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Jim Neal, Chariot, “Diana” 2002

By Tim on Dec 31, 2005 in Recommendations, Tasting Notes

Jim Neal, Chariot, “Diana”, California 2002 ($15) Ã¢â‚¬â€œ An interesting blend of Petite Sirah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Darkest purple color, black in the center; fresh blackberry jam aromas with a hint of black pepper. Big, jammy blueberry fruit flavors with spice and rich mouthfeel. Delicious, but I’m a sucker for this type of wine. Score: 9/10

I recommend to stock up, if you see this one on your wine store shelves, along with some more Chariot Sangiovese

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13 Comment(s)

Pat Uphues | Jan 9, 2006 | Reply

I just saw this wine at a store today. I’ll be going back for it as I picked up the Foppiano 2001 Pet instead. Sounds great.
Karl Thoennes | Jan 10, 2006 | Reply

The 2002 Chariot Diana is fantastic. I bought it at a wine shop in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, $14.99. Just as Tim said, heavy, very dark, chewy, rich mouth feel. Wines like this are my favorites too. Excellent wine for the money. Bought the Sangiovese too but haven’t tried it yet.
Brian Maloney | Jan 11, 2006 | Reply

Karl, Where in Sioux Falls did you buy the Chariot wines? I travel to the area and would like to reserve some for my next trip. Would appreciate your passing along the contact information. Thanks, Brian
Karl Thoennes | Jan 13, 2006 | Reply

There are at least two places I’ve found it in Sioux Falls — Food & Fermentation on Phillips Avenue downtown, $13. The other location is the new wine shop at Waterfall Plaza at the corner of 57th and Minnesota, but the price there was $15. (Actually that Waterfall Plaza wine shop isn’t new, it just moved down from its old location on Western Avenue near Spezia. Coincidentally its old location was re-leased to yet another wine shop. I love Sioux Falls.)
Karl Thoennes | Jan 13, 2006 | Reply

Oh, sorry, couple other notes. The number for Food & Fermentation is 605-332-4338. Second, I opened the Sangiovese last night. It was kind of thin and watery in comparison to the big, heavy, midnight dark, lucious Diana, but then I’ve never met an Italian wine or grape that I like.
Steve Hungett | Jan 24, 2006 | Reply

While I can’t claim to be all that knowledgable about wines…I usually follow the recommendations of my local wine merchant here in Scottsdale…I must say the Chariot Diana 2002 is now my new favorite wine and I just stocked up with a case. The first thing that hit me was the color. I have not seen anything that comes close to the ever so dark color almost black. While that color makes it appear to be “thick” during the pour, I found it smooth, with a very subtle taste at first, but it grows and is long lasting. No bitterness or bite.
Jim Neal | Feb 3, 2006 | Reply

Wow! Thanks for all the nice comments. The 2002 ‘Diana’ is almost gone, so buy it now if you are so inclined. The 2003 will be released in April. Thanks again,

Jim Neal
neal@jnwines.com
Tim | Feb 4, 2006 | Reply

Thanks for stopping by, Jim. I’ve never been disappointed with any of your wines and look forward to tasting your latest release.
Mark | May 30, 2006 | Reply

Well, we will obviously have to agree! We first tried the 2002 Diana at Postinos Wine Bar in Phoenix…….recommended of course by one of the staff. We had told him that our favorite had been the Opollo (Mountain Zin, Old Vine CA)
Mark | May 30, 2006 | Reply

Cont., sorry! Anyway, Diana has become our favorite with nothing else to compare. We are creatures of habit and cannot seem to find anything else that we enjoy even 1/2 as much. So I stocked up with 6 cases…..yes 6. No, we are not boozers….just cannot part with what we love and know that the next year may never be the same.
Jeff | Sep 26, 2006 | Reply

Diana is fanastic wine for it’s money. We (regular winos) always buy a bottle to share after we try our wine store’s weekly tasting. As we were wandering deciding, the local sales-person suggested Diana. Incredible! We had the Chariot Sangovese a couple of weeks before in the tasting. I pormpted bought 2 bottles. However, the Diana was sold out the same day we had the bottle. Luckily the store managed to receive more stock, last week. :b I plan to place a couples bottles back for 2 yrs to see how it changes. Red Wine Lovers, if you get chance & can find it, buy it!
Tim | Sep 27, 2006 | Reply

Glad you like this one, Jeff, and I feel your pain on the supply. I have yet to see another bottle in the stores here, but I’ll be sure to pick one (or more) up when I do. If you like this wine, you might also like the Vina Robles Signature blend I reviewed a while back.
Sarah Bertoli | Nov 8, 2006 | Reply

Jims wine is amazing. I buy it every chance I get.

3 Trackback(s)

From Jim Neal Chariot Wines | Winefoolery | Jul 21, 2006
From Winecast - A wine blog and podcast | Dec 3, 2006
From Winefoolery » Archive » Jim Neal Chariot Wines (B) (B+) | May 27, 2008

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Jim Neal, Chariot, “Diana” 2002

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