August 13, 2017 - Past it's time so if you have any left drink them now. Brick color with dried spicy fruit.
February 11, 2015 - So beautiful and elegant right now. I imagine it's peaking right now but nowhere near being over the hill. A testament to how well even inexpensive Tablas Creek bottles age.
June 5, 2013 - Certainly a good wine that is ready to drink
May 11, 2013 - A lot of undergrowth and mushroom throughout, but the fruit is too subtle, austere even by other TC standards.
December 23, 2012 - No notes taken. Not the most concentrated of Cotes, this does show nice secondaries like leather and fresh earth to go along with its dark red fruits and licorice. All in all, relatively good depth and complexity. Tasty Rhone blend.
July 9, 2012 - Fred's Steak BBQ 2012
February 18, 2012 - Had this about a week ago, no notes taken. I just know that we wish we'd have bought more. '08 was supposed to be a vintage of modest quality and this did seem to be drinking well already, quality was high, very enjoyable from first pour and opened up further.
September 5, 2011 - - Ruby color with fast forming legs. It's somewhat balanced with a light/medium body. Polished texture with a short finish - Pop and poured not very complex, short finish, not much in the way of legs. Light red, almost a Rose. Nice summer red for sipping but would get lost with complex foods.
August 16, 2011 - Although we're big Tablas Creek fans, I'm not as enthusiastic about this bottling as others have been in their posts. While a serviceable GSM blend with some Counoise thrown in, this vintage is very reserved. Skimpy legs, not much going on in the aroma department and a fairly hollow middle. It only picks up steam in the finish where currents and red berries and some nice spice components (cinnamon and nutmeg mostly) and tea leaf emerge. Definitely needs some time to come together in the glass. But even then it's only somewhat worth the wait. Given the choice between this and its '08 big brother, the Esprit de Beaucastel, I'd say go big and splurge on the Esprit. Drink up.
July 12, 2011 - Popped and poured--ouch--all rocks and wood. Let it air out for an hour, and improved dramatically. Some good fruit, then some licorice, finishes with gravel and oak. It's pretty good with food, but the balance is all at the ends, not the middle.