1999 Tobin James Reserve Zin

[Innkeeper]

1999 Tobin James, James Gang Reserve, Paso Robles, Zinfandel ($28). It came in the Spring ’02 shipment, and, thus cost much less. This was one of those zins that you fantasize about! What a wonderful wine! Though weighing in at 15.2% alcohol, you would never guess it. Gobs and gobs of huge jammy fruit on the nose and upfront. Intense spicy fruit, Paso Robles complexity, and bright but tolerable tannin across the palate, with a 5 alarm finish.

Matched it with our leftover curried lamb, with pilaf, and green beans tonight. Why have a wine of this caliber with leftovers? Well, try this:

LEFTOVER LAMB CURRY (Indonesian Style):

1 lb Cooked lamb in small cubes
1 tbl Light olive oil
1 Onion chopped
2 tsp Curry Powder (preferably Indonesian Boemboe Sesate)
1 tsp Ground coriander
1/2 tsp Ground lemongrass
1/2 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Pepper
1/4 tsp Granulated garlic
1 C Coconut milk *
1/2 tbl Arrowroot

Nuke onion in oil. Place in medium saucepan with all the spices (mixed together) and cook five minutes. Add meat and toss until coated with onion/spice mixture on all sides. Add coconut milk and simmer for twenty minutes. Stir in arrowroot till thickened. Serve over cooked rice.

* COCONUT MILK:

1/3 C Unsweetened coconut
1 1/4 C Milk

Combine in small saucepan and slowly bring to boil. Remove from heat and cool. Strain through a fine sieve. Makes one cup of coconut milk. Spread out coconut pulp on an oiled pan. Bake in a 300 degree oven, stirring occasionally, until dark brown. Serve as condiment.

[Kcwhippet]

There's those "Gobs and gobs of huge jammy fruit" Roberto was talking about, but this is Zinfandel. I like it like that.

[Innkeeper]

Gobs and gobs of huge jammy fruit doth not a fruit bomb unless it ends there. Tried to communicate that this wine had much more. We also are more tolerant of jam in zin than in others.