2007 Humanitas Chardonnay Oak Free

Type: White
Producer: Humanitas
Variety: Chardonnay
Designation: Oak Free
Country: USA
Region: California
SubRegion: Central Coast
Appellation: Monterey County



The Little Wooden Guy really appreciates good wine without the gratuitous use of wood, so give this one a try.

Night One

The nose has more pears than apples, plus a bit of soft banana. There is also a slight underlying background tropical smell of pineapple.

The palate has a thick glycerin mouth-feel. The flavors open with apple, turning to pineapple and starfruit toward the mid-palate. This is creamy smooth, and a welcome oak- and vanilla-free.

Night Two

The nose is more tropical on Night Two than Night One. The lead fruit is pineapple, some butterscotch, and bruised red apples.

The palate, too, is more tropical on the attack, leading with sweet-tart fresh pineapple plus the soft flavor of banana. Apples appear on the mid-palate, along with some butterscotch, before tartness returns on the mid-palate. The tartness is not the sour tart you would find in lemon or lime, but the sweet tropical bite of a starfruit.

This is good wine. If you have run away from Chardonnay, afraid of juice flavored with wood, vanilla, and butter, come back and try it again.

2006 Humanitas Sauvignon Blanc

Type- White
Producer- Humanitas
Variety- Sauvignon Blanc
Country- USA
Region- California
SubRegion- Central Coast
Appellation- Monterey County

Night One

This is very light pale yellow, perfectly clear, like a yellow diamond.

The nose has some very classic Sauvignon Blanc smells, particularly cut grass and sweet pink grapefuit. It also has some tropical fruits, perhaps mango and pineapple. The palate is a little fat, lacking the acidity I like and expect from this varietal. The grapefruit on the palate is white, not pink, and pineapple is still there. However, it is softened, in my own opinion just a little too much, by some banana. There are many palates that would find this absolutely delightful, and I can not say this is a poor wine, only that it is not a great wine for me. It might be a bit too warm to show at its best- straight from the 56 degree cellar, where whites often shine (the refrigerator is far too cold, closing everything down). I will try it a bit cooler on Night Two.

Night Two

The nose on Night Two is sweeter than on Night One. There is still some cut grass and pink grapefruit. There is something else, too, though, some sweet nougat. The palate is a little better balanced than on Night One. It is still soft, but not fat. The grapefruit on Night Two seems more pink than white, pineapple adds sweetness and banana stays more in the background. I suspect the improvement comes as much from a cooler temperature (about 45 minutes out of the refrigerator) as the extra night. Whatever the reason, this is better tonight than last night.

Humanitas Cabernet Sauvignon Paso Robles 2006

Type- Red
Producer- Humanitas
Variety- Cabernet Sauvignon
Country- USA
Region- California
SubRegion- Central Coast
Appellation- Paso Robles
Alcohol- 13.8%



I received this as a free sample from Humanitas Wines, as part of Twitter Taste Live.

Night One

Toast and hazelnuts open the nose. Black fruit appears once you get all the way into the glass, along with some vanilla.

On the palate, the fruit is very jammy up front, full of plums and blackberries. That is followed almost immediately with chocolate, a lot of chocolate. Tannins are fine and dusty. It sweetens significantly on the mid-palate. It turns to brown sugar and vanilla, clear evidence of a lot of oak. Is it too much oak? Let's give it a second night before we decide.

Night Two

The nose changed completely from Night One to Night Two. Now it showed blackcurrant, eucalyptus and a little cinnamon.

The palate was different too. There was still plenty of dark fruit, blackberry, plum skins, and a little blueberry. The chocolate was still there, too, milk chocolate. Tannins were very fine and added leather to the mid-length finish.

This was a nice bottle of wine. It was not, on Night Two, overpoweringly sweet and sugary. With significant decanting, or even better some years in the cellar, this promises to be a nice wine.