The Data

Country   USA

Appellation   Paso Robles

Varietal   Red Blend

Retail Price   $28

ABV   13%

Score   4.5 Stars/94 points

In the Glass

Brilliant, deep ruby color.

The aromatics are intense, offering scents of blackberry and mineral with supporting notes of star anise, tamari, and cigar box.

The palate confirms the nose delivering a black fruit-driven core with flavors of black cherry, bramble, black currant, cocoa, and slate. The finish is long and lingering with ripe tannins.

Medium to full-bodied and perfectly balanced with a chewy texture.

Cool Factor

Tablas Creek is a unique winery in California seamlessly marrying Old World and New World winemaking and setting the standard for Rhône varietals in California. What could be cooler?

Value Grade

Selling at $28 a bottle this California-made and Rhône-inspired red checks all of the boxes for accessibility, complexity, and pure hedonistic pleasure. It's a bargain in our book.

Analysis

The great Patelin de Tablas Rouge is made with a unique blend of 54% Syrah, 29% Grenache, 13% Mourvedre, 3% Counoise, and 1% Terret Noir. We have watched the makeup of this wine change through the years (this is our ninth vintage reviewed). Through the years the portion of Syrah has dipped but in 2022 we see the highest percentage of Syrah since the 2014 vintage. The grapes are sourced from multiple vineyard sources including Tablas Creek’s organic estate vineyard, three vineyards in the Templeton Gap, two vineyards in the Adelaida District, as well as vineyards in El Pomar District and Geneseo District. The 2022 vintage was the third drought year on the trot with the little rain coming early in the season. A cool start was followed by a very hot August and September leading to an early start and finish to harvest. The low yields resulted in very concentrated fruit. The wine was fermented in a combination of stainless steel tanks and large, upright oak fermenters. After fermentation the wine was blended and then aged in large oak foudres for a period of six months prior to bottling in July 2023. The resulting wine is meaty while ideally balanced with a great future.

How to Enjoy

Serve at cellar temperature, ideally decanted to allow the aromatics and flavors to fully bloom. Pair with braised beef short ribs, grilled meats, and pastas with rich meat sauces.