2002 Tobin James Liquid Love

[Innkeeper]

Had a nice day today. We went up to Skowhegan, an old mill town on the Kennebec River, an hour and a half away. The reason was to buy shoes. The New Balance factory such as it still is in this country is there along with a wonderful true factory store. So we shopped there as well as in the Dexter Shoe store in the same town. We ate our principal meal of the day in a local place up there called the Old Mill Pub. We ate outside (temps in the 80s!) on a deck overlooking the dam on the Kennebec in the center of town that still had the old sluice that they used to feed logs down. Enjoyed a lobster roll (quite decent for this far inland) and all the trimmings. Washed it down with Villa Maria Sauvignon Blanc. All wonderful.

Tonight we had 2002 Tobin James, Liquid Love, Late Harvest Zinfandel and cheese. The hard data on the wine includes it measures 17.2 % alcohol; was picked at 35 degrees of brix, and had 5 degrees of brix left as residual sugar. Don’t think there was any fortification as the alcohol level was less the 1% over their French Camp Zinfandel table wine. It was wonderfully luscious. Heaps and heaps of still somewhat spicy fruit on the nose and tongue tip. Perfectly smooth and ice cream thick across the palate, and a finish that went on and on and on. Matched it with a wedge of something called “Drunken Goat Cheese.” Whatever it was, it was great. You may still be able to get some of the wine from TJ at $18 a 375 ml pop. If you belonged to the James Gang, you would have one in your possession now, if you didn’t drink it like we did.


[This message has been edited by Innkeeper (edited 06-09-2004).]