This Pinot Grigio shows the ripeness and sunshine that Paso Robles can bring to a crisp white wine. The striking nose of this wine is chock-full of tropical fruits and white flowers, cut by the crisp freshness our Pinot Grigio has become famous for. Drier than most Pinot Grigio’s, this wine is your classic crisp, fresh and go to white wine!
Vineyard Notes
Fossil Creek is on the West Side of Paso Robles, owned and farmed by the Dusi Family. The vineyard is planted mostly to Zinfandel, but has two blocks of Pinot Grigio nestled in the middle of the 33-acre property. The property is located in the Willow Creek AVA, at the corner of Arbor Road and Kiler Canyon Road.
I was born and raised on the Dusi Vineyard where my grandfather, Dante taught me the old world Italian style of winemaking. My family’s heritage dates back to the early 1920’s, where grape growing has been a craft that has deep roots in the Dusi family. The farming practices that were implemented by my great-grandparents eighty years ago, are still the standard that we follow today. The unique, hand crafted quality of J Dusi Wines results from my intimate involvement in every step of the process: working in the vineyard, driving the tractor, hand picking my own fruit, crushing the grapes and fermenting the juice from the bins to the barrels to the bottle. One thing that I know for sure; winemaking is part science, part art and 100% passion.
I take great pride in blending tradition with progress. My family has partnered together to purchase other vineyards, with different grape varietals, so with an adventurous spirit, I am able to produce more hand crafted wines to highlight my “spice rack” in the cellar. My name is Janell Dusi. My label is J Dusi Wines. I am a farmer and I am a winemaker. I continue a legacy and also the dream: A family tradition with a new perspective.
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
2018 J Dusi Pinot Grigio, Paso Robles - $20 = 16.66%
Bright straw color. Fresh lemon, pear and honeydew melon on the nose and in the mouth. Silky and open-knit, showing good clarity and a touch of warmth on the supple finish, which echoes the melon note.
(taken from winery website)
More minerality than I was expecting from a Pinot Grigio. I would liken this wine to if a Viogner and a Sauv Blanc had a baby, this would be it. Lighter in body, with some zesty and grassy notes to it. The palate is fairly crisp with a lighter mouthfeel and with maybe notes of lemongrass, maybe young nectarines and/or guava. Not as fruity as I would expect a Pinot Grigio to be. But over the course of dinner it kinda grew on me, and the tropical fruit bites got stronger. Went pretty well with a fried catfish dinner.
@nccrocker From the description, this sounds more like a Northwest-style Pinot Gris rather than what I expect from a California offering. I don’t like the usual sweetness and I do like minerality, a term I mostly think of in dry riesling.
@JDusiWines
Yes, it is! My absolute favorite Pinot Grigio and one of the wines that we served at our wedding reception 4 years ago. I hedged my bets when you offered your Rose here in February by buying a case of the PG from your website (along with a case of the Rose from here, of course). Happy to grab another case today at the Casemates price.
@JDusiWines
Also should mention that my wife and I polished off a bottle of 2009 J Dusi Zinfandel the other night with some deep dish pizza. The pizza was disappointing but the wine was tasty and still going strong.
Good cork integrity. Slight bricking but no noticeable oxidation. A little jammy, a little spicy on the nose. Similar on the palate with raspberry fruit accompanied by some blackberry and currant. A touch of earthiness. Brambly spice on the mid-palate that became more noticeable when paired with the pizza. Medium+ finish, medium tannin. Almost no sediment.
Very enjoyable Zin and a good match with the pizza (would have been better still with some BBQ) even though the pizza itself was sub-par. Here’s hoping we see an uptick in J Dusi offers in the future so that we can explore even more of their wines (like the flagship Zin, hint hint). Still kicking myself for missing out on that Model ‘M’!
@chipgreen@JDusiWines Try this recipe next time you want to make deep dish. I make it in my Lodge cast iron skillet. Comes out great every time. FWIW, if you have some cherry tomatoes or romas around, you can blister them in the oven and use that instead of sauce. If you use mushrooms, cook them first. https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/crispy-cheesy-pan-pizza-recipe
@chipgreen@JDusiWines and while we’re throwing hints out there, I wouldn’t mind seeing the rose again. I was a labrat for that deal and have been kicking myself every 90 degree day that I passed (it was February and I wasn’t in the mood, what else can I say in my defense?)
@veevandyke Yes, I would say more Italian style and why we went with “Pinot Grigio” although it has great acid, its not too much acid. There is some ripeness in there but still very crisp, clean and refreshing!
@JDusiWines@veevandyke To JDusiWines, just wondering if there is a reason you would not call it a Pinot Gris? Is there any legal distinction or is it just a matter of style and expectations? possibly just what the retail market expects to be “normal.” (I like not-normal so maybe that’s just me)
@JDusiWines@pmarin My understanding is the Pinot Gris depicts a certain “style” of the grape… one that is has more fruit and less minerals, a-la California. An Italian style wine of the same grape has more minerality and is typically drier. (Which as noted above, I VASTLY prefer. To the point where I typically will not buy said Pinot’s unless they come from Willamette Valley, but I digress.)
This wine is (hopefully) much more Italian in nature and thus the Pinot Grigio designation. But I’m sure J Dusi will have a much more intelligent answer on this one.
@pseudogourmet98 Yep, that is the question. Got one already. This stuff is solid and the price is so right. Great for guests and bringing to parties. Could go quick. . . I guess, since I’m being strict with my budget, and it’s now tapped out, I gotta pass on the 2nd case.
Howdy folks! Friendly rodent taster here to give you some added info.
We were very pleased to receiving the wine a few days prior to offer.
Obligatory photos of the labels:
Very pale yellow in color.
Upon pop and pour, not much on the nose, but it was straight from the refrigerator, so not terribly surprising. After warming up for 10 mins in the glass, hints of grapefruit and some orange blossom(?). Not exactly what I was expecting, but not unpleasant.
Initial sip was muted as well, still too cold. As it continued to warm, additional notes of apricot and slight petrol. I checked the bottle to see if there was any riesling blended, but no indication of it. By the third or fourth sip, a bit more bitterness and minerality. By the end of the glass, was a bit surprised it went so fast.
From Michelle: Good. Tastes pretty standard for Pinot grigio. Sweet after taste. I prefer it slightly warmer. I ate it with a soy sauce based asian chicken and noodle dish with some spice and it went well.
Definitely a nice daily drinker. A bit more complex than many pinot grigios, though aligns with the standard profile. Guessed $10-12/bottle for QPR, so at case price of $8, seems like a good deal for a crisp, easy drinking, summer white.
@jasisk
Good to read you again! Definitely improves as it warms a little and gets some air time. I recently had a bottle of the '16 and the '18 vintages within days of each other. At first, I thought that I preferred the '16 as it seemed a little more expressive. But once the '18 really opened up it was as good or better than the '16.
Wow, you still have a bottle of 16 lying around! Yes, although this weather screams ice cold Pinot Grigio… it does show more expression a littler warmer than ice cold!
My wife has liked the 2016 and 2017, so I’m in for a case of this 2018! Hopefully she won’t be disappointed (Pinot Grigio is just not my cup of tea, so to speak ).
@Kildahl@TimW Well, 2-day “ideal” – I am on West coast so it went by truck. There was a “late trailer” meaning it missed the shipment target, thought it made it to Portland 15 mi away, which was good. Ideally in an air conditioned warehouse. The mystery was that the next day it went 200 miles North to Tacoma WA, spent a few hours sightseeing, then came back, ready for delivery the following day.
2018 J Dusi Pinot Grigio, Paso Robles
Tasting Notes
90 Points, Wine Enthusiast
Vineyard Notes
Specs
Included in the Box
Price Comparison
$246.90 at J. Dusi Wines for 12x 2018 J Dusi Pinot Grigio, Paso Robles
About The Winery
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Tuesday, September 8th
J Dusi Pinot Grigio
6 bottles for $59.99 $10/bottle + $1.33/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $99.99 $8.33/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
2018 J Dusi Pinot Grigio
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
2018 J Dusi Pinot Grigio, Paso Robles - $20 = 16.66%
88pts - Vinous,Josh Raynolds, September 2018
Bright straw color. Fresh lemon, pear and honeydew melon on the nose and in the mouth. Silky and open-knit, showing good clarity and a touch of warmth on the supple finish, which echoes the melon note.
(taken from winery website)
Can’t find the WE review mentioned
5200 cases per winery website
fwiw
More minerality than I was expecting from a Pinot Grigio. I would liken this wine to if a Viogner and a Sauv Blanc had a baby, this would be it. Lighter in body, with some zesty and grassy notes to it. The palate is fairly crisp with a lighter mouthfeel and with maybe notes of lemongrass, maybe young nectarines and/or guava. Not as fruity as I would expect a Pinot Grigio to be. But over the course of dinner it kinda grew on me, and the tropical fruit bites got stronger. Went pretty well with a fried catfish dinner.
@nccrocker great report - thanks
@nccrocker Sounds good to me. Ordered.
@nccrocker From the description, this sounds more like a Northwest-style Pinot Gris rather than what I expect from a California offering. I don’t like the usual sweetness and I do like minerality, a term I mostly think of in dry riesling.
This is the perfect Summer wine… Crisp & fresh! A Pinot Grigio with all that Paso Robles sunshine!
@JDusiWines
Yes, it is! My absolute favorite Pinot Grigio and one of the wines that we served at our wedding reception 4 years ago. I hedged my bets when you offered your Rose here in February by buying a case of the PG from your website (along with a case of the Rose from here, of course). Happy to grab another case today at the Casemates price.
Thank you Janell and WineDavid!
@JDusiWines
Also should mention that my wife and I polished off a bottle of 2009 J Dusi Zinfandel the other night with some deep dish pizza. The pizza was disappointing but the wine was tasty and still going strong.
Good cork integrity. Slight bricking but no noticeable oxidation. A little jammy, a little spicy on the nose. Similar on the palate with raspberry fruit accompanied by some blackberry and currant. A touch of earthiness. Brambly spice on the mid-palate that became more noticeable when paired with the pizza. Medium+ finish, medium tannin. Almost no sediment.
Very enjoyable Zin and a good match with the pizza (would have been better still with some BBQ) even though the pizza itself was sub-par. Here’s hoping we see an uptick in J Dusi offers in the future so that we can explore even more of their wines (like the flagship Zin, hint hint). Still kicking myself for missing out on that Model ‘M’!
@chipgreen @JDusiWines Try this recipe next time you want to make deep dish. I make it in my Lodge cast iron skillet. Comes out great every time. FWIW, if you have some cherry tomatoes or romas around, you can blister them in the oven and use that instead of sauce. If you use mushrooms, cook them first.
https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/crispy-cheesy-pan-pizza-recipe
@chipgreen @JDusiWines and while we’re throwing hints out there, I wouldn’t mind seeing the rose again. I was a labrat for that deal and have been kicking myself every 90 degree day that I passed (it was February and I wasn’t in the mood, what else can I say in my defense?)
So it sounds like this would be more of an Italian Pinot Grigio vs a California Pinot Grigio. (I prefer the Italian style by a long shot.)
@veevandyke Yes, I would say more Italian style and why we went with “Pinot Grigio” although it has great acid, its not too much acid. There is some ripeness in there but still very crisp, clean and refreshing!
@JDusiWines In for a case. If I had more room, I would have gone for 2. Loved your Model M, too.
@JDusiWines @veevandyke agreed on the Model M! Really loving it!!!
@JDusiWines @veevandyke To JDusiWines, just wondering if there is a reason you would not call it a Pinot Gris? Is there any legal distinction or is it just a matter of style and expectations? possibly just what the retail market expects to be “normal.” (I like not-normal so maybe that’s just me)
@JDusiWines @pmarin My understanding is the Pinot Gris depicts a certain “style” of the grape… one that is has more fruit and less minerals, a-la California. An Italian style wine of the same grape has more minerality and is typically drier. (Which as noted above, I VASTLY prefer. To the point where I typically will not buy said Pinot’s unless they come from Willamette Valley, but I digress.)
This wine is (hopefully) much more Italian in nature and thus the Pinot Grigio designation. But I’m sure J Dusi will have a much more intelligent answer on this one.
Perfect timing. Polished off the last bottle of the case of J Dusi Pinot Grigio just last week. Only question is one case or two.
@pseudogourmet98 Yep, that is the question. Got one already. This stuff is solid and the price is so right. Great for guests and bringing to parties. Could go quick. . . I guess, since I’m being strict with my budget, and it’s now tapped out, I gotta pass on the 2nd case.
Howdy folks! Friendly rodent taster here to give you some added info.
We were very pleased to receiving the wine a few days prior to offer.
Obligatory photos of the labels:
Very pale yellow in color.
Upon pop and pour, not much on the nose, but it was straight from the refrigerator, so not terribly surprising. After warming up for 10 mins in the glass, hints of grapefruit and some orange blossom(?). Not exactly what I was expecting, but not unpleasant.
Initial sip was muted as well, still too cold. As it continued to warm, additional notes of apricot and slight petrol. I checked the bottle to see if there was any riesling blended, but no indication of it. By the third or fourth sip, a bit more bitterness and minerality. By the end of the glass, was a bit surprised it went so fast.
From Michelle: Good. Tastes pretty standard for Pinot grigio. Sweet after taste. I prefer it slightly warmer. I ate it with a soy sauce based asian chicken and noodle dish with some spice and it went well.
Definitely a nice daily drinker. A bit more complex than many pinot grigios, though aligns with the standard profile. Guessed $10-12/bottle for QPR, so at case price of $8, seems like a good deal for a crisp, easy drinking, summer white.
@jasisk
Good to read you again! Definitely improves as it warms a little and gets some air time. I recently had a bottle of the '16 and the '18 vintages within days of each other. At first, I thought that I preferred the '16 as it seemed a little more expressive. But once the '18 really opened up it was as good or better than the '16.
@jasisk Thanks for reporting and the pics
Wow, you still have a bottle of 16 lying around! Yes, although this weather screams ice cold Pinot Grigio… it does show more expression a littler warmer than ice cold!
My wife has liked the 2016 and 2017, so I’m in for a case of this 2018! Hopefully she won’t be disappointed (Pinot Grigio is just not my cup of tea, so to speak
).
/giphy nimble-traceable-asparagus
Liked this two times ago, want again even though I just bit on one the other day. Isn’t that the way. Sold, though
I have passed or missed this offer to many times. Always regret by reading the post. In for a case
I imagine it will still be terribly hot in the Midwest on September 9th. How will it be shipped under thoses adverse conditions?
@Kildahl all shipping is still 2-day UPS
@Kildahl @TimW
in styro
@Kildahl @TimW Well, 2-day “ideal” – I am on West coast so it went by truck. There was a “late trailer” meaning it missed the shipment target, thought it made it to Portland 15 mi away, which was good. Ideally in an air conditioned warehouse. The mystery was that the next day it went 200 miles North to Tacoma WA, spent a few hours sightseeing, then came back, ready for delivery the following day.
@Kildahl @pmarin @TimW
Couldn’t resist. It may be a warm September.
/giphy floppy-workable-trout
/giphy welcome-rural-toy
/giphy goulish-slim-tent
/giphy ludicrous-dusty-shrimp
/giphy quality-discreet-heat
@cocacola08 …ain’t that the truth!
This seems like just the thing to take the edge off the wildfires all around us - in for a case …
/giphy worthwhile-reverent-expansion
@stolicat
I hope they are contained soon!
Based on our recent “M” alone, we’d be in…
/giphy abundant-rainy-toothbrush
Agreed. The storms that came through on Sunday morning were not good. Same with the ones on Monday AM.
All the praise to the firefighters. It’s hard to even go for a walk in this heat, can’t imagine fighting a fire.
/giphy perfect-nebulous-death
