Can Grand Cru wines exist outside France? | Wine Folly 

I love Madeleine's honesty in tasting wine. Even though she is clearly extremely competent, she takes the "expert" edge off of it and it makes it seem accessible to everyone.

Madeline, could you please do more vids like this? The central idea of 'grand cru' is intriguing, and you guys explained it very well. Plus, having a winemaker alongside you, and tasting her wines next to great ones from other places, wow!

This is the best wine video I’ve seen. For starters, Laura Catenary is f*****g awesome. Love the deep knowledge she possesses, but the restraint she shows in her comments. I could listen to her for a very long time. I LOVE that she is poking at the French classification system. It was hinted at, but that system is political as well as objectively about the place and winemaker. It’s hard to accept that decisions about worthiness made in 1855 are immutable moving forward. I wouldn’t want to see government classification in other nations. It’s a complicated topic but super interesting and worthwhile! Thanks, Madeline!

OMG--two of my FAVORITE "Women of Wine" in one video! What an amazing treat! Thanks for this video, Madeline. . You are very lucky to be able to spend some quality time with Laura--she is a SUPERSTAR, and a brilliant winemaker. . This RU-vid channel definitely qualifies as a "Grand Cru"!

This is a fascinating video that has caused me to reassess my perception of Argentinian wines and of course what Grand Cru means. Really excellent content. Madeline is a superstar with these videos and Laura Catena is amazing.

Madeline, thank you for sharing this wonderful conversation with us. I am also becoming a big fan of Ms. Catena. Her poise and dedication to her task of taking her wines to the highest strata of the art are commendable, but her ability to actually accomplish her goals and provide us, the wine folks, with the fruits of her labors at that level is truly astonishing. High commendations to you both. Ok, the nomenclature thing. The danger is that if you chase the competition's name, you forsake your own identity. Just produce and label to the highest standard that you can. After all, if you actually exceed the quality of your competition, why obscure your product with his name?

I love listening to winemakers, and love listening to Madeline. Wish they produced more of those.

Thank you for giving me a list of Catena wines to drink on my trip to Argentina from the holidays! Wine prices in Argentina are discounted at least 30 to 40% due to the exchange rate

Wow Madeline, one of your best videos ever. Loved the format and content. Makes me want to try more Argentina wines. I've never been a huge Malbec fan but I'm going to try some more. The video also made me want to open one of the Shafer TD-9's that I have in my cellar :-)

Have been trying to find the time to watch this. You were sampling some pretty classy stuff! I am so envious. But a wonderful video!

This makes me want to go purchase some of these wines and watch over again so I can taste along with you . I think this is a great video ! More videos like this would be fantastic!

Wonderful video, what a joy!

Loved hearing both perspectives on each wine!

Oh Lord, this was intense! So much info! 🤯

I am laid up with a broken hip, and really enjoyed the detail. Really interesting to learn about the high altitude winery in Argentina. I am excited cause we can get a bottle of Nicloas Catena Zapata in Australia. I enjoy your delivery style.

Very familiar with Shafer, one of my favorites. Now Ill have to try Catena to see.

Very interesting and informative. I will buy some of her wines and try them.

Great comparison! Would love to see some of these great Catena wines on wine access!

Laura is a great guest. She’s knowledgeable and a wine lover. She really tastes all wines wholeheartedly and not just wet the lips. She really wants ppl to get more understanding of Argentinian wines; not hard promoting her region or wines. As for the Grand Cru label, it is more related to the land, not the wines. Like in Germany, Grosse Lage is the land where most, if not all, Grosses Gewächs (GG) labelled wines come from. Maybe Gran Terreno for Spanish speaking regions?

Really great vid, thoroughly enjoyed it!

Always good info ❤

Great video, thanx a lot!

Love the videos. I now have the book, too! Loving the learning process.

Iam glad to watch this video!

This video was awesome, please do more like these where you invite other connoisseurs to taste and talk about all of the different types of wines from around the world. Mexico has a long way to go relatively speaking (even though wine was being produced in colonial/Nueva España Mexico since the 16th century), but a tasting with a winemaker from the Baja California and/or Coalhuila regions would be great! You have some very interesting blends going on in Mexico as well.

Very well presented topic on Gran Cru wines. I was very confused with this designation and Madeline and her guest were able to concretely distinguish this. I also enjoyed the comparisons of Pinot Noir from Oregon, France and Argentina with the Malbec comparison from Argentina

such stunning wine... i'm drooling

Great video! Now I need a glass of wine :)

Fantastic video with two great wine professionals. Absolutely interesting and please do more. I’ve had all the Catena’s Chardonnay and they are beautifully unique and delicious! My 2 cents….Regarding “grand cru” being used, whatever term that is chosen for the best of the best should be defined and followed and while I hesitate to say regulated, must somehow be adhered to like in France, or like a VDP in Germany or other countries. 🥂

I think that the "Grande Cru" label can and should become universal in distinguishing unique bottlings throughout the wine-making world...not just restricted to France (the French need to get over themselves in my opinion anyways). There are certainly Grande Cue level wines being produced in Mendoza (as you exhibited in this video) as well as in California and Oregon and in other European appellations, not to mention South African and Australian/NZ.

Well done

This was fun. Grand cru it is!

This is such a great video. The audio is a little odd when Madeleine talks. Too much reverb in the room.

Super interesting video and great theme worth exploring. Although for being aware of how the Grand cru system came about, I'm not sure its (yet!!) relevant in New World countries: 1) Is it worth exploring and recognizing some of the World's most interesting vineyards? 100% but I believe it can be achieved in so many ways other than mimicking the French use of "Grand cru" just like everything else copied and taken as a example coming from France when it comes to wine (coming from a French native by the way). 2) The 1935-1936 Grand cru system, as stated in the AOC book, was put together following hundreds of years of history, relevance, proof of recognition, quality and a number of owners within them being able to produce consistently "quality" wine. First based on Dr.Laval's ranking from 1855 and from a second one from the late 19th century... Both are based on centuries of experience, higher prices paid for those wines and human experience. Long story short, I strongly believe countries outside of France and Europe can be recognized (as it is already the case) and fully acknowledged without the use of the word "Grand cru" or any system along those lines also because they simply don't have (yet!!!) enough history to back them up and also because history (of wine) can be made without having to copy the French (even though I am fully aware it has been the model for quite some time now). Please

I describe Grand Cru to my customers as cream of the crop because most people don’t know what it means

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I decided to make my old videos public again about how to recognize potential "Tsunamis" in your cellar if you use cellar tracker and have lots of bottles. Just saying. What's wrong with that ?

S America should assign 'Primero' and 'Gran Primero' for its own best.

time for new world to classify great quality in their own term

Site superior

"Großes Gewächs" exists.

As always, a lot of education.

Can a French person exist outside of France?

LET ME GUESS in argentina i bet they make champagne!!!

An appellation, not a appellation.

I love these but if you're going to create content the acoustics have to be better...the echo takes away....

argertinian grand cru jajajajajajajajajajajajajajajajajajajajajajajajajajajajajajajajajajajajajajajajajajajajajajajaajjajaaj

Watching americans talking about wine is hilarious