Tablas Creek Syrah Adelaida District 2023

The Data

Country USA

Appellation Adelaida District

Varietal Syrah

Retail Price $55

ABV 13.5%

Score 4.5 Stars/95 points

In the Glass

Appearance

Brilliant, deep ruby color.

Aromatics

The aromatics are intense, offering scents of black plum, earth, and mocha with supporting notes of black tea, dark chocolate, guanciale, and leather.

Flavor

The palate confirms the nose, delivering a red and black fruit-driven core with flavors of blackberry, five spice, tamarind, and hints of licorice and mineral. The finish is long and lingering with dry tannins.

Intensity & Texture

Full-bodied and perfectly balanced with a meaty 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, among them a lovely varietal, Syrah. What could be cooler?

Value Grade

At $55 a bottle, it's not a bargain hunter's Rhône Ranger of choice, but this is one of the most delicious varietal Syrah wines that we have experienced. Just 800 cases made.

Analysis

The 2023 Tablas Creek Vineyard Syrah is Tablas Creek’s 16th varietal bottling of the famous Rhone varietal, and it’s our second official review of their Syrah. Both wines are spectacular. Tablas Creek uses most of its Syrah in its iconic blends, but luckily, it reserves a bit for this single varietal bottling. The 2023 vintage started with our wettest winter on record, which replenished groundwater and delayed budbreak. It was followed by the coolest growing season in over 10 years. The cold temperature and slow start resulted in a harvest that started roughly a month later than recent years. The extended hang time and gradual ripening resulted in intense and complex fruit. The grapes for this wine were grown in Tablas Creek's certified organic and biodynamic estate vineyard. This wine is crafted from various lots of Syrah. Some are developed in new oak, while others are crafted in more neutral oak. The wines are blended in June 2024 in one, 1200-gallon foudre for nearly a year before bottling in April 2025.

How to Enjoy

Serve at cellar temperature, ideally decanted to allow the aromatics and flavors to bloom fully. This is a wine for aging, so if you can be patient, you will be rewarded. Pair with braised lamb, grilled ribeyes, or Merguez sausage.