ENTIRE rent, 1550 for a portion sounds like pure blasphemy for where i live
yeah there's gotta be very few places on this entire earth where you'd expect to pay $1500 AND put up with a roommate 😂
@@Irenidae you mean basically every major city in the US?
Andre lives in NYC for reference. I do too, and $1550 rent with roommates is completely normal.
You can get a really nice apartment for that money even in expensive cities in Germany. CRAZY prices over there
Depends on if its an apt or a house. Houses where I'm at are 2.5+ :/
Hey Andre 👋🏿 love learning about wine 🍷
Always loved the label of Harlan Estate, Bond, and Promontory (the other two estates owned by the Harlan family). So cool that the label art was made by an artist who created the U.S. currency art
Huh, I never knew that actually but I can totally see it. TIL!
Andre and this series is the only reason I gave wine a shot. 🎩s off for making wine approachable!
Great review. I just had the 2012 Harlan Estate at a steak dinner. Andre's comments are spot on. "Refined, balanced, real wine." It's excellent but I think it is relatively overpriced compared to BOND (sister company).
Harlan estate is great but for the same price I would get the montebello ridge or stags leap
@@francescorignanese3447 stags leap retails for $1500?
Every time I watch one of Andrés videos, I genuinely feel more educated on wine.
Thank you for your articulate explanation that I can understand.
Very interesting to watch and I always appreciate what Andre has to say. Its too bad that most of us will never get to experience this type of wine. I wonder why Harlan doesn't tell you what grapes are in a $1500 bottle of wine... Great content.
Because the price is a marketing gimmick, IMO.
A brilliant video!!!! As always!!
Just found your channel 👏👏 Nicely educational in a fun way, intelligent , thank you
The lighting and scenery is really doing the bottles justice.
Keep the videos coming Andre!
Love this guy
All respect for you. Thanks
Love your Vids Andre!
Thank you!
Yay! Andre is back!
This was very educational and presented in a quite down to earth way that even I understood it. ha ha. Thanks very much.
I can't click on a new André Hueston Mack video fast enough 🍷🍷🍷
There will always be a niche in every industry for people who strive to make the absolute best product they can. Likewise, there will always be a segment of consumers who appreciate that attention to detail, and THEY are the market that ultimately decides what this wine will cost. Personally, I'm glad there are folks willing to put up this kind of money so true artisans can pursue perfection.
That's how I feel when I watch videos about master Japanese artisans. On the one hand, they make products that I would never buy and, indeed, would probably never appreciate. I'm not the sort of person who really notices (or cares about) the difference between a $100 "great" product and a $500 "exceptional" product. But there are people who absolutely notice and appreciate that difference, and I'm glad there are people who can provide it for them.
You guys are so naive... Anywhere in europe the exact same values of handmade, true wines are available everywhere for a couple euros. True exceptional ones are in the 100-200€ but thats it. You dont need to pay 1500€ for a wine, and american wineries and distributor are making a fortune thanks to minds like yours. If you dont believe me, go to any small family winery in Spain or Europe, we have thousands.
@@JabadSBS If there are thousands of wineries like that, then the cost MUST be lower for them to remain competitive in the market. That's a real shame for the wineries, because they should be making far more for a product that is so time intensive to create.
@@JabadSBS - This is probably true. The price is a marketing gimmick. JMO.
There are dedicated winemakers whose families have been making excellent artisanal wine for centuries for much less money. California wine is very expensive due to real estate/land value and resources needed to produce. It's also partially catering to prestige at that price point.
Was the microphone mounted inside an empty coffee can?
Screw you dude. Your comment made me realize the issue and I can't unhear it.
😂😂😂😂😂
Try captions
They edited it using microsoft paint.
More likely a CZcams-side issue. Expect a reupload and don't get your knickers too twisted
Bring Andre once a week or something!
He is such a pleasant character
FWIW 2017 was a very challenging vintage in Napa and especially in Oakville due to a stretch of 13 days where temps exceeded 100 degree highs every day in late August, then the fires that started on October 11th which forced an already rushed vintage to end. Harlan was very likely done picking before any threat of smoke, but the excessive heat of August alone puts 2017 as one of the weakest vintages in the last decade for Napa along with 2020 and likely 2023.
When he said “2017 wasn’t great” I, living in Sonoma County, couldn’t agree more. They’re lucky they had any wine to bottle honestly.
When he said “2017 wasn’t great” I, living in Sonoma County, couldn’t agree more. They’re lucky they had any wine to bottle honestly.
Love this guy.
I am salivating!!! This is great and terrifying all in one…I just wish I was there.
Nice review…thank you for sharing 🍷
I have the wine taste of a toddler and literally only drink Moscato, but I love Andre's videos.
I am only a wine enthusiast and the most I ever paid for a bottle of wine is ~200 USD - (i know in the US you have crazy prices on wine but in Europe, 200 is a whole lot) and I would never buy a 1500 bottle purely to enjoy its taste but more for an experience, tasting something rare for instance.
I love any video which has André in it :)
European wines are much better value than California wines.
The dude's so real in an area that's easily pretentious, but he doesn't gatekeep. "taste as many wines as you can, whether they're expensive or not"
The thing people like about this guy is he’s teaching. Not showing off while teaching nothing like most “teachers/instructors/educators…etc”
thanks for sharing, always want to know what Harlan Estate is like
amazing movie
Went to an amazing multi course dinner that featured Harlan estate wines. Their manager walked us through 8-9 pairings. It was amazing.
Most incredible car salesman ever.
Thank you for giving us an insight into such a high-level Wine.
Question is are you able to buy a $200 bottle that comes close enough to the $1500 bottle.
Oh my goodness it's Harlan. LET'S GO ANDRE
Make more Andre content! Do regions! Everything!
Ok next bottle, Screaming Eagle :D
Excellent production and information well done!💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖
I live close to Napa and there’s a local family run winery that I drink a lot of their wines, and after the 2020 fires, some of their grapes were affected. They made a 2020 Tempranillo that I tried at their winery and I kid you not, it was smokey! So I bought a bottle to show my parents whose ranch was affected by the same fire. The odd thing was, the glass at the winery was SMOKEY but the bottle less so. It still had hints, but not the same. So I wonder if the bottle at the winery had grapes close to the fire while the other bottle was a little more protected. Either way it was fun and interesting!
I love him
Kind of minor but the cork is beautiful and “next level” too.
It sounds like your editor stacked multiple mic feeds without lining up their phasing, just something to look out for next time 👍
Before watching I’m definitely interested in hearing about the profile of this wine. I passed on picking it up for my restaurant because I wasn’t sure how it would compare to the first growths we carry (for half the price) or even Screaming Eagle. Excited to see what the vineyard that claims themself as the “first growth of California” can produce!
Isn’t screaming eagle more expensive ?? If your point is price, why even bring up screaming eagle
Great video. What glass where you using?
The question is: did the rest of the crew get to sample this wine after André finished filming the video? I hope other people got to try it!
I'd like to see an after-video to know what they did with the rest of the wine. Paired with food? Just passed it around for others to taste? It'd be interesting to know.
Most expensive wine I ever bought was 2 bottles of 2009 Pontet-Canet. The problem is that I’m still waiting for a special occasion :-)
How much were they?
@@Woozlewuzzleable $300 each 5 years ago
Make opening them with people who will enjoy them the special occasion, otherwise they'll get overshadowed if you can't sit there and talk about what makes them great amongst yourselves.
@@wineharvestinternso true! Special occasions are overrated anyway. Invite friends and fellow wine enthusiasts, tell them to bring some more bottles that are special to them and just make it a special occasion that way 😁
I had a fantastic Calera Mt.Harlan , Pinot noir in the mid nineties. The best wine I’ve ever tasted. $66
I think it would be interesting to have a real wino as a tester. Someone who normally drinks the very cheapest wine daily; set up 3 wines, one under $10, one for $100ish and one for $500ish. Now THAT would be a taste test. What a party!
😉
Andre appears to enjoy his job.
This is the first time I've had the wine adjective "balanced" explained. Perfectly logical and fitting.
Excellent presentation! I would like to have heard of options that are less expensive, Harlan would be a "when I hit the lottery" wine for me
I don’t even drink wine unless that’s that’s the only option but still love watching these 😅
I could listen to Andrè all day er day.
This wine is worth every penny…I am a founders member at all Harlan properties and I get automatic allocations…excellent wine…nectar.
Great Information Brother 😎😁❤
Are graphite and iron ore desirable notes to pick up in a drink?
working retail, I have come across conterfeit $1's much more than 100s. People think we dont check those
Great review Andre! My question: With so many inexpensive wines using coloring and flavoring, are there expensive wines doing the same, or do expensive wines rely totally on the grapes for quality taste?
Having a wine that's purely the grapes would make it natural wine (this definition not entirely clear but kinda means nothing other than grapes, organic, no added yeasts/sugar and no added sulfites). I think across the world you'll find many expensive wines where the makers will have added other stuff to it but I think you could say that most that make expensive wines actually care for the wine and want to keep the taste as "pure" as possible.
That being said, it's common for winemakers to use all kinds of additives to wine (and this doesn't have to make the wine bad) like yeasts, sulfur, sugar (not only for taste but also alcohol %) and tannins (by adding grape skins or aging in wood).
@@rendy5092 Don't forget grape concentrate. In 2011 even the best Napa/Sonoma wines had concentrate added to them-- it was a very, very bad (green) year.
Generally not. There are some "manipulated" wines at nearly all price points but you get less and less as you go up. It would be pure scandal for any $100+ bottle to have coloring or flavoring added.
Hey Andre, could you taste some greek wine varieties ?
Here in Spain any bottle of wine made with self-grown grapes is in the range of 5-25€... I dont know how corporations convinced americans that a grape grown in the winery is a premium... The things you explained in this video that makes this absurdly expensive wine is the everyday winery working method back here in Spain. Search for the word "recolector" in the label and there you have it. In france it even says in the capsule "recoltant" when the winery also grows its own grapes... For 6€
What about the price of a Spanish wine called Vega Sicilia Unico?....
americans buy stuff BECAUSE it's expensive, we try very hard to pretend we have money and being frugal is frowned upon. We need our fake luxury
Fantastic wine for a fraction of Harlands!@@nasos00
It’s the same here, you can easily get bottles of estate grown wine at 9-13 dollars. It’s just not going to be guaranteed solid. The average American tends to refuse to buy anything above 30 USD. This is only pandering to rich ppl. Also Iberian wines are even the cheapest here too you’re lucky!
What wine glass are you using? I love the look. I think you mentioned it before, but I can't find it.
Josephinen Hütte No. 2 Universal. They’re individually hand-blown crystal and $90 per glass. Probably the nicest glasses on the market. I own a set and they’re unbelievably thin and elegant. My favorite splurge purchase ever
That's Josephine no. 3 ($100/per glass)but the cheaper option is the Cabernet/Merlot Riedel ($50/per glass). The Riedel same shape but larger and Josephine no. 3 is hand blown.
@jacob9540 that's a serious glass! Looks great. It probably wouldn't last long around here. Thanks for the info.
Josephine No.3 is a beautiful glass, but for me the best looking glasses are Rovini's, the curvy odd shape makes it so elegant and interesting.
@@mcp0y3 It’s the no. 2, the No. 3 has a much larger/wider bowl than this. I own both versions
André!
Give 👏🏼 André 👏🏼 his 👏🏼 own 👏🏼 channel 👏🏼!
Ive tried some whines and i only like Reggie and Oliver. Both are very cheap but sweet and doesn't taste like paint thinner
Tasted a bottle of 95 Harlan last year and it was breathtaking
lol it's a 2017...on what planet would the cork fragment?
BIG DOOOOOOOG
I see André, I watch.
The Paris Wine Tasting of 1976, also known as the Judgment of Paris taught me what I need to know about reputation and prestige. In the end, taste is what counts.
Please bless us with an Andre Thanksgiving wine special, SVP
I hope the crew got to taste it.
Now do a blind taste test with several qualities of wine
Try some Norton wines. The Norton variety of grape. Norton wines are some of the BEST that I have tasted.
Wine can be used slowly or judgd how fast the proof is....❤...
I like this wine, and I've never tried it. I wonder why.
Another one!
I'm gonna ask for "no sediment' next time I order a bottle at restaurant. 😂😂😂