A return after almost a month off with a podcast focusing on the great varietal of Tuscany: Sangiovese. I also talk about the Podcasting Expo and recommend a wine podcast to check out.

Show Notes:

00:22 - Welcome and show theme
00:46 - Background of Sangiovese grape
04:26 - Tasting Notes
05:01 - Castello di Fonterutoli, Poggio alla Badiola, Toscana, Italy 2002 ($13)
05:37 - Lungarotti, “Rubesco�?, Rosso di Torgiano, Umbria, Italy 2001 ($15)
06:09 - Jim Neal, “Chariot�?, Sangiovese 2003 ($12)
06:44 - Peterson Winery, Sangiovese, Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County 2001 ($16/sample provided by winery)
07:22 - Best of tasting
08:04 - Best value
08:15 - Podcast Expo
09:01 - Ratcast feature
14:43 - Frappr! map
15:45 - Contact Details
16:10 - Next show theme

Feedback: winecast@gmail.com | Audio comments: +01-206-33-WINE-9 (+01-206-339-4639)
Copyright 2005 Tim Elliott. Licensed to the public under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

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Lengs & Cooter, “The Victor�?, Shiraz, South Australia 2003 ($15) - Dark garnet, almost black, in color with pronounced plum, blackberry and vanilla aromas; jammy blackberry fruit with black pepper flavors and moderate tannins. The 14.5% alcohol is balanced by the intense fruit at this point and it will be interesting to watch this one develop in the bottle over the next 4 or 5 years. Score: 8.5/10

Forchini Vineyards & Winery, “Papa Nonnoâ€�?, Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County 2003 ($17/provided as a sample) - A blend inspired by Super Tuscans, but made from 58% Zinfandel, 27% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Carignane, and 4% mixed white varietals fermented together in the classic “field blend” method. Medium ruby in color with black cherry and vanilla aromas; juicy blackberry and plum fruit with some spice, a bit of earth and moderate tannins. A very good wine that is more an old vines Zin than an old world blend. Score: 8.5/10

Thanks to Alan Baker, a.k.a. The Cellar Rat for bringing this sample from the winery to me at the podcast expo.

It had to happen at some point, but I just finished recording Winecast 46 and found that my laptop ran out of disk space somewhere in the middle of the show. I will be backing up data and making space, but will not re-record until tomorrow night. I have a backlog of three shows built up over the past 3 weeks, so most likely you will see a stream of podcasts coming out over the next 7 days, unless there is another technology meltdown to contend with…

I hope everyone here in the U.S. had a great Thanksgiving; I thought I would share my tasting notes from our feast:

Mommessin, Beaujolais Nouveau 2005 ($10) - Ruby in color with a purple rim, black cherry and strawberry aromas; strawberry and cherry fruit flavors with soft tannins and good acidity. A very good nouveau that portends an excellent Beaujolais vintage. Enjoy until the end of the year. Score: 8.5/10

Ponzi, Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, Oregon 2002 ($30) - Ruby color with powerful raspberry and plum aromas; raspberry and black cherry fruit flavors with a nice cinnamon note on the finish. Excellent concentration of fruit and pleasing acidity. Delicious now and will continue to please for another year or two. Score: 9/10

Now back to my turkey coma and the rest of the 4th quarter of the Cowboys game - Go Broncos!



Only 24 hours or so before our annual harvest feast day here in the U.S. and the wine blogosphere is buzzing with a few picks for the best wine matches to pair with the traditional turkey dinner (even with Alder sitting this one out). My choice is Pinot Noir and I have already given you a couple of Pinot’s to pick up if you have a large group to feed, but I think I will choose a Ponzi Pinot Noir 2002 from Oregon’s Willamette Valley I first reviewed in Winecast 8, with White Rose Estate Pinot Noir 2002 as my back-up bottle (although I might be tempted to call an audible and drink this one first!). Another tradition we have is to start off the festivities with a glass of Beaujolais nouveau. This year I have 4 of them to taste for an upcoming podcast, but probably will pull the dependable Louis Tete bottling, like my podcast buddy Alan, a.k.a. The Cellar Rat, already has.

If you must have a white wine, I suggest either an oaked Chardonnay or a crisp, fruity German Riesling from the excellent 2003 vintage. Look for “Kabinett” on the label and you will be good to go. Which ever wine you choose, make sure you have a backup bottle should cork taint raise its ugly head or your celebration requires further replenishment

Bonny Doon, “Ca’del Solo”, Big House Red 2003 ($9) - A blend of Syrah, Petite Sirah, Carignane, Grenache, Barbera, and Malbec. Dark ruby color with aromas of plum and raspberry; raspberry and blackberry fruit flavors with a hint of mint and silky tannins. A real fruit bomb with just a tinge of old world rusticness. Sealed with a Stelvin screwcap. A very good value and fun house wine. Score: 8.5/10

A quick note for Twin Cities listeners that I should be in a podcasting piece to be aired this evening on KARE-11’s 10 pm News. It will be in their Extra series, so video will be posted to their website after it airs. I’m not sure how much of my interview made it in the story, but I’m sure it will be a good view into the local podcasting scene up here.

UPDATE: The story came out well and the station has posted the video here.

A new weekly side podcast highlighting some of the wines I have recently tasted and think you would enjoy. In this first installment I review two California Pinot Noirs for under $10 a bottle:

- Mark West, Pinot Noir, Central Coast 2004 ($8)
- HRM Rex-Goliath, “Giant 47 Pound Rooster�?, Pinot Noir, California NV ($8.50)

Feedback: winecast@gmail.com | Audio comments: +01-206-33-WINE-9 (+01-206-339-4639)
Copyright 2005 Tim Elliott. Licensed to the public under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

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Today is the 3rd Thursday of November, the day Beaujolais Nouveau is unleashed on the wine world. I’ve picked up some and will be letting you know what I think about them soon. Jean-Marc has a nice write-up and tips to pick the “best” Nouveau over at his french wine a day blog. Check it out…