Got Somme : Master Sommelier's Wine Podcast

We risked $1,700 worth of wine to answer one question: is expensive wine worth it?

In this episode of Got Somme, Angus O’Loughlin and Master Somm Carlos Santos open two Grand Cru Burgundies (around $800 a bottle) and taste them side by side.
No posturing, no wine snobbery, just an honest test of what you’re paying for when the label gets serious.
We talk:
- What “Grand Cru” actually means in Burgundy
- Why producers matter as much as terroir
- The difference between a great $30 bottle and an $800 bottle
- Whether expensive wine is “worth it” or just status
- How to find underrated regions that deliver insane value

BIG thanks to The French Wine Centre for providing the bottles 🙏🏼
https://frenchwinecentre.com/
Check out their AMAZING mixed 6 of French Reds for $250
https://frenchwinecentre.com/collections/packs/products/issue-02-mixed-3-the-reds
If you’ve ever wondered whether luxury wine is genuinely better, this is the episode.
Comment your next episode idea:
Do we go cheaper and find the best $20 bottle?
Or do we keep climbing and chase the next Burgundy benchmark?

Subscribe for more blind tastings, wine stories, and the unfiltered truth about what’s in the glass.
Chapters
00:00 We’re risking $1,700 on wine
00:24 The most expensive bottles we’ve had
01:18 What we’re drinking: Echezeaux + Clos de la Roche
03:17 How we got the bottles (French Wine Center)
04:22 Why Burgundy prices get insane
06:55 First smell: “This is incredible”
09:20 First sip and the tannin moment
12:33 Why you rarely drink Grand Cru
13:00 Switching to Clos de la Roche
14:54 The big question: is expensive wine worth it?
17:06 The real answer: story, value, perspective
18:14 What should we taste next?

Carlos analyses colour, aroma, acidity, texture and structure to identify a mystery white wine. From Albariño to Garganega to Rhône blends and Viognier, the clues stack up… until the reveal throws everything off.Blind tasting is one of the hardest skills in wine. Even for a Master Sommelier.If you love learning wine in a fun, practical way, this series will sharpen your palate and teach you how sommeliers actually think.WHAT YOU’LL LEARN• How sommeliers approach blind wine tasting• Key clues from colour, acidity and aroma• Albariño vs Viognier vs Rhône blends explained• Why light bubbles and texture matter• The biggest mistakes even pros makeRecorded at SESSION in PROGRESS studios in Melbourne.Wine: 'The Story' Marsanne Rousanne Viognier 2020https://www.instagram.com/storywines/WATCH NEXT• Blind Tasting Red Wine Challengehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4jBm8qOfgg&t=7s• Best Value Wines Under $30https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOIUiUNobKw&t=689sSUBSCRIBENew episodes every week.Subscribe for wine tips, blind tasting challenges and interviews with winemakers.

Master Sommelier Carlos Santos goes behind the scenes of building a $1.5 million restaurant wine list for a new Byron Bay venue created by chef Shannon Bennett.From $35,000 magnums to $40 best-selling wines, we break down how sommeliers curate world-class wine lists, negotiate rare allocations, and balance prestige bottles with everyday drinkers.

You’ll learn:
• How a Master Sommelier builds a wine list from scratch
• Why some wines sell more than others
• The hardest wines to source in Australia
• How trade tastings and supplier relationships work
• Why Australian wine is dominating restaurant lists
• How price psychology shapes customer ordersIf you love wine, restaurants, or the behind-the-scenes world of hospitality, this episode is for you.

Recorded at our new Collins Street studio by SESSION in PROGRESS.

SPONSORS
Grays.comhttps://www.grays.com/search/wine
RIEDEL: https://www.riedel.com/en-au/shop#sort=bestSeller
(Australians use code: GOTSOMME New Zealand: GOTSOMMENZ at check out for 20% off)

FOLLOW GOT SOMME
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gotsomme/
Studio: https://www.instagram.com/session.in.progress/

Subscribe for new wine episodes every week.

TIMESTAMPS
00:00 $1.5 million wine list reveal
01:30 Building a wine list from scratch
05:10 Choosing wines for Byron Bay diners
08:20 Hardest wines to source
12:00 Back vintages and vertical tastings
16:40 Why $40 wines outsell $1,000 wines
19:30 The $35,000 bottle
22:00 Trade tastings & negotiation secrets
25:00 Supporting Australian wineries

Welcome to Got Somme, the ultimate wine podcast where Master Sommeliers and wine experts share their tips, blind tasting challenges, and insider knowledge from vineyards around the world. Whether you’re a wine beginner or a seasoned enthusiast, we explore everything from wine education and wine tasting techniques to sparkling wines, red vs white, and the best wines under $30.

Subscribe for weekly episodes and join us as we taste, learn, and uncover the stories behind your favourite wines. Perfect for anyone looking to improve their wine knowledge, discover new wine regions, or just enjoy a fun, educational chat about wine.

If the world’s best wines from France aren’t using oak… why do so many Chardonnays in Australia and the New World taste so oaky?
In this episode of Got Somme, Angus O’Loughlin and Master Sommelier Carlos Santos take a deep dive into Chablis, the purest expression of Chardonnay. We blind taste three bottles from the same producer and vintage at three price points — Petit Chablis ($40), Chablis AOC ($48), and Chablis Premier Cru ($78) — to find out whether price really does equal quality. 
Along the way, we break down:
Why Chablis tastes like oyster shells
The difference between Petit Chablis, Chablis, Premier Cru and Grand Cru
Left Bank vs Right Bank of the Serein River
When (and why) some producers start using oak
The real meaning of minerality in Chablis
Whether Premier Cru is actually worth the extra money
Angus kicks things off with a blind tasting challenge… and shockingly out-tastes a Master Sommelier to start 2026 in style.
If you think you don’t like Chardonnay, this episode might completely change your mind. 
SPONSORS
Grays.com https://www.grays.com/search/wine
RIEDEL https://www.riedel.com/en-au/shop#sort=bestSeller
(Australians use code: GOTSOMME New Zealand: GOTSOMMENZ at check out for 20% off) 
What We’re Drinking
Producer: Simonnet-Febvre
Vintage: 2023
Petit Chablis – $40
Chablis AOC – $48
Chablis Premier Cru – $78 
Chapters
00:00 – Why Chablis Isn’t Oaky
01:50 – Blind Tasting Begins
03:25 – Does Price Equal Quality?
04:30 – Chablis vs Chardonnay Explained
08:35 – Left Bank vs Right Bank of Chablis
10:20 – What Is Petit Chablis?
12:35 – What Makes Chablis AOC Better? 
14:40 – Premier Cru vs Grand Cru
18:10 – Is Premier Cru Worth the Money?
20:00 – Why Some Chablis Uses Oak
26:45 – Steak vs Jus (Best Wine Analogy Ever)
28:10 – Master Sommelier Blind Tasting Fail
 
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This wine breaks every assumption.It looks like a rosé.It drinks like something from Italy.But it’s neither.In this episode of Got Somme, we put a mystery wine in front of a Master Sommelier for a full blind tasting. No labels. No hints. Just colour, aroma, texture and instinct.Decanter and Glassware: RIEDELhttps://www.riedel.com/en-auUse Code GOTSOMME for 20% off (Australia Only)We break down:Why this wine looks like rosé but isn’tThe flavour markers that suggest Italy (and why they’re misleading)How structure, acid and mouthfeel reveal the truthWhat most people get wrong when tasting blindAnd the final reveal of what this wine actually isIf you love blind wine tastings, sommeliers at work, or learning how to taste wine properly without the snobbery, this one’s for you.Subscribe for more blind tastings, wine myths busted, and deep dives into how great wine really works.#BlindWineTasting #WineTasting #Sommelier #NotRosé #WineEducation #GotSomme #WineBlindTasting #WinePodcastWelcome to Got Somme, the ultimate wine podcast where Master Sommeliers and wine experts share their tips, blind tasting challenges, and insider knowledge from vineyards around the world. Whether you’re a wine beginner or a seasoned enthusiast, we explore everything from wine education and wine tasting techniques to sparkling wines, red vs white, and the best wines under $30.Subscribe for weekly episodes and join us as we taste, learn, and uncover the stories behind your favourite wines. Perfect for anyone looking to improve their wine knowledge, discover new wine regions, or just enjoy a fun, educational chat about wine.