'03 Tobin James Silver Reserve Syrah

[Innkeeper]

2003 Tobin James, Silver Reserve, Paso Robles, Syrah ($38). It came with the Spring ’06 wine club shipment. Alcohol level: 15.5%. One might dismiss this wine as an American version of an overblown Shiraz from Oz rather than a wine more resembling one from the Rhone. Actually, it is something in between, an American Syrah of the first order.

It hits you with a blast of blackberry and black current fruit on the nose and upfront. In the middle you get gobs of additional fruit, with hints of black pepper, other spices and herbs, and a moderate shot of oak. Chewy tannin completed the complexity. The finish lingered on and on. Alcohol was not a problem.

It was an excellent wine, but might be better to have stood another year in the pit. We are going to move up the ’04 and ’05 versions an additional year from planned.

We matched it with rib eye steaks that we seared and briefly roasted in a hot oven; baked potato, and salad with Drew’s all natural Raspberry dressing.

It was a wonderful meal for a Saturday night.