Winemaker Notes
Critical Acclaim
All VintagesLush and minerally, this wine is led by the richness of Roussanne and the crispness of Grenache Blanc and Picpoul Blanc.
The 2019 Esprit de Tablas Blanc is made primarily from Roussanne, blended with 20% Grenache Blanc, 14% Picpoul Blanc and 3% Picardin. It has a very pretty spiced apple perfume, with touches of musk and white flowers, honey and apricots. The palate is pleasantly lifted and tangy at this stage, hinting at broader, more savory tones to come with time in the bottle.
Crisp and elegant, with dried honeysuckle, pear and dried apricot notes that gain complexity as details of green cardamom, celery leaf, matcha and green apple skin linger on the finish. Roussanne, Grenache Blanc, Picpoul Blanc and Picardan. Drink now.
Tablas Creek is a pioneer of California’s Rhone movement. Founded in 1989, it is the culmination of a friendship between two of the international wine community’s leading families dating back to 1967: the Perrin family of Chateau de Beaucastel and the Haas family of Vineyard Brands. After a four-year search, the partners chose Paso Robles, California for its many similarities to the Southern Rhone and began the lengthy process of importing vine cuttings, building a grapevine nursery, and creating an estate vineyard from the ground up. Today, the vineyards at Tablas Creek are proudly Biodynamic® and organic certified by Demeter USA.
Full-bodied and flavorful, white Rhône blends originate from France’s Rhône Valley. Today these blends are also becoming popular in other regions. Typically some combination of Grenache Blanc, Marsanne, Roussanne and Viognier form the basis of a white Rhône blend with varying degrees of flexibility depending on the exact appellation. Somm Secret—In the Northern Rhône, blends of Marsanne and Roussanne are common but the south retains more variety. Marsanne, Roussanne as well as Bourboulenc, Clairette, Picpoul and Ugni Blanc are typical.