21 July 2006 - 20:11Jim Neal Chariot Wines (B+)

I hadn’t heard of Jim Neal’s Chariot wines when I discovered they were available locally and reasonably priced. I did a web search and found these blog entries:

Winecast: Jim Neal, Chariot, Diana 2002

Vinography: Jim Neal Wine

Those posts convinced me to buy a few bottles of the 2004 Diana Red (B+) and the 2003 Sangiovese (B). I’m glad I did. They’re both great. The Sangiovese is light and a perfect match for pizza or almost any food. It’s like a pinot noir-ish chianti. The Diana is bolder and worked equally well as a pre-dinner aperitif, as an accompaniment to a rarely cooked t-bone and later as a dessert wine with a piece of spicy chili-laced chocolate. I’m not sure what the varietal breakdown is but it tastes like a hearty Rhone syrah blend. These are exceptional values. I think the Sangiovese retails for $12-14 and the Diana for $15-16.