One of the great wine collaborations in North America, the fabled tale of Tablas Creek began when Jean-Pierre and François Perrin and Robert Haas purchased a former alfalfa farm that is set on limestone soils in the Adelaida Hills. From the beginning they focused on Rhône-style wines made organically. The first plantings took place in 1994 and the first Tablas Creek Vineyard wines produced in 1997. The winery has been an incredible success since that time, reaching worldwide acclaim particularly for their Rhone style red and white blends. I was first introduced to these wines in the early 2000s. I was amazed by their consistency and their very old-world style considering the region.
A few weeks back I had a great conversation with Jason Haas, Tablas Creek proprietor, talking about recent vintages as well as stellar wines from my recent Paso Robles Report. I had to chat about one of the outstanding wines of its kind, the 2022 Tablas Creek ‘Espirit Blanc de Tablas’ White Wine (OB, 96) which is the finest white wine that I tasted in my Paso Robles Report. Deeply concentrated and rich, from the extremely warm harvest weather, yet showing good underlying finesse and fabulous flavor range, this is a stunning wine that will sure to please any lover of Rhone-inspired white wines. Learn more about these outstanding wines at https://tablascreek.com Here are the outstanding new wines by Tablas Creek.
2023 Tablas Creek ‘Patelin de Tablas’ Rose The 2023 ‘Patelin de Tablas’ Rose is nearly all Grenache (70%) with the remainder 20% Mourvèdre and small parts Vermentino and Counoise. This is bright and beautiful Rose with a sleek sense of tension and soft mouthfeel. Pretty red cherry, pomegranate seed and rich melon flavors combine with hints of green apple on the palate. Enjoy in its vibrant, nervy youth. Drink 2024-2028- 91
2023 Tablas Creek ‘Dianthus’ Rose- Perpetually one of the finest Rose bottlings you will taste on the West Coast, this 2023 edition comes from this very cool vintage that saw harvest go into November. A blend of 51% Mourvèdre with 38% Grenache and small portions Cinsault and Counoise, this bottling saw extended skin contact before aging in stainless steel. Rich watermelon and wild mushroom tones combine with cantaloupe and shades of red rose water on the palate. Beautifully textured, with bright underlying acidity, this is a stunning example of new world Rose that will age gracefully for the next eight plus years to come. Drink 2024-2032- 94
2023 Tablas Creek Vermentino- One of the great new world examples of this varietal, this 2023 Vermintino was aged in stainless steel before bottling. Japanese pear and lemongrass notes combine with shades of walnut and salty minerals all offer serious complexity on the palate. Enjoy now in its vibrant youth. Drink 2024-2029- 92
2022 Tablas Creek ‘Espirit Blanc de Tablas’ White Wine- This combines 33% Roussanne, with 32% Grenache Blanc and smaller portions Picpoul, Clairette, Picardin, Boutboulene. This is the smallest amount of Roussanne ever blended into this wine, as this varietal was farmed at less than a ton an acre. The nose is hugely complex. Macadamia nut, honeydew melon, bright kiwi and shades of nectarine with stony minerals all mark the nose. The body is voluptuous despite being only 12.5% alcohol. Silky smooth throughout the drinking experience, showing no rough edges, and loads of mouth-watering acidity. Wait for the exceedingly long finish that lingers on the tongue. This will cellar so beautifully. Drink 2024-2039- 96
2022 Tablas Creek Grenache- The 2022 Tablas Creek Grenache comes from this warm vintage that was known for extreme heat at harvest. Super translucent in the glass, this delivers rich strawberry and Bing cherry notes alongside dusty soils on the palate. Smooth and polished, this is already really nicely evolved stuff. Drink 2024-2030- 92
2022 Tablas Creek ‘Cotes de Tablas’ Red Wine- The 2022 Tablas Creek ‘Cotes de Tablas’ Red Wine is comprised of mainly Grenache and Syrah with the remainder small portions Counoise and Mourvèdre. This comes off soft, chewy and highly drinkable in its pretty core of red fruits with orange rind, cardamom and tobacco leaf with stony mineral flavors. Delicious and juicy, enjoy now and over the next few years. Drink 2024-2030- 91