Château Clos René 2000 ($30-60) – Deep crimson-purple in color with aromas of black cherry, dark currant, pencil lead, fennel and mint. Rich black cherry fruit with black pepper and dark chocolate finishing with moderate, but plush, tannins. A delicious Bordeaux blend that has more years ahead of it.

13% ABV
Natural cork
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

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Quick Picks 11 – Chateau Clos Rene 2000 originally appeared on Winecast. Licensed under Creative Commons.

Vina Santa Ema, “Rivalta” 2003 – ($68/sample) Dark purple in color with aromas of black currant, plum, blueberry, fennel, mint and vanilla. Rich and concentrated dark currant and blackberry fruit with black pepper and dark chocolate finishing with firm tannins. A delicious Carmenere-led blend that will age at least 4-6 more years.

13.8% ABV
Natural cork closure
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

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Quick Picks 10 – Santa Ema Rivalta 2003 originally appeared on Winecast. Licensed under Creative Commons.

Bodegas Castano, “Hecula”, Monastrell, Yecla 2004 ($14) – Very dark purple-black with aromas of blackberry, bacon, licorice and vanilla. Ripe black cherry and blackberry fruit flavors with medium firm tannins, good acidity and a nice minerality on the finish.

14.5% ABV
Synthetic cork closure
Score: 89
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

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Quick Picks 9 – Bodegas Castano, “Hecula” 2004 originally appeared on Winecast. Licensed under Creative Commons.

Tablas Creek Vineyard, Roussanne 2005 ($27) – Light straw in color with aromas of pear, pineapple and orange blossom. Crisp pear and pineapple flavors with nice minerality on the finish. Wow.

Score: 91
Rating: 4/5 stars

Tablas Creek Vineyard, Esprit de Beaucastel Blanc, Roussanne/Grenache Blanc/Picpoul Blanc blend 2005 ($35) – Light yellow in color with aromas of pear, honey and spice. Pear, citrus and pineapple flavors finish long with refreshing acidity. A delicious Rhone blend that shows what can be done with these grapes in California. I will cellar a few bottles to see what happens with 5, 10 and 15 years of bottle age.

Score: 92
Rating: 4/5 stars

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Quick Picks 8 – Tablas Creek Roussanne originally appeared on Winecast. Licensed under Creative Commons.

Since I favor red wines this time of year, I selected a village wine from Mercurey made by the well known Faiveley family. Listen to the podcast for more details but here are my tasting notes:

J. Faiveley, Domaine de la Croix Jacquelet, Mercurey 2003 ($20) – Deep ruby color with aromas of dark cherry, fennel and sage. Rich black cherry and raspberry fruit with a touch of earth finishing with firm tannins and good acidity. The bold fruit balances the tannins so I expect this wine to improve with a year or two more in the cellar. Alternatively, you could give it a couple hours in the decanter to open up before enjoying. A very good value in Pinot Noir.

13% ABV
Natural cork closure
Score: 88
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

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Quick Picks 7: Faiveley Mercurey 2003 originally appeared on Winecast. Licensed under Creative Commons.

Tasting notes:

Chase Family Cellars, Zinfandel, Hayne Vineyard 2004 ($45) – Ruby-purple in color with aromas of raspberry, blackberry and spice. Ripe blackberry and black cherry fruit flavors with black pepper finishing elegant and very balanced with medium-firm tannins. A real fruit bomb but has enough structure for further aging.

Score: 91

Chase Family Cellars, Zinfandel, Hayne Vineyard “Reserve” 2004 ($75) – Dark purple in color with intense aromas of blackberry jam, raspberry and licorice. In the mouth, there is rich blackberry and black cherry fruit along with white pepper and spices finishing very smooth and long with well integrated tannins. Perhaps the best Zinfandel I’ve ever had. Only 100 cases produced.

Score: 95

Show Notes:

00:04 – Welcome and winery background
01:30 – Chase Family Cellars, Zinfandel, Hayne Vineyard 2004
02:12 – Chase Family Cellars, Zinfandel, Hayne Vineyard “Reserve” 2004
03:29 – Contact details

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Show Notes:
00:13 – Bodegas Borsao background
00:51 – Bodegas Borsao, “Red Wineâ€Â? 2005 ($8)
01:29 – Bodegas Borsao, “Tres Picos“, Garnacha (Grenache) 2004 ($15)
02:01 – Next show theme

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Quick Picks 5 – Bodegas Borsao originally appeared on Winecast. Licensed under Creative Commons.

Louis Tete, Beaujolais Nouveau 2006 ($13) – Clear ruby/purple in color with aromas of strawberry, cherry and banana. In the mouth the wine is juicy with wild cherry and strawberry jam flavors finishing with good acidity and soft tannins. Textbook Nouveau from a reliable shipper. Drink with your Thanksgiving turkey and fixings.

12.5% ABV
Natural cork closure
Score: 82

If you want to hear more about Beaujolais Nouveau, be sure to check out Winecast 47 from last year.

Show Notes:
00:05 – Welcome and show theme
01:18 – Louis Tete, Beaujolais Nouveau 2006
02:18 – Shout out to Joseph Drouhin Nouveau
02:31 – Contact Details and next show theme

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Tasting Notes:

Castle Rock, Zinfandel, Sonoma County 2004 ($10) – Dark purple in color with aromas of blackberry, sage and a touch of vanilla. Round and soft in the mouth with boysenberry and blackberry flavors, some spice and silky, sweet tannins. An excellent value drinking as well as wines more than twice it’s price.

13.9% ABV
Composite cork closure
Score: 88

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

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Copyright 2005 Tim Elliott. Licensed to the public under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

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