Pale straw. Waxy tangerine aromas with lemongrass herbal notes. Low acid with a broad full mouth. Honey, pear, mild citrus rind with a clean mineral finish.
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Very Good++* This was the most exuberant, floral bottle to date. Not rich in body - it has some pith, nearly lean - but in the nose, lots of honey, some melon, pear, cooked lemon / lemon curd, perhaps some apricot, stewed citrus, tangerine?
12.0% abv
* Reminder that I use the recommended scale without Pro-influenced inflation and without regard to price or producer reputation. https://support.cellartracker.com/article/49-tasting-notes-and-ratings
So an '89' is at the top of the Very Good scale, nearing Excellent or B+/A-.
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Nice citrus nose with a nice balanced flavor of light fruit with a nice acidic juice to tantalize you with. A moderate bodied wine with enjoyable acid/tannin balance. Good with my sashimi.
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This is a wine that gives so much pleasure. In Marsanne's ever so subtle way, it has filled out and developed more expression since my last bottle. If I were confined to drink only two whites from the Tablas Creek line-up, one of them would be the graceful and cultured Marsanne.
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Pale yellow color. Aromas of green apple, nectarine and jasmine. Medium minus acid. Medium body. Dry. Flavors of pear, pineapple and a bit of lemongrass. Finishes clean with a pleasant minerality. Light and lovely with an expressive bouquet.
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At the winery, this continues to show well. Really restrained and bordering on austere in a good way. I got floral / citrus notes and a minerally body with lingering citrus zest and pith, some honeycomb and a touch of black tea tannin. The other tasted noted citrus and that it reminded a bit of Muscadet, thinking it works well with a broad range of foods, particularly seafood and even more so shellfish, but also a simple roast chicken with some lemon (perhaps preserved, leaning Moroccan in style?). Plan to have this with a citrus (grapefruit) shrimp risotto dish.
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Classic Marsanne. Prickly hint of CO2. Has a nose of sweet raw almond, green pear, chamomile, and citron, again reminding me of Semillon and Sylvaner with a sweet hay note. Was delicious with Bronzino Amandine.
I think Marsanne is unmatched in its beguiling simplicity, bringing out the best in a meal without showing off. Gentle attack, without bite, yet follows up with a delightful texture lest one underestimate its capacity for character. I had heard that the 2018 paled against the more spectacular 2017 and 2019, if a tad less melon-like. No fear, it's one beautiful refined ride enhanced by the impeccable winemaking of Neil Collins, Chelsea Franchi, and the Tablas team.
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Drank well over two nights. Similar to last bottle, elegant, understated rendition, shows barely ripe orchard fruit, ripe pear in the nose, hints of baked goods in the middle, subtle spice on the finish. I do wish this had more depth, but it is still worth a repurchase to see how bottles lay down longer term. Very Good+
The label abv of 12.0% is notable. Tablas's style is more restrained than most Paso producers (and domestic producers generally), but 12.0% is quite low even for them. I wonder if there was a deliberate choice to pick "early" (maintain freshness; determined that further ripening would lead to higher alcohol that would show in the nose) or if harvest circumstances forced their hand or if this is just where the blocks for this vintage matured to. Either way, it shows that with the right varietal in the right conditions with the right grower, domestic producers can produce lower alcohol wines of finesse.
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We are continuing our tastings of single varietals used southern Rhone style white blends with this wonderful Marsanne tonight. We can see why this varietal adds to the depths of flavors in these blends with honey notes, green melon, white flowers and great minerality. Has a nice weight in the palate and enough acidity to give it a clean finish without being dominating. We enjoyed this wine with our turkey congee with crispy shitake mushrooms.
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A nice effort with a bit of a dip in the middle, orchard blossoms, a nice layer of subtle spices, some honey and on the second night honeycomb with just a touch of bitterness. Very good.
I'll have to put a bottle or two down for a number of years even if currently it isn't clear it has the depth to develop. Tablas Creek's intent for this wine is to have good early drinking and also have the potential for aged complexity. So I'll give them the benefit of the doubt over my less informed opinion.
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10/28/2023 - BBTorCA Likes this wine: 91 Points
Pale straw. Waxy tangerine aromas with lemongrass herbal notes. Low acid with a broad full mouth. Honey, pear, mild citrus rind with a clean mineral finish.
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1/20/2023 - tward Likes this wine: 89 Points
Very Good++*
This was the most exuberant, floral bottle to date. Not rich in body - it has some pith, nearly lean - but in the nose, lots of honey, some melon, pear, cooked lemon / lemon curd, perhaps some apricot, stewed citrus, tangerine?
12.0% abv
* Reminder that I use the recommended scale without Pro-influenced inflation and without regard to price or producer reputation.
https://support.cellartracker.com/article/49-tasting-notes-and-ratings
So an '89' is at the top of the Very Good scale, nearing Excellent or B+/A-.
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12/11/2022 - Darwine Likes this wine: 89 Points
Nice citrus nose with a nice balanced flavor of light fruit with a nice acidic juice to tantalize you with. A moderate bodied wine with enjoyable acid/tannin balance. Good with my sashimi.
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12/2/2022 - wilypod Likes this wine: 91 Points
This is a wine that gives so much pleasure. In Marsanne's ever so subtle way, it has filled out and developed more expression since my last bottle. If I were confined to drink only two whites from the Tablas Creek line-up, one of them would be the graceful and cultured Marsanne.
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2/19/2022 - TheFoodieTraveler Likes this wine: 92 Points
Great aperitif
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12/27/2021 - BBTorCA Likes this wine: 93 Points
Pale yellow color. Aromas of green apple, nectarine and jasmine. Medium minus acid. Medium body. Dry. Flavors of pear, pineapple and a bit of lemongrass. Finishes clean with a pleasant minerality. Light and lovely with an expressive bouquet.
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7/9/2021 - EMichels wrote: 88 Points
Soft profile; A hint of oak; Honey
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7/8/2021 - tward Likes this wine:
At the winery, this continues to show well. Really restrained and bordering on austere in a good way. I got floral / citrus notes and a minerally body with lingering citrus zest and pith, some honeycomb and a touch of black tea tannin. The other tasted noted citrus and that it reminded a bit of Muscadet, thinking it works well with a broad range of foods, particularly seafood and even more so shellfish, but also a simple roast chicken with some lemon (perhaps preserved, leaning Moroccan in style?). Plan to have this with a citrus (grapefruit) shrimp risotto dish.
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6/1/2021 - AlphaMikeFoxtrot wrote: 88 Points
Tasted at the winery.
As other have said, classic varietal Marsanne. White flowers, dry honey, not a ton of fruit. Full bodied.
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5/27/2021 - mayakacz Likes this wine:
Grapefruit, lime. Medium- body. Refreshing but would stand up to food just fine.
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4/21/2021 - wilypod Likes this wine: 90 Points
Classic Marsanne. Prickly hint of CO2. Has a nose of sweet raw almond, green pear, chamomile, and citron, again reminding me of Semillon and Sylvaner with a sweet hay note. Was delicious with Bronzino Amandine.
I think Marsanne is unmatched in its beguiling simplicity, bringing out the best in a meal without showing off. Gentle attack, without bite, yet follows up with a delightful texture lest one underestimate its capacity for character. I had heard that the 2018 paled against the more spectacular 2017 and 2019, if a tad less melon-like. No fear, it's one beautiful refined ride enhanced by the impeccable winemaking of Neil Collins, Chelsea Franchi, and the Tablas team.
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2/27/2021 - tward Likes this wine: 89 Points
Drank well over two nights. Similar to last bottle, elegant, understated rendition, shows barely ripe orchard fruit, ripe pear in the nose, hints of baked goods in the middle, subtle spice on the finish. I do wish this had more depth, but it is still worth a repurchase to see how bottles lay down longer term. Very Good+
The label abv of 12.0% is notable. Tablas's style is more restrained than most Paso producers (and domestic producers generally), but 12.0% is quite low even for them. I wonder if there was a deliberate choice to pick "early" (maintain freshness; determined that further ripening would lead to higher alcohol that would show in the nose) or if harvest circumstances forced their hand or if this is just where the blocks for this vintage matured to. Either way, it shows that with the right varietal in the right conditions with the right grower, domestic producers can produce lower alcohol wines of finesse.
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12/2/2020 - Bob in NC Likes this wine: 90 Points
We are continuing our tastings of single varietals used southern Rhone style white blends with this wonderful Marsanne tonight. We can see why this varietal adds to the depths of flavors in these blends with honey notes, green melon, white flowers and great minerality. Has a nice weight in the palate and enough acidity to give it a clean finish without being dominating. We enjoyed this wine with our turkey congee with crispy shitake mushrooms.
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6/4/2020 - tward Likes this wine: 89 Points
A nice effort with a bit of a dip in the middle, orchard blossoms, a nice layer of subtle spices, some honey and on the second night honeycomb with just a touch of bitterness. Very good.
I'll have to put a bottle or two down for a number of years even if currently it isn't clear it has the depth to develop. Tablas Creek's intent for this wine is to have good early drinking and also have the potential for aged complexity. So I'll give them the benefit of the doubt over my less informed opinion.
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