Gus Fring Saves the 1978 Cote Rotie Wine for a ‘Special Occasion’ in ‘Better Call Saul’; Why He Never Gets Around to Drinking It
Gus Fring speaks at length with a sommelier about a rare vintage wine in Better Call Saul Season 6. He says he’s saving the 1978 Cote Rotie for a “special occasion,” which left many fans curious about when — or if — Gus ever got around to drinking it. We don’t think Gus ever gets around to enjoying the rare red. Here’s why.
Gus Fring flirts with sommelier David over a glass of wine in ‘Better Call Saul’
Relieved to know Lalo Salamanca (Tony Dalton) is dead, Gus Fring visits one of his favorite restaurants in Better Call Saul Season 6 Episode 9. While there, he engages with the sommelier, David (Reed Diamond).
During their conversation, David recalls the trip he took to Europe in college. Then, Gus mentions a rare bottle of wine David recommended to him — a 1978 Cote Rotie — and how he managed to get his hands on one.
David appears shocked, likely because of the high cost of the vintage red. Gus tells David he is saving the wine to celebrate with in the future. “I would love to hear about it when you have that occasion,” David tells him.
David breaks the conversation to pull an even rarer bottle for Gus. But before he returns, Gus is gone. Remembering his former business partner and romantic interest Maximino “Max” Arciniega (James Martinez), Gus considers what happens to people he cares about and leaves to prevent furthering a relationship with David.
That’s because Max was killed by Hector Salamanca (Mark Margolis) in Breaking Bad. After Don Eladio (Steven Bauer) found out Gus was giving away free samples of Max’s meth without his consent, Max was killed poolside in “Hermanos.”
‘Better Call Saul’ fan theories about what Gus is saving the Cote Rotie for
Fans of the AMC series took to Reddit to talk about the “special occasion” Gus mentioned to David. “Does he ever mention it in Breaking Bad?”
“I think, like many aspects of that scene, had a double meaning where it could be taken as wiping out the rest of the Salamancas or to enjoy with a special date,” one Redditor said. “There was definitely a subtext of perhaps David would come over and enjoy it with him. But of course that could never happen.”
“Hectors death, I’m assuming,” said another Reddit user. “Maybe it was upon completion of the lab,” pointed out another Redditor.
Gus Fring never gets to celebrate with his bottle of Cote Rotie
After Max’s death, Gus spends years trying to avenge him. In the Better Call Saul Season 1 episode “Magic Man,” Lalo Salamanca (Tony Dalton) explains Hector’s theory regarding Gus being motivated by Max’s death.
“Hector has this crazy idea in his head that somehow the chicken man might carry a grudge after he shot Fring’s boyfriend in the head,” Lalo tells Juan Bolsa (Javier Grajeda). Season 6 Episode 9 further proves that point when Gus abandons a romance with David to protect him.
Gus does manage to kill Don Eladio in Breaking Bad by poisoning him. However, Gus never gets to kill Hector. Instead, Hector dies by suicide.
With some help from Walter White (Bryan Cranston) and a homemade bomb, Hector repeatedly rings his bell and blows himself and Gus Fring up in the Breaking Bad episode “Face Off.” In the iconic moment from the series, Gus stands up and straightens his tie before collapsing dead.
Where will Gus Fring’s motivations take him in the final four episodes of Better Call Saul? Tune in to AMC Monday nights to find out.
