June 2007 Wine Tasting Notes.
2005 Tobin James, James Gang Reserve Zinfandel, Paso Robles.
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This wine is deep ruby-garnet in color with good clarity. To the nose, it offers intense aromas of plump briary berries supported by medium intensity pepper, blackberry and raspberry and light intensity cream aromas. Sweet oak notes and hints of chocolate embellish the fruit. In the mouth, this wine offers lots of intense briary aromas: blackberry and raspberry. Medium intensity dried cherry and pepper follow. Lighter cream and vanilla are embellished with chocolate notes. This wine is big in body, with slight and delicate tannins, substantial spice and heat. A medium length finish maintains the tempo of the wine, delivering blackberry and tangy cherry ending dry but a bit warm. |
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15.4% Alcohol $28.00 Retail (from winery) Production volume not available. |
This multi-vineyard Zinfandel is full of balls-out fruit. Ripe, but not excessively so. It is a juicy, lightly heady, hedonistic wild child. Enjoy with BBQ, spare ribs, pizza as well as pastas. It is a bit hot, so some might find that it cranks up the afterburner with spicy foods. This wine should hold up well for another three to five years if cellared properly. BOTTOM LINE: Recommended. Good, with appealing characteristics. |
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| Repeat tasting: None. | |||
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More Tobin James Cellars reviews. More on the Paso Robles AVA |
Production | Grapes | Producer | Vineyard | Vintage
Sourced from unspecified vineyards in Paso Robles. Cooperage and other production data is unavailable.
Zinfandel is THE grape of California. Initially thought to be of Italian origins, its ancestry has been traced to the crljenak grape (pronounced: tsoorl-YEN-ak), of Croatian origins. Recent DNA analysis demonstrated this and disproved previous beliefs that it originated from the Primitivo grape. Zinfandel and Primitivo are essentially siblings. It has come a long way since its usage as the core of California 'jug wines' and some great varietal Zinfandel wines are now being produced with wines made from old vine fruit coming into the limelight of late. Zinfandel expresses very fruity, jammy raspberry, blackberry, boysenberry, cranberry and black cherry - often with a prickly or briary note. Cinnamon and Licorice may also be seen. (read more)
Indiana native, Tobin (Toby) James founded his eponymous winery in 1994. Having apprenticed at Estrella River Winery, he worked as assistant winemaker for Gary Eberle (after Gary left Estrella to found his own winery) and went on to be the founding winemaker of Peachy Canyon winery. The 71 acre Tobin James property sits at the intersection of highway 46 and Union Road – the location of an old stagecoach stop. In 1996, James partnered with Lance Silver whose main stylistic contribution has been to affect increased intensity of the already award-winning Tobin James wines. Located 8 or 9 miles east of Highway 101 and the town of Paso Robles, the Tobin James property is just east of the Eos and Meridian estates. It is one of the easternmost properties in the AVA. The climate here is on the warmer, drier side of the Paso Robles climate spectrum and soils of the gently rolling land are deep, well draining and loamy containing clay, sand and silt. The vineyard is planted to Cabernet franc, Cabernet sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah and Zinfandel. Sourcing fruit from all over the Paso Robles and adjacent areas, Tobin James produces 30,000 cases annually.
The 71 acres of the Tobin James property are at the intersection of highway 46 and Union Road, 8 or 9 miles east of Highway 101 and the town of Paso Robles and just east of the Eos and Meridian estates. In the warmer, drier side of the Paso Robles climate spectrum, the vineyard sits on gently rolling land of deep, well draining loamy soils containing clay, sand and silt. The Tobin James property is home to the winery facility as well as the tasting room and a small guesthouse. The vineyard is planted to Cabernet franc, Cabernet sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah and Zinfandel.
The 2005 year saw an increase in crops over the preceding years. The year is being compared to the acclaimed 1997 vintage because of a very long and generally cool growing season without heat spikes. This long season resulted in extended hang times in even temperatures which gave the fruit good extraction but lower sugar levels. The slow ripening of the fruit is expected to make for elegance and balance in the wines of this vintage. Read More
Rating
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Color |
5 points |
(5 points max) |
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Nose |
4 points |
(5 points max) |
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Palate |
4 points |
(5 points max) |
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Finish |
3 points |
(5 points max) |
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Tannins |
5 points |
(5 points max) |
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Acidity |
5 points |
(5 points max) |
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Alcohol |
4 points |
(5 points max) |
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Aging potential |
2 points |
(5 points max) |
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Overall quality |
8 points |
(10 points max) |
Cumulative Score: 90 Points
Rating System & Scoring Criteria explained
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