April 25, 2019 - Cheers to Cellar Tracker!! Opened my 2005 Tobin James Fat Boy Zin!!
February 24, 2016 - Nice bottle would order again
April 22, 2012 - Had this last night with friends during a blind tasting (this was not blind). Seven years out of vintage, it is still big, rich, juicy, and massive. Acts and tastes like a much younger Zin - we could have probably waited a couple years and been just as pleased. Drink now or whenever.
November 18, 2010 - Big dark inky beast of a zin from Tobie.. Lots of life in this stuff, maybe should have waited on it? Dark fuits on nose and palate, enjoyed but had it at the end of our meal.. put into a 375 and will try again manana.
September 25, 2010 - Two words. Fruit. Bomb.
April 25, 2010 - The Big Fruit Bomb you can expect from the Tobin James folks. Their wine is never subtle and rarely complex; it's just good wine. This one was no exception. We had it with bread and olive oil....a yummy time. Enjoy!
December 28, 2009 - We got this bottle from TJ's wine club for approx $24 (we used to belong to their wine club and received wine shipments for approx. half of retail price (retail for this bottle being $48 at the time of shipment)) and drank with ribeye steaks and grilled veggies. This is a rich, jammy, delicious Zin, and if you like California Fruit Bombs, this is one of the best Zins that are made in this style. The nose is very fruity and the this Zin is purposely obnoxious; it has a fairly high alocohol level, is very fruity (emphasis on black fruits, like plums and blackberries), has a nicely-controlled amount of oak (the perfect amount in my opinion), is wonderfully earthy and spicy (lots of cracked black pepper), with a long, smooth, lingering finish. This is not a subtle Zin and definitely not for the faint-of-heart. About three to four years ago Arthur and I were obsessed with Zins and couldn't get enough of them; as our palates evolved, we were more drawn to wines that were shy and subdued. Although we're now obsessed with sparklers and Pinots, this is still a fantastic California Zin. The flavors go on for days and this bottle was perfect for grilled steaks and veggies. We also have a 2006 bottle of the Fat Boy and look forward to drinking it in a year or two. This '05 is wonderful as 2010 is just around the corner. If you like big, bold, brash California Zins, I can't imagine a better example than the Fat Boy.
November 20, 2009 - Juicy and massive....would never guess this was a 16% zin, formal notes to come...
September 8, 2009 - Wow. After opening, I thought this is a big bold Zin and it was pretty good, but after it decanted and was paired eith Leg of lamb with a Moroccan spice, the huge fruit of this Zin just settled into a really great experience. Big and bold yes, with the right food, this is great. Not a subtle wine; huge so treat it as such and have a great experience.
December 20, 2008 - Yes. A big fruit bomb...not very memorable.