The Data

Country   USA

Appellation   Adelaida District

Varietal   Grenache Blanc

Retail Price   $40

ABV   12%

Score   4.5 Stars/95 points

In the Glass

Brilliant, medium gold/green color.

The aromatics are intense, offering scents of citrus zest and lemon curd with supporting notes of slate, lemon grass, and spring flowers, with hints of ginger, and jasmine.

The palate confirms the nose delivering a ripe orchard fruits-driven core with flavors of white peach, grapefruit, green apple, and bees wax. The finish is crisp with subtle apple skin tannins and tart citrus accents.

Medium-bodied and perfectly balanced with a vibrant texture.

Cool Factor

Tablas Creek has set the stand for Rhône-styled wines in California. You are not going to find many varietal Grenache Blanc wines and you won't find a better one. What could be cooler?

Value Grade

Selling at $40 a bottle this California-made and Rhône-inspired white checks all of the boxes for accessibility, complexity, and pure hedonistic pleasure. Just 350 cases made.

Analysis

Tablas Creek has been offering a varietal, 100% Grenache Blanc since 1997. It’s a defining, statement wine for sure showcasing the varietal’s unique characteristics and its ability to reflect the vintage. This is the sixth vintage that we have reviewed and it is our clear favorite to date. The 2022 vintage was their third year of drought but luckily some rain did come early in the season. Multiple frosts in April and May further reduced yields leading to a cool beginning of summer and a very hot August and September. An early harvest revealed low yields with intense fruit that can be witnessed in the glass. The Tablas Creek Grenache Blanc 2022 was fermented in primarily stainless steel to retain vibrancy with a small portion fermented in foudre to provide roundness. The lots were blended in May 2023 and bottled with a screw cap closure one month later.

How to Enjoy

This gorgeous wine needs nothing but a glass but it really needs to be decanted for at least 15 minutes — 30 minutes is better. It's a terrific food wine that excels with most any bold seafood preparation.