Jim Neal, Chariot, “Diana”, California 2002 ($15) – 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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Jordan, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma County 2001 ($42) - Dark ruby in color with currant, eucalyptus and cassis aromas; ripe blackberry and black cherry fruit flavors with moderate tannins. Delicious. Score: 9/10

The theme for this month’s edition of Wine Blogging Wednesday is provided by food blogger Fatemeh of Gastronomie who challenged us to pick up a wine that was made in a batch of less than 250 cases. As fate would have it, the day this theme was announced I received a sample from a small winery for an upcoming show on Sangiovese. The wine was made in a garage in a batch of just 84 cases, so I took this as a sign that this wine was meant to be featured this month. The fact that it came from a winery that donates their profits to charity sealed the deal. So, for the first time since I started participating in this event, I will feature just one wine: Humanitas, L’Huile du Garagiste; a non-vintage red blend of Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon made from Napa Valley fruit. A sort of Super Tuscan, California-style.

The bottle is quite distinctive with the first U.S. commercial application of the Australian Zork closure that appears to be almost like a wax seal on the top. After peeling back the plastic, it took a bit of work to get the closure off the bottle, but it was much better than a recent experience I had with a synthetic cork in a Chilean Carmenere. So here are my tasting notes for this unique wine:

Humanitas, L’Huile du Garagiste, Napa Valley NV ($30/received as a sample) - Deep ruby in color with complex aromas of raspberry, white pepper and earth; bright raspberry and black pepper flavors combine with noticeable, but supple, tannins and a long finish. A nice balance between the fruit and tannin makes this a delicious wine now and one I will age for another few years to see what develops. Score: 9/10

I found this to be a very individualistic wine and wanted to get a bit more background on the winery and the winemaker, so I interviewed Judd Wallenbrock the winemaker, proprietor and head bottle washer of Humanitas. If you listen to the podcast, you will hear our conversation about this wine and his cause. I have placed an order for more of this wine and encourage you to check it out yourself. It is not often that we can combine our passion for wine and charity at the same time.

Thanks again to Fatemeh of the Gastronomie blog for a great theme and for Judd to spend a part of his day with me today. I’m looking forward to the last WBW of 2005 next month.

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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Bodegas Javier Asensio, Crianza, Navarra, Spain 2000 ($17) - Garnet in color with an aromatic plum, spice and eucalyptus nose; nicely concentrated and forward dark fruit flavors with some mint and dusty tannins; excellent balance of fruit and tannin. Needs to breathe for a while to show it’s best, but a very good wine made from 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 20% Tempranillo. A producer to watch for unique and complex wines at bargain prices. Score: 8.5/10

I’m back after a great vacation in California with the first of three shows focusing on the wines of the Napa Valley. In this first installment, I cover the early history of the Valley, the Howell Mountain AVA and share seven Cabernet Sauvignon’s I tasted last week.

Wines Tasted:

- Ladera, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 2002 ($35)
- Ladera, Cabernet Sauvignon, Lone Canyon 2001 ($65)
- Ladera, Cabernet Sauvignon, Howell Mountain 2003 (NYR/$65)
- Neal Family Vineyards, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 2002 ($45)
- August Briggs, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 2000 ($20/375ml)
- August Briggs, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 2002 ($42)
- Beaulieu Vineyard, Cabernet Sauvignon, “Rutherford�, Napa Valley 2002 ($25)

Show Notes:

0:00 - Opening theme
0:21 - Welcome iTunes listeners!
0:44 - Overview and objectives of Winecast
2:30 - Napa Valley history
4:23 - Howell Mountain AVA
5:50 - Tasting notes
9:55 - Best of Tasting / Best Value
10:39 - Contact details, theme music credit
11:03 - Please vote at Podcast Alley!
11:27 - Lost some feedback emails
12:17 - Next show will focus on Napa Valley Zinfandel

Feedback: winecast@gmail.com | Audio comments: 206-202-4696
Copyright 2005 Tim Elliott. Licensed to the public under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

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This weekend’s podcast is focused on the, “Big 3 Reds”: Pinot Noir, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon presented in the “virtual tasting” format. I also try to match wine to a St. Patrick’s Day menu of corned beef and cabbage and announce a Minnesota wine tasting meetup on June 11th.

Wines tasted:

- Meridian Vineyards, Central Coast, Pinot Noir 2003 ($9)
- Columbia Crest, “Grand Estates”, Merlot 2001 ($12)
- Clos du Val, Napa Valley, Cabernet Sauvignon 2001 ($25)

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Casa Julia, Cabernet Sauvignon, Maipo Valley, Chile 2002 ($10) - Garnet, big berry and spice nose, mouth-filling Cab fruit flavors with moderate tannins. Pretty good wine and reasonable value. Score: 7.5/10

On today’s show, I talk about wine accessories, a couple of stories in the wine world and taste three Cabernet Sauvignons:

- Buehler Vineyards, Napa Valley 2000 ($24)
- Kenwood, Jack London Vineyard, Sonoma Valley 2000 ($26)
- Luis Felipe Edwards, Estate bottled, Colchagua Valley, Chile 2001 ($12)

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Merry Christmas