Tobin James, Dusi Vineyard Zinfandel, Paso Robles

Great nose, typical Tobin James profile, starting to show its age

Wonderful fruit forward wine typical of Paso and Tobin James. I like the jammy flavors and smoky finish that some may find a little strong, but could easily add a few bottles to the collection. Dusi's are always enjoyable.

Drinks very well now. Voluptuous mouth-feel. Balanced long finish of complex, ripe berry, some smoke and meat-house flavors. Wow.

Nice big zin. Intense flavors. Lacks complexity but otherwise great. Big 15.5% alcohol.

Fruit and funk on the nose. Jammy fruitbomb without much structure behind it. This may have peaked, but can't say I enjoyed this wine much.

9/15/07 - Medium purple red color. The expressive nose churns out blackberries and dark fruits. If anyone wants an example of a wine with blackberry on the nose, this is it! The palate is a powerful mix of jammy blackberry, brambles, tobacco, and earth. This full-bodied wine has excellent ripeness, low acidity, and resolved tannins. The finish is fruit-driven with adequate length. On day 2, the alcohol has poked through giving the wine more heat than I prefer, but on …

Drank with neighbors with smoked ribeye. At first it seemed the wine had an off flavor however it matured nicely and was even appreciated by a Frenchman....that's 3 for 3; gotcha again Frenchy.

No decant. Dusty nose. Jammy fruit pallet. Satisfying finish, medium peperry hot. Very good experience. - vcb

Usual Tobin James. Exellent drinking Zin. Can stand alone or great with prime rib as this one was.

Very, very nice Zin. Big and ripe. Good balance, no heat.

Another Dusi fruit bomb. More balanced/subtle than the Chumaeia offering. Still very fruit forward with limited oak/spiciness. If you are looking for a less intense zin this is not for you. Very well done in that this wine highlights the Dusi vineyard well.

The book on Tobin James is that he takes pride in making his wines individualistic, starting with their names. This Zinfadel does indeed have character with much more light fruit complexity than is commonly associated with this varietal. There still was enough earth, tobacco and pepper to satisfy even the most die-hard Zinfadel afficionado. Excellent complement to an Emeril beef dish. I would buy this wine again. Good value.