Never idle is a beautifully manicured 8-acre, dry-farmed vineyard, nestled in the hills of the West Side of the Templeton Wind Gap. This vineyard was carefully chosen to expand varietal diversity among the J Dusi wine program.
Bringing J Dusi into the public realm of the wine industry has been a life-long dream for me. I grew up living on the vineyard, participating in grape farming, and begging for my Grandfather to teach me the winemaking process.
My first vintage was when I was sixteen. My Grandfather guided me through the process from the recollection of the days when his family ran the original āDusi Wineryā back in the '50s. I learned, from him, the REAL Italian way to make wine, which happened to be a slight variation of todayās California style wines.
My Great-Grandparents, Sylvester and Caterina Dusi settled into Paso Robles in the early twenties. They had three sons; Guido, Dante, and Benito Dusi. They were active proprietors in many local businesses including vineyards, farming, restaurants, and Dusi Winery. I was born and raised in the vineyard that my Grandfather Dante, his father and two brothers planted in 1945. As vineyards were rare in the area at that time, Zinfandel was the Italian varietal of choice. They implemented the farming practices of head-pruned vines and no irrigation, dry farming. Today, 65 years later, we still carry on their farming traditions and uphold one of the areas most loved vineyards. Dusi grapes can be found in some of the most sought after Zinfandels in Paso Robles.
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)
2017 J Dusi Sly Red Blend - $60 = 23.06%
Hello Casemateys!! I get the honor and pleasure of sharing this particular rattage with you all. This past Thursday, I received the mail and found a single vertical box. These boxes happen to be one of/ if not, my absolute favorite delivery. It means Iām a lab rat! Happy National Drink Wine Day. This holiday was getting celebrated no matter what, but I got extra lucky.
On to the wine review.
The J Dusi Sly arrived cool to the touch, but just to ensure accuracy, it was cooled for an additional hour to 60F. I was super excited about the Grenache/Tempranillo/Syrah blend in here and had to jump in as soon as possible!
Pop and pour:
We poured a taste for our family gathering, 6 adults, and decanted the rest. Initial impressions: light ruby cherry color, the legs were well noted, and the bouquet reflected fresh berries, cherries, and a bit of alcohol, not overwhelming though. On palate, medium body, berries, red cherry, vanilla, balanced acidity, and a long, lingering finish. Dry but complex, we paired it with charcuterie at first. The wine paired very well with Camembert cheese, goat cheese, and Spanish chorizo.
@davratoro Thanks for the review. The comparison to Clarkās Grenache is helpful since many of us had (and probably still have) that. Pairing info is helpful; seems like what I would expect. I have no problem with red wine with a fish (in particular Northwest Salmon + Northwest Pinot noir is a great pairing).
Also the pic image reminds me that I havenāt watched āSidewaysā in a long timeā¦
@davratoro BTW for anyone wondering about the comment, the image was rotated 90 degrees (sideways) for a few hours this AM. But then later got corrected which is good.
Iām pretty sure this wine has nothing in common with the mediocre Merlots of 20 yrs ago that were highlighted in that movie.
Just curious about this style of red blend. Iām not familiar with blends like this from the region, but I generally like GSM style, which is Grenache-Syrah-Mourvedre. So this basically substitutes Tempranillo for the āMā in GSM. Some fine GSMs are available from WA producers. Just wondering how this might compare.
Hoping for rattage and/or winemaker comments (ideally both!)
EDIT I see that there is a new rat posting already. sounds good so far. Thanks.
That was my thought with this wine blend, being āslyā and sneaking in Tempranillo in place of the MourvĆØdre in a GSM. Tempranillo brings the attributes of earthiness that MourvĆØdre can bring. The 2017 has fruit tannin that a subtle but nice. It might be tough to pair with seafood as I would lean toward red meat for a better pairing. All three varietal come from the same vineyard to create this Sly blend.
Janell Dusi
@JDusiWines how does this compare to your Model M wine? We particularly enjoy it and look forward to trying more of your offerings! Thanks for any insight you can provide.
@thinksno16 Well, the Model M has a fair amount Zinfandel in the blend so it boasts a lot of richer deeper Zin fruit than the Sly. The Grenache in the Sly brings lighter red fruits to this blend. This is a much higher price point than the model M and a dry unfiltered and u fined wine that showcases the vineyard designate, Never Idle Vineyard on the west side of Paso Robles
@pupator Well, I got caught up in a flooring, quarter-round, stairnose debacle yesterday and completely forgot to come back and order. ARGH!! I really wanted this one. Teach me to pull the trigger immediately instead of pondering things.
@TimW I looked back through my purchases, and Iāve purchased the J Dusi Pinot Grigio 3 times! My wife really likes it (Iām not much of a fan of Pinot Grigio).
@SmittyWine Just noticed this. Too late for this one, but thought Iād ask. Where in MO are you? Iām in the north Lake of the Ozarks area (Versailles is the closest town).
Patience is a virtue! And then this one is a doo-zy!! See what I did there?
Upon opening, this wonderful blend had a black raspberry and vanilla nose. The color was a pleasant ruby red, lighter than I expected based on what I was smelling. The first sip was heavy on strawberry jam and acid notes, not in an unpleasant way, but definitely needed some time to settle down.
This is where the patience comes in. My wife and I let an hour go by after our initial half pours. Thatās when things got amazing. The tart acid dampens a bit to a pleasant, refreshing quality and boy does the dark fruit start to show like blackberry. The savory notes start to pop out as well with a strong leather presence and a bit of baking spice to balance out the fruit. This is when I really started to savor this wine. The depths of flavor just keep going deeper and deeper.
Weād already had dinner, so we decided to try Sly with a few single origin chocolates and see how it paired. The earthy Ecuadorian and floral Madagascar didnāt do a lot of favors for this wine, but the fruity Tanzania seemed to amplify the fruit notes while balancing it with a bit of chocolatey goodness. More surprising, a nicely balanced milk chocolate really brought out the earthy notes of this wine. My wife was less enamored by the combination than I was. After one of the milk chocolate pieces, this wine still had a nice ripe fruit backbone, but a truly exquisite savory palate of the aforementioned leather and a bit of smoke.
We enjoyed these few glasses the first evening, but decided to seal up the bottle and see how it is the next day. Wow, was that a good move. The next day showed just how well this wine holds up. Much like the saying that a great coffee is just as good after it gets cold, a great wine will be great at least the next day after opening (IMHO). The 2017 Sly didnāt disappoint either. It definitely held some of its fruitiness, but the depth of leather, smoke, and spice really started to shine though. Gone was the tart acidity on the back of the tongue and it was replaced with an unctuous rounded wine of pure deliciousness. No bitterness, no unpleasant notes. Just smooth drinking.
This would easily hold up to your typical red wine foods, red sauces, fatty meats, etc. As long as you give it some time to breathe, it doesnāt even need food at all!!!
I think it should hold up for a bit cellared as well, maybe even developing some more depth in the flavors and maybe losing a little bit of the ripe fruit notes if you arenāt into that sort of thing. I think itās quite nice right now and would be happy with it as it is for a while. As I said in the title, itās a dus-i. Nothing to knock it for if you like a GSM with a bit more fruit, a little less body, and a nice spice note from the tempranillo. Anything under $25 a bottle is a steal and at the case price, this wine is basically free.
@neilornot Great review. I also judge a wine by how it drinks the next day so that helped me pull the trigger on this dus-i. Plus free is a very good price.
@zekeswine1 I didnāt want to say it outright but I think I liked it better overall the second day. It had a much richer, smoother tone. Not so much bright fruit. But man, this wine takes you on a journey as it opens up and the different grapes feature more prominently.
Thanks! In a normal world I would be that way a couple times a year but not currently. Iāll keep this in mind for future offerings, please keep me in mind as well. When things get back to normal anyway. @danidani12
2017 J Dusi Sly, Paso Robles
Food Pairing
Vineyard Notes
Specs
Included in the Box
3-bottles:
Case:
Price Comparison
$517.67/Case at J. Dusi Wines for 12x 2017 J Dusi Sly, 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
Thursday, Mar 18 - Monday, Mar 22
J Dusi Sly Red Blend
3 bottles for $64.99 $21.66/bottle + $2.67/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $199.99 $16.67/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
2017 J Dusi Sly Red Blend
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
2017 J Dusi Sly Red Blend - $60 = 23.06%
2017 J Dusi Sly, Paso Robles
Hello Casemateys!! I get the honor and pleasure of sharing this particular rattage with you all. This past Thursday, I received the mail and found a single vertical box. These boxes happen to be one of/ if not, my absolute favorite delivery. It means Iām a lab rat! Happy National Drink Wine Day. This holiday was getting celebrated no matter what, but I got extra lucky.
On to the wine review.
The J Dusi Sly arrived cool to the touch, but just to ensure accuracy, it was cooled for an additional hour to 60F. I was super excited about the Grenache/Tempranillo/Syrah blend in here and had to jump in as soon as possible!
Pop and pour:
We poured a taste for our family gathering, 6 adults, and decanted the rest. Initial impressions: light ruby cherry color, the legs were well noted, and the bouquet reflected fresh berries, cherries, and a bit of alcohol, not overwhelming though. On palate, medium body, berries, red cherry, vanilla, balanced acidity, and a long, lingering finish. Dry but complex, we paired it with charcuterie at first. The wine paired very well with Camembert cheese, goat cheese, and Spanish chorizo.
Decanter: after 30 minutes, we couldnāt wait and decided to drink the rest with dinner!! We had Cod with a tomato and garlic gastrique, and sautĆ©ed veggies. (Dinner had already been planned, so we were hoping this wine would somewhat pair!). The wine opened up more, with the bit of alcohol completely gone, and the berries and vanilla lingering. This wine in our opinion would easily pair with a variety of foods, but best with cheesy dishes, pasta, pork, or meaty seafood, or can be enjoyed on its own. Everyone gathered liked it so much that they were asking for a second bottle ! This wine reminded me of Clarkās Grenache (Winesmith), which was quickly consumed last year. Guessing the cost, the people present suggested mid 20s per bottle, or around 80 at a restaurant.
Iāll be looking to split a case with my brother at these Casemates prices!!
Thank you Alice and WCC/Casemates for the opportunity!!
@davratoro Thanks for the review. The comparison to Clarkās Grenache is helpful since many of us had (and probably still have) that. Pairing info is helpful; seems like what I would expect. I have no problem with red wine with a fish (in particular Northwest Salmon + Northwest Pinot noir is a great pairing).
Also the pic image reminds me that I havenāt watched āSidewaysā in a long timeā¦
@davratoro BTW for anyone wondering about the comment, the image was rotated 90 degrees (sideways) for a few hours this AM. But then later got corrected which is good.
Iām pretty sure this wine has nothing in common with the mediocre Merlots of 20 yrs ago that were highlighted in that movie.
Just curious about this style of red blend. Iām not familiar with blends like this from the region, but I generally like GSM style, which is Grenache-Syrah-Mourvedre. So this basically substitutes Tempranillo for the āMā in GSM. Some fine GSMs are available from WA producers. Just wondering how this might compare.
Hoping for rattage and/or winemaker comments (ideally both!)
EDIT I see that there is a new rat posting already. sounds good so far. Thanks.
@pmarin
That was my thought with this wine blend, being āslyā and sneaking in Tempranillo in place of the MourvĆØdre in a GSM. Tempranillo brings the attributes of earthiness that MourvĆØdre can bring. The 2017 has fruit tannin that a subtle but nice. It might be tough to pair with seafood as I would lean toward red meat for a better pairing. All three varietal come from the same vineyard to create this Sly blend.
Janell Dusi
@JDusiWines how does this compare to your Model M wine? We particularly enjoy it and look forward to trying more of your offerings! Thanks for any insight you can provide.
@thinksno16 Well, the Model M has a fair amount Zinfandel in the blend so it boasts a lot of richer deeper Zin fruit than the Sly. The Grenache in the Sly brings lighter red fruits to this blend. This is a much higher price point than the model M and a dry unfiltered and u fined wine that showcases the vineyard designate, Never Idle Vineyard on the west side of Paso Robles
@JDusiWines really like your wines, way to keep ācrushing itā
Thanks for for coming back to Casemates!
Anyone in NYC want to split?
SC - Midlands? Anyone want half a case? I loved my last J Dusi case.
@veevandyke Hey Vee, if you got a case and still needed a split Iād be happy to take 6.
Paul
@pupator Well, I got caught up in a flooring, quarter-round, stairnose debacle yesterday and completely forgot to come back and order. ARGH!! I really wanted this one. Teach me to pull the trigger immediately instead of pondering things.
We have loved every J Dusi wine weāve bought here! The Model M is especially wonderful (even more so at the Casemates price!!!).
@TimW I looked back through my purchases, and Iāve purchased the J Dusi Pinot Grigio 3 times! My wife really likes it (Iām not much of a fan of Pinot Grigio).
Anyone in central/west MO interested in a 2-3 way split?
@SmittyWine Just noticed this. Too late for this one, but thought Iād ask. Where in MO are you? Iām in the north Lake of the Ozarks area (Versailles is the closest town).
2017 J Dusi Sly, Paso Robles
Patience is a virtue! And then this one is a doo-zy!! See what I did there?
Upon opening, this wonderful blend had a black raspberry and vanilla nose. The color was a pleasant ruby red, lighter than I expected based on what I was smelling. The first sip was heavy on strawberry jam and acid notes, not in an unpleasant way, but definitely needed some time to settle down.
This is where the patience comes in. My wife and I let an hour go by after our initial half pours. Thatās when things got amazing. The tart acid dampens a bit to a pleasant, refreshing quality and boy does the dark fruit start to show like blackberry. The savory notes start to pop out as well with a strong leather presence and a bit of baking spice to balance out the fruit. This is when I really started to savor this wine. The depths of flavor just keep going deeper and deeper.
Weād already had dinner, so we decided to try Sly with a few single origin chocolates and see how it paired. The earthy Ecuadorian and floral Madagascar didnāt do a lot of favors for this wine, but the fruity Tanzania seemed to amplify the fruit notes while balancing it with a bit of chocolatey goodness. More surprising, a nicely balanced milk chocolate really brought out the earthy notes of this wine. My wife was less enamored by the combination than I was. After one of the milk chocolate pieces, this wine still had a nice ripe fruit backbone, but a truly exquisite savory palate of the aforementioned leather and a bit of smoke.
We enjoyed these few glasses the first evening, but decided to seal up the bottle and see how it is the next day. Wow, was that a good move. The next day showed just how well this wine holds up. Much like the saying that a great coffee is just as good after it gets cold, a great wine will be great at least the next day after opening (IMHO). The 2017 Sly didnāt disappoint either. It definitely held some of its fruitiness, but the depth of leather, smoke, and spice really started to shine though. Gone was the tart acidity on the back of the tongue and it was replaced with an unctuous rounded wine of pure deliciousness. No bitterness, no unpleasant notes. Just smooth drinking.
This would easily hold up to your typical red wine foods, red sauces, fatty meats, etc. As long as you give it some time to breathe, it doesnāt even need food at all!!!
I think it should hold up for a bit cellared as well, maybe even developing some more depth in the flavors and maybe losing a little bit of the ripe fruit notes if you arenāt into that sort of thing. I think itās quite nice right now and would be happy with it as it is for a while. As I said in the title, itās a dus-i. Nothing to knock it for if you like a GSM with a bit more fruit, a little less body, and a nice spice note from the tempranillo. Anything under $25 a bottle is a steal and at the case price, this wine is basically free.
@neilornot Great review. I also judge a wine by how it drinks the next day so that helped me pull the trigger on this dus-i. Plus free is a very good price.
@zekeswine1 I didnāt want to say it outright but I think I liked it better overall the second day. It had a much richer, smoother tone. Not so much bright fruit. But man, this wine takes you on a journey as it opens up and the different grapes feature more prominently.
Any SoCal splits?
@losthighwayz where are you located?
@buffaloroam San Gabriel Valley
@buffaloroam @losthighwayz
4 - 4 - 4 split?
@buffaloroam @losthighwayz
/giphy bejeweled-polite-blademaster
@buffaloroam @MarkDaSpark I am in. If need be Iāll take 6
@losthighwayz @MarkDaSpark I am in for 4-6. Who orders? I can. I am in Santa Monica.
@losthighwayz @MarkDaSpark case purchased.
@buffaloroam Iām near downtown Culver City. Hope to meet you over drinks one of these days!
@buffaloroam @MarkDaSpark I think Mark da spark already purchased
@buffaloroam @losthighwayz @MarkDaSpark
Well, if any become available Iād be in for two or three.
@buffaloroam @losthighwayz @rjquillin
Sounds like youāll get at least 3, with 2 cases purchased.
Sorry buffalo, thought you knew that when we post the giphy, thatās our order.
Maybe someone else in SoCal will take 4 or more bottles? Or more than one will take 2?
Sounds like there are around 7 or so bottles unspoken for ā¦ (10 less the 3 for RJQ), 5 if Buffalo keeps 6, 3 if I keep 6 (rather keep 4).
Wineaux Assemble!
@davirom @hershelk @javadrinker @merrybill @i8dacat @radiolysis @funnywontons @swmbotot
@buffaloroam @davirom @hershelk @i8dacat @javadrinker @losthighwayz @MarkDaSpark @merrybill @radiolysis @rjquillin
Alright you twisted my arm. Iāll take one (er, three) for the team!
@buffaloroam @funnywontons @losthighwayz @rjquillin
Funnywontons, I forget whereabouts you are located. Buffaloās in SM, lost is in SGV, and Iām in LB.
So 2 cases ā¦
Buffalo = 4/6
MdS = 4/6
Losth = 4
RJQ = 3
FunnyW = 3
= 6 or 4 // 2 open
Leaving 2 open bottles OR from 4 to 6 open (depending on if Buffalo or I take 4 or 6 total).
Any other Dusi fans?
@davirom @hershelk @javadrinker @merrybill @i8dacat @radiolysis @swmbotot
@buffaloroam @funnywontons @hershelk @i8dacat @javadrinker @losthighwayz @MarkDaSpark @merrybill @radiolysis @rjquillin Gosh, the peer pressure! OK, Iāll take 2. The wine is starting to stack up on the floor, which I promised myself I wouldnāt do. Guess we need to drink faster!
@buffaloroam @davirom @funnywontons @hershelk @i8dacat @javadrinker @losthighwayz @MarkDaSpark @merrybill @radiolysis
Looks good to me Mark, thanks.
Just āfoundā the Model M that made itās way down here from @Cortot.
@buffaloroam @davirom @funnywontons @hershelk @i8dacat @javadrinker @losthighwayz @MarkDaSpark @merrybill @radiolysis @rjquillin Iāll take a couple.
@buffaloroam @davirom @hershelk @i8dacat @javadrinker @losthighwayz @MarkDaSpark @merrybill @radiolysis @rjquillin
Iām in Arcadia, but totally willing to drive where necessary to pick up!
@buffaloroam @CorTot @davirom @funnywontons @hershelk @i8dacat @javadrinker @losthighwayz @merrybill @radiolysis @rjquillin
Ok, updated log (update corrects that lost offered fo take 6, not Buffalo):
Buffalo = 4
MdS = 4
Losth = 4 / 6
RJQ = 3
FunnyW = 3
Davirom = 2
Cortot = 2
= 2 open IF losthighwayz wants only 4 bottles and someone else wants 2.
@buffaloroam @CorTot @davirom @funnywontons @hershelk @i8dacat @javadrinker @MarkDaSpark @merrybill @radiolysis @rjquillin que?
@buffaloroam @CorTot @davirom @funnywontons @hershelk @i8dacat @javadrinker @losthighwayz @MarkDaSpark @merrybill @radiolysis
I can bump to four.
Anyone in Denver buying? If so Iād be in for 2.
/giphy progressive-rocky-middle
If anyone in southwestern Michigan, northwest Indiana would like to splitā¦ I just ordered a case but would give up half.
@StellaDarling Iām near Indy if you ever make it down this way and would be interested in a split
Thanks! In a normal world I would be that way a couple times a year but not currently. Iāll keep this in mind for future offerings, please keep me in mind as well. When things get back to normal anyway. @danidani12
@StellaDarling absolutely!
Two boxes of Sly received on Friday. Two days of rest for/from bottle/shipping shock.
Sunday Night, one bottle served with wifeās manicottiā¦
Resultā¦
Heavenlyā¦ that is one fine wineā¦