Beverage of the Week (BOW)
Tablas Creek Esprit de Tablas Adelaida District 2022
Product Story
The 2022 Esprit de Tablas is a charming and nuanced Châteauneuf du Pape tribute created in Paso Robles by Tablas Creek. This is Tablas Creek’s flagship red blend, and it never fails to impress. It’s crafted with 40% Mourvedre, 28% Grenache, 22% Syrah, 4% Vaccarese, 3% Counoise, and 3% Cinsaut. The blend changes from vintage to vintage, but the Esprit de Tablas is always led by Mourvedre. While being a wine of the vintage, this wine is incredibly consistent, never failing to rate at 96 points or greater in our 10 years of evaluations. The 2022 vintage was their third year of drought, but fortunately, the rain that did fall came early in the season. The cluster counts were down about 15%, and the overall yields for the vintage were quite low, resulting in concentrated and intense fruit. The Esprit de Tablas grapes were grown on its certified organic and biodynamic estate vineyard. They were fermented with native yeasts in wooden, upright, 1,500-gallon fermenters and closed stainless steel tanks. The best lots were blended in June 2023 and then rested in 1,200-gallon foudres before bottling in July 2023. This wine will only get better with time in the cellar — leave it for at least a decade.
Brand Story
Tablas Creek is a unique animal on the California wine scene. They are unquestioned pioneers in the movement of Rhône-styled wines in California and many consider them to be the absolute best-in-class. While many wineries in California make wines with classic Rhône varietals, Tablas Creek makes wines with the heart and soul of the Rhône. They were founded in 1989 by a collaboration between two iconic wine families – the Perin family of Chateau de Beaucastel and the Haas family of Vineyard Brands. Together they chose vineyard locations in Paso Robles, imported vine cuttings from the Rhône, and built vineyards and a winery from the dirt up. Their vineyard site in the Adelaida District of Paso Robles is a close match to climatic conditions and soils found at Chateau de Beaucastel. Their wines are not at all typically Californian in style. While they are not merely replicas of Rhône wines, they are rather a unique expression of Paso Robles fruit grown at elevation with the winemaking touch of an old Rhône master. I love how the Tablas Creek wines are always true to their respective vineyards and vintages. The wines convey a sense of being expertly managed rather than manipulated. Bravo!
Tasting Note
Brilliant, medium ruby color. The aromatics are intense, offering scents of boysenberry, blackberry, and forest floor with supporting notes of black currant, cigar box, tomato leaf, raspberry, and pomegranate. The palate echoes the nose delivering a red and black fruits-driven core with flavors of blackberry, red currant, earth, cured meat, and dark chocolate. The finish is long and lingering with chewy tannins. Full-bodied and perfectly balanced with a meaty texture.
How to Serve
This intense wine really needs to be decanted to be fully enjoyed. It does drink well now but it needs years in the cellar for it to show you all that it has. Pair with duck breast, roasted lamb, or beef braised in red wine.
Price: $ 70
BevX Review: http://bevx.com/wine-detail/?id=4461
