From Mag, definitely towards the end of its lifespan but still in good shape! Tertiary aromas dominated by the mourvedre, not too hot or heavy. Interesting. Drink asap.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Drink now. Benefits from a good food pairing. Decanted for an hour. Forward notes of ripe plum on the nose. After an hour it all came together. Paired exceptionally well with Tablas Creek’s Boeuf Provencale recipe on their site - a real case of 1+1=3. Both the food and the wine sung beautifully together in harmony, while neither by themselves was especially remarkable.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
12/30/20 Day 1 PnP - smells only of iron, maybe some steak. Taste is prune/date, concentrated. Medium acid, full-bodied, tannin medium to medium +. Will report back. Delish! 12/31/20 - Day 2 - sat out in the decanter. Smell of dark fruits. Taste strongly of dark fruits. This is so good! Simply scrummy! TLDR; oooo dang it's guud!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Slo-oxed for over an hour. Was professionally cellared for many years. Still drinking reasonably well with red fruits and some earth on the nose. The medium to plus bodied palate showed these same red fruits, some darker red berries, plum, earth, and a touch of spice. The acidity was balancing, and there was just a touch of tannins on the medium finish. The Tablas Creek Vintage Chart indicates that this wine could hold for another 5 years, but based on the many TNs over the last 6 months, this wine should be enjoyed over the next year - with some air up front.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Nice wine but wasn’t great. Other’s with better reviews. PNP and probably should have decanted earlier since one comment stated a few hours to open up. Mixture of dark fruit and savory, medium body and alcohol not an issue. Will decant further bottles
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Very dark red, earthy dark berry aromas but light compared to the very rich black raspberry and black plum fruit on the palate. Full bodied, integrated tannins with a very long and smooth finish. Wish it wasn't our last bottle.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
A special wine for Super Bowl Sunday. Decanted for 3 hours. Medium red color with a tinge of rust. Bright fruit that lingers. Tannins are beautifully balanced. This wine maybe near its peak though there is much more life in it.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This entry is coming in a week+ after consumption, so sadly it's just from memory. This is well into maturity but by no means at its end. It showed well, but I was looking for something "more" in it, particularly I wanted it to show a bit more power with air over a few hours, but it remained a bit subtle w.r.t. what I wanted. But this is a better situation than if it had gotten really heavy and unraveled. Still an excellent wine that shows the staying power of Tablas Creek's wines.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Has held up well after 10 years in the cellar. Beautiful deep red color. Unmistakable plum and berry notes with a slight pepper on the long finish. Was a great partner to a traditional Italian meal.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Very dark red,earthy plum, dark berry, aromas, full bodied with rich black raspberry, plum, chocolate layers of flavor, very long finish (minute +). Could't detect the anise found in our previous bottle. This wine has evolved beautifully, packed with delicious fruit and very smooth. Served with pan grilled grass fed beef sausages and sweet potato puree.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Absolutely beautiful, balanced, elegant w/ big but seductive silky fruit. Nose of earth, black fruits, berries and cedar. Focused with mouth coating silky fruits and terrific structure leading to a long seductive finish. Fantastic.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Fantastic wine! Pnp..ready to go. Still showing juicy, lively red fruit that is completely balanced and integrated. A powerful yet truly feminine wine by any standard (not just Paso). IMHO this wine would compete easily with any high end CDP. I see this holding steady for another couple of years but I can't think of a reason to wait.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Drinks good with baked pie cherry and earthy flavors with very smooth light tannins. Not a heavy extracted wine but the fruit feels 'tight' with room to grow and gain complexity in a couple more years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Fantastic - nose of flowers, violets, berries and underbrush. Big, silky & beautiful. Tons of life left and probably needed more time in the decanter. Pleasing and perfect wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Savory red fruit nose with rose petals, lavender along with some balsamic notes. Layered and soft red fruit first-mostly cherries with some raspberry and slight pomegranate with faint hints stewed strawberry. Earthy mid-palette with some garden herbs like thyme/ tarragon, then savory silky red fruit finish that shows a slightly stewed quality from age that is not too distracting. Fully mature, this wine is not going to improve from here, might have even been better last year. Still good stuff and not necessarily California in style, certainly feels French.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Popped and poured this wine table side with Mediterranean fare. Stemware was clunky and could not appreciate much of a bouquet. Wine had a very new world and Serata profile. Not too over-the-top as was concerned. In a sweet spot this evening. Nice red n black fruits. Some earthiness to the mid-palate. Nice mouth feel and finish. Held up with flavorful food from tonight’s menu. Wish I had more of these in the cellar. Enjoy it now. Not sure he will get much better with time.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Six years after we last popped a cork on one of these, this is drinking wonderfully. A 90-minute decant loosened the hinges, and it continued to open in the glass throughout the evening, where it complemented a simple Bertoli pasta dinner. Fully integrated with secondary notes of black licorice, seasoned oak and wet pavement having joined the black and blue fruits we enjoyed so much. Long, elegant finish. Rusting a bit at the rim. Drink now-2022. (= Outstanding)
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
meh 87-ish bit sour and thin not up to other Esprits I have had nor on par with other CT notes well stored in my cellar since release feel it's over the hill or just a bad bottle but got no TCA and cork was sound
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Deeply colored with a rusty cast reflecting its age. This wine still boasts big fruit with flavors that explode and dwells on the palate. This wine is wonderful now, but has more life in it.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Some older Aussies, and some others with friends (Chris and Renee's): Still in a great place and no hurry to open. Pop and pour. The nose has black raspberries, plums, some cherries, pepper and slight earthy funk. On the palate, plenty of fruit, light tannins. Very nice texture, silky yet velvety. Lots of black cherries, black raspberries intertwined with some spice and earth. Good acidity. Long finish.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Full garnet. The nose is ripe, blackberries, plums, and tar, and a little alcohol. The palate is in keeping but more plum, spice, and tart edges. The finish is long and sweet, some tannins and slightly hot. Overall plenty of flavor and sophisticated fruit, with no CdP rusticity. Enjoyed with orange mustard chicken thighs.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Mieux que mes autres, mis en carafe un bon 5 heures et bu avec les escaloppes de veau au porto. Assez ample et corsé,boisé et un peu capiteux malgré l'aération, finale longue avec une impression de sucre.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Peu de différence avec la dernière bouteille. C'est bien équilibré mais peut-être un peu sucré (vanille?). Je recommande de le prendre en mangeant de la viande grillée avec une sauce sucrée.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Very dark red, plum, dark berry, & anise aromas, full bodied with dense black raspberry, plum, anise, chocolate layers of flavor, very long finish. Seems to be at a perfect drinking stage now. No signs of fading.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dinner at Chao Shan (Chao Shan, Phillip Street): I liked this very much. The nose was a dead ringer for a CDP from a ripe year - blackberries, plums, scorched earth, a shade of garrigue, violets. Very attractive. The palate was a bit of change in gear though. While nicely balanced and well shaped, with juicy acidity and silky tannins, there a sunny ripeness to its black fruited character, with an almost plum and blackberry jam note to it, along with an earthier, spicier note pulling away along with a lick of licorice at the finish. Nothing too complex, but this was enjoyably yummy and nicely interesting.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Just a little more aged than I like. Extreme bricking, almost brown in color. Could have also been a storage failure, but this one was past prime, though the non-fruit elements were something to behold. Was better once the food hit the table, interesting anyway.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Drank along side a 2004 Beaucastel. This one was more fruit forward with chocolate and caramel notes followed by blueberry-raspberry pie. Soft mouthfeel, and juicy. The Beaucastel was much more leathery.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Had this wine a few times in the past year and enjoyed it every time. We took this bottle to Jaleo to be enjoyed with Spanish Cuisine by Jose Andreas in Las Vegas. Decanted and enjoyed over a couple hours. This wine went great with several different pork preparations in the signature paella. The rustic elements of the pork stock infused rice were a homerun with this wine. I wish I had more as this still seems quite young and more secondary flavors are only beginning to emerge.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Really in a great place right now. Close to peak at least. Purple in color, ruby rim. The nose is deep and complex with black raspberries, cherries and spice. Also a slight damp earthy note. On the palate, this is layers of fruit with earth. A bit of spice. Mostly red fruits with some underlying black raspberries. Good balance. I drank this sitting outside talking with the kids in a light rain (we got wet) listening to among other songs, Led Zeppelin's Fool in the Rain. Perfect.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decant at least 2 hours!!! Drinking very well. Fully integrated. The CT end date of 2020 is reasonable, but I don't know if it will improve with 4 more years as it's drinking so well now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Almost ready to drink from popping the cork. I let this one bottle breath. Initially, lots of red fruits, almost liquid twizlers. Then, after a while it was more black fruits and cocoa. Very nice.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Drank this at the Boathouse Lounge during the CNY gathering with my relatives today.
Wine was bottle breathed for 2 hours before serving. As compared to the 2004 Penfold's Bin 389 (which behaved like a well-mannered gentleman), the 2006 Esprit de Beaucastel behaved well a well-groomed lady. Gentle and feminine, she displayed charm, some complexity, sweetness and was attractive in her own way.
Notes of sweet red berries coupled with some peppery spice, dark chocolates, graphite and meat flavours.
Very rounded, balanced and elegant.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Opened this bottle at my new place with my wine mates from hardwarezone.com to usher in the new year.
Blend of 45% Mourvèdre, 28% Grenache, 22% Syrah and 5% Counoise. Bottle breathed for 3 hours prior to consumption. Sweet cassis and blueberries with prunes in the attack, with a lush and warm mid palate. Finish is long and memorable.
Integration of the flavours and balance between the elements is what made this wine awesome and amazing at the same time.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Grenache fruit flavors come through up front. Tarry flavors from the syrah hit you next. Very even fullness from front to back palate. I great example of what Paso Robles Rhone varietals are capable of producing. Drank it with a Villa Creek 2007 High Road and a Saxum Broken Stones. I liked the Villa Creek slightly more as its tannins were really soft, but more than the Saxum.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Lovely supple wine with a soft sweet fruit entry that leads to layers of flavors that melds into nice earthy finish. The ripe plum fruit is well balanced with cedar, pepper, allspice, cloves and forest floor flavors. Has just enough acidity to work well food. The lingering finish has soft tannins. Drink now for a more youthful wine or over the next 10 years.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
This is really drinking nicely now - really integrated and showing some really nice subtle flavor aspects along with silky tannins and still surprisingly vibrant fruit. If you like a more aged new world Rhone, I would let this go a few years longer.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Enjoyable wine though not nearly as good as their 2005 at this same stage. By comparison, this is more brooding, a touch more bitter and not quite as complex. I think this may benefit from another 2-3 years of cellaring, though I won't know as this was my only bottle.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Drank well on PnP. Aerated half a glass by pouring back and forth several times and liked it better without that much air, though it still drank well from the bottle over several hours.
Grenache seems to dominate on the nose, bright berries, nicely fragrant. Some dustiness, dried herbs, and dried berries, and I got some cocoa nibs coming in (the Mourvedre?). This is nice, elegant. Fully ripe fruit but the style is nothing like the (score-chasing?) extracted wines that some in the area produce.
After 5+ years in good, but not ideal storage (65F?) this was ready.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
gorgeous wine. Real depth of flavor that evolves. Long finish, tannins well judged. Fairly big wine and well balanced. Should keep another 5+ yrs with some upside potential.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Not sure if this is a bad bottle or the wine is past its prime. But this was right on the edge of turning to me. Have one more bottle left and will probably try it soon, just in case.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Belle bouche bien fondue. À point pour boire en ce moment. Par contre, comme certaines bouteilles précédentes, il y avait encore un léger pétillant sur la langue qui ne s'est pas vraiment dissipé sur les deux heures ou nous avons bu la bouteille
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Consumed most of it with my blind tasting group. Enjoyed by all! Aromatic with some texture. Smooth and well balanced. Delicate, yet powerful. Red to purple fruit with secondary flavors/aromas emerging. 3 hour decant before tasting. May last a few more years, but in a great drinking window now. The little bit that was left was even better 24 hours later -- richer, fuller and did not lose power or structure at all. Great Wine!!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Drinking very well. Had this in a vertical of 04, 05, 06. The '06 is a star. It has the same profile as the previous two, but cranks up the intensity of the fruit a few notches. Gorgeous light berries, perfume, cherry fruit, plum, and then some meat and smoke. All of these wines showed well, if anything they are balanced and smooth. The 06 just had the upper hand. Extremely good with red wine braised lamb.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Sadly the last bottle as it was the best of the three I purchased. Lots of sweet fruit and that lovely Mourvedre funk, Syrah spices and garrigue flavors of great Rhone or Languedoc wines. A hint of oxidation adds even more interest to the wild mix of flavors, tannins have mellowed out over the years and the heat is less obvious than with previous bottles. Juicy and skillfully handled extraction. A lovely and well-aged bottle of Californian wine. - 91 points
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Medium dark red color. Though slathered in oak, the mixed red fruits dominate the nose; just minor background player are anise and black pepper. On arrival, medium-low tannin initially and low acidity; a very grenache body here. Buckets of dry raspberry, cherry, and cranberry fruit in the mouth, with oak spice. Very primary in the finish too, tannin rising here substantially; some tar at the end. A little more difficult for use at the dinner table than expected, the tannin and the fruit grappling too strongly with each other and burying the herbed roast chicken. Bottle #1 of three.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Wow, Le vin commence à se révéler. Un rhone ranger qui passerait pour un Châteauneuf en finesse. Pas lourd du tout et des tannins lisses. Il entame sa période de consommation optimale à mon avis.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
garnet almost to rim, low acid, medium/soft tannins. hydrogen sulfide and spritz./incomplete vs. pediacoccus hard to get past this. dark fruits, black olive
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
A lot of Wines at Tommy's Clambake (again) (Tommy K's.): Really in a great place right now. The nose has black cherries, raspberries, minerals and slight charred wood notes. Seamless. Medium bodied. Complex and layered with plenty of fruit. No tannins. I don't see this getting better but no hurry. delicious and complex.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
My 35th B-day (Capital Grille & mi Casa): This Rhone blend is fully open for business and drink amazing right now. Drinks great with and without food. Red fruits, blueberries, hints of licorice, soy and smoky oak.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Excellent wine. We had this with baked chicken. Opened and decanted about 30 minutes before serving. Earthy, pencil shavings on the nose. Blackberry and dark chocolate on the palate. Medium-long finish. This is a great effort from Tablas Creek.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Still has a lot of life in it. Decanted it one hour ahead. Very balanced, delicious wine. Definitely could age another 5-10 years. Still not as good as the 2005!!!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Outstanding nose (A-). Very good to excellent palate (B+/B++). Quite fruit forward, and a decent complexity. Will likely continue to improve over the next few years. From 375ml.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Really nice wine. So balanced. One of the finest GSM's I have had in months. TCV just does such a good job with there products. You just cannot go wrong.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Still nice, but not as good as previous bottles. It still has a lot of freshness and fruit, and I tend to believe this was a "not-as-good-as-the-others" bottle. I will keep my last two bottles for some years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Opened for 1 hour and enjoyed over the next 4 hours. I'd say this wine was best around 2 hours from opening as it showed black cherry, cassis, blackberry, black pepper, leafy garrigue with earth and minerals showing with further air. The weight was really nice as well, but after 3 hours of air it became more disjointed and just showed as a over-ripe bloody/irony wine. I'm scoring it based on my experience from earlier in the evening. Another note is that it was pretty darn good upon opening, but would probably only need 1/2-1 hour decant to shine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
No detailed notes but PnP and held in a decanter while drinking over 4 hours. Wine is definitely in its window but I believe will improve over the next 3-4 years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Brief decant, then drank it over the next couple hours. Initially some stewed fruit and slight VA, but both dissipate very quickly. Then it shows herbs, tobacco, and a mix of red and black fruit, but leaning to red; later becomes just a bit spirity. More than adequate acidity, nice texture, mature fruit. This is a fairly nice wine, and seems to be in a good place right now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
CDP Tasting (Irene's House, St. Paul): Dark red color. Decanted for 2 hours. Drank 1 glass over 2 hrs. Nose shows kirsch, cherry, plum, wood, and later some dry earthy quality/ The palate shows sweet cherry fruit, some berry and fair bit of oak and spiciness and alcohol that integrates gradually over 2 hours. Medium full body, medium finish. This seems like it still needs some cellar time to really show well. Not sure it will be improved, but it will be more integrated off the bat. 88 to 89 initially, 90pts after 2 hours in glass plus a 2 hours decant.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Color: deep/dark ruby -> ruby rim with the barest hint of brick beginning. Pleasant enough nose of black cherries, plums, perfumy violets and a hint of leather and earth. Palate brought in meat elements along with savory herbs, Ouzo, plums and some earthiness. Medium to full-bodied, this seems to be in a good place right now with plenty of time to go. Touch of heat on the reasonably long finish surprised me as did the slight coarse bitterness at the end. Would have pushed the score a bit higher if not for that.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
A fairly stout and well built wine, the nose is rife with Asian spices and ripe blackberries, plums and powdered cocoa. The palate mirrors the nose. It's so well balanced and well made, there's nothing overwhelming about its ample weight and size. There's a long lush finish that rewards each sip. Delicious wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Notes of burnt strawberry, cherry and leather on the nose. Leather, dark cherry, thick candied cherry (like the cherry essence in cough-syrup), hints of marzipan, brown sugar, mulberries, and light hints of forest floor and dusty mildew. Really lovely right now--drinking well, and very refreshing. Drink now or hold.
With cassoulet it brings out much more of the leather, the earthiness of the duck confit, and the forest. Great wine pairing!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Very primary fruit, interestingly, with a bit of chocolate and soy. Macerated cherries, raspberries, and plums. Darker fruits on the palate with medium acidity and resolving but still present tannins. Fruit-forward, though layered. Oak is well-integrated.Not showing as much of the feral character of Mourvedre as I might have anticipated.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
PnP after drinking a 2011 Alto Moncayo. This wine matched up sip for sip with the Alto. As one would expect, it got better the longer is was open. Aromas of red cherries, red fruit flavors, surprisingly mild tannins, longish finish. Just an excellent wine on a cold Christmas Eve.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This bottle showed some secondary fermentation, but otherwise was a fine drink with spicy flavors and sweet ripe fruit, some earthy notes and very nice acidity, perfectly ripe tannins, the high alcohol didn't bother so much with the food. This is drinking really well now and was a good match with the roast venison we had. - 89 points
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Amazing at this age. Bright cherry and pie cherry mingle with earth and forest floor. Taste young still but not in a "too bright" manor, though the red fruits are distinct, it's elegant with the dark berry and earthy mouvedre lurking around, still holding back it's power. The long balanced finish tells me it will age for a few more years and change a bit more into an earthy and complex rhone blend. Drank this at the end of 2013 so maybe enjoy next year with decanting but see what 2015 does to it.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Awesome rhone blend from Paso. Black cherries and blackberries jump out first followed by red cherries. Great balance, long finish, just a fantastic wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
classic mourvedre nose of bloody meat, this is a great example of an old world wine made with new world fruit. restrained and elegant, I felt like it was most distinctive within the first 30 minutes before air mellowed out and balanced all of the aromas and scents. this definitely has the legs to run - I'd give it another 3+ years before I open another one.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This is just great now. Wonderful fruity nose and balanced on the palate with both red and dark berries, pepper, mint, nice rounded and laid-back tannins and a long taste. I also had this a few years back when it was closed down and was somewhat worried. But it has really opened up and is just gorgeous now. I remain a huge fan of Tablas Creek!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Really outstanding. Enjoyed very much. Nice taste of cracked pepper at end. Modest tannins and acids, so still can continue to improve. Right now at a high point. This peaked about 1/2-hour after opening. Continues to be my standard to judge other wines by --
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Shared with a couple of friends and we all loved it. The nose is so pleasant that we just wanted to keep smelling it - to the point of making conversation difficult! While still young, the wine seems beautifully balanced. I wish I had another case!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Nose: There is a very good meatiness that provides a base for black cherries, black fruits, licorice, earth, and spices. While this shows the mouvedere, there is also a warmth to the fruit that still lets you know it's california.
Taste: Medium/full bodied with medium acidity and hearty tannins. The structure is still youthful with black cherries, meaty tones, black fruits, licorice, and leather tones.
Overall: This still has a way to go. There is a lot to like here as there is a very Beaucastel quality to it with there also being a warmth from California. I would love to see where this is in another 5 years.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Well, the bouquet wasn’t classic Chateauneuf-du-Pape (or it’s California cousin, Calineuf-du-Pape), but the flavor profile absolutely is!!
This wine is beautifully balanced, with the fruit, spices, earth, oak, tannins, acids, and terrior complementing each other and all the parts coming together to make the whole more than it normally could/should/would be.
This is a rich, creamy, spicy, delicious red blend that could easily pass for a Chateauneuf-du-Pape. The red and black fruits are most prominent (plums, blackberries, and sour cherries) but the abundance of black pepper and savory herbs are right behind the fruits (rosemary, sage, thyme, etc.). Next up to the plate is that certain je ne sais quoi, a.k.a. terrior from Chateauneuf-du-Pape (CdP). Finally, the perfect amount of earth and oak, along with silky, elegant tannins and zippy acidity all add-up to present a perfect, soft, smooth, lingering finish.
Paso Robles is famous for sharing many similar attributes with CdP, especially it’s soils, which is the main reason why TC partnered with CdP’s Chateau de Beaucastel to establish TC in Paso, where they excel at Southern Rhone varietals, in the form of both blends and single varietal bottlings. This particular bottle (which translates to “The Spirit of Chateau de Beaucastel) is perfectly named and appropriate beyond belief.
One final thought: there are many benefits to allowing Southern Rhone-styled red blends to properly age and mature before popping the cork. When this wine was released in (I’m guessing) 2008, it was probably very fruity, very spicy, very rambunctious, with strong, prominent tannins and acidity. Thanks to the majority of Mourvedre, this wine has aged gorgeously and has become more meaty, with the spiciness becoming more savory and less shrarp/peppery. And of course with proper aging, the tannins and acidity have mellowed a bit with the end result being a smooth, creamy, delicious red blend that, given its age, would probably be VERY difficult to find in a restaurant or wine shop. At seven years post-harvest, this is still a young, vibrant, delicious-beyond-belief fabulous red blend that is drinking fantastically right now and will probably only get better with time.
We paired this beauty with our go-to red blend companion: CostCo ribeyes spiced with Kosher salt, black pepper, and Herbs de Provence. This wine paired perfectly with the steaks and would also pair well with most red meats, but I’d imagine it would drink GORGEOUSLY with lamb, especially shanks, chops, and racks. Like most red blends, pair this wine with red meat; can’t go wrong there.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Good upon opening and great half an hour into a decant. Mature, complex fruit and earth. Likes many types of food. Was WOTN. Everyone at dinner was surprised at the quality. This wine is singing now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
As one would expect this is a ripe and full-bodied wine with slightly stewed sweet fruit and a wet dog fur note which could stem either from the Mourvedre or some slightly bretty oak foudres. Soft tannins and decent acidity, a bit syrupy and some heat on the finish. If the aim is to produce a Chateauneuf-like wine (which the name would suggest) than the result is very good. Drinks well now but no rush. - 90 points
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
nose - raisin, per cindy iron mouth - stewed prune,super ripe fruit with some oak to boot. per brain 'it manages to be in balance while being out of balance.' needs better acidity in my humble opinion
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dark purple, raisin, mission fig, black pepper and herbaceous notes, sweet and dense on the palate with loads of black fruit balanced by tangy acidity, finish is tight and slowly reveals black plum, nutmeg and cherry with smoky undertones
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Very positively surprised by this one. Nicely integrated by now. Sweet tannins, nice fruit, velvety in the mouth, some tertiary characteristics leaning towards liquorice. Should provide lots of pleasure for the coming 2-4 years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
drank with some buds last night, they loved Josh Reynolds description using the term "underbrush" and all agreed it was the star of the evening that included a Ch du Pape and a couple of nice cabs
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Consumed over 2 days, note from day 2. Nose: Medium expressiveness, dark flowers, smoke, and gaminess - venison. Palate: Medium bodied, spicy red fruit with big acidic kick, acids dominate thru the mid-palate to back-end. Finish: Medium length sense of tart red fruit and a little spice. Slightly disappointing effort here as the acid overpowers everything else from the mid-palate thru the back-end. I've had a previous bottle that performed much better than this - perhaps just an off bottle. Not scored, would have scored 86+.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Seems to have aged faster than anticipated. Still has fruit, but is faint and disjointed. The wine looks Tawny colored. The legs are Medium. It smells like and Plum.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Opens up after 2 hours. Lots of fruit and a little cardboard in the nose. Wonderful on the palate with dark berries and some pepper/spices. Tannins are still visible. It has surely opened up and I guess there are more to come.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
From a 375ml. Pop/pour. Initially just slightly tight without a lot of depth. 30 minutes of air does wonders, with the wine becoming more rich and rounded. In terms of mid-palate flavors, grenache seems to play a bigger role than it's 28% would suggest. Some acidity provides a balance, but in general there doesn't seem to be a lot of structure to this for longer term aging. Lush, soft and long on the finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
I've had a few bottles of this vintage and each is the same - effervescent on the palate when you first try it. It blows off after a while and the wine is good. Not bad but not my favorite wine from this producer.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dark red fruit with a bit more ripeness and slight sweetness than I expected. Not as much earth and leather as the 05 I last had. Medium to full body and medium acidity. All in all a well balanced and very enjoyable wine that paired well with veal chop, just lacking some of the Old World characteristics I have gotten from other vintages of this.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Still two more bottles of this to go!!! Decanted for two hours. Nose is again muted and closed, even with air, it's a bit on the dull side! The palate once again is showing very little fruit with some drying tannins, not really showing well once again. Miles form the beautiful 2007! Might improve but will drink up the remaining ones in 1 to 3 years MAX!!!
Very good – clear dark garnet; dark fruit on nose; off-dry; mid acidity; low/mid tannins; medium/full body; mid length finish; soft smooth; dark fruit; good balance; some oakiness but well integrated; decanted 1 hour before hand and contrasted this against Domaine Font de Michelle CdP 2004. Served with Roast Beef.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Plenty of raspberry fruit and maybe a touch of blueberry. Fruit quickly gives way to strong earthiness and tannins. Nothing memorable in the nose or color. Too unbalanced to enjoy on it's own, but the tannins and acidity turned it into a very food friendly wine with our pasta and red sauce. Overall I was disappointed given it was a Wine Spectator Top 100 pick. Maybe it needed a little more air time...I only gave it half an hour.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Encore une petite déception avec ce millésime surtout si on compare avec le 2007, on comprend mieux pourquoi les notes et les cotes sont inférieures pour le 2006 vs le 2007! Le nez est un peu caricatural, grosse bombe de fruit, pire que ma dernière expérience on a remarqué. En bouche, ça chauffe et c'est disjoint, un manque d'acidité en plus, ce qui me fait dire que l'évolution du vin risque d'empirer avec le temps, manque d'équilibre et pas très bien fait je trouve. Très dommage car les 2007 sont tellement différents et prometteurs...bien heureux d'avoir encore quatre 2007 en cave!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
I don't see this getting better with time. Quite un balanced and disjointed, almost cloying! Nt very well made unfortunately compared to the 2007. Major pass for me!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Encore une très belle fiole! Le vin livre parfaitement la marchandise. Belles saveurs, assez costaud, texturé à souhait, finale correcte, plus serré que la dernière fois. Aurait peut-être dû respirer un peu plus longtemps. Le vin était moins expansif en bouche.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
L’œil : La robe est d’une teinte de rouge rubis foncé. Le nez : Le nez est puissant et intense et ce dès le premier nez. On sent qu’il y a pas mal d’extraction! On y trouve des effluves de bleuets, de boisé et d’épices. La bouche : En bouche, c’est ample et concentré. On goûte des cerises noires, de la muscade et un peu de cuir et de viande! Les tannins sont assez charnus et un peu asséchants. La finale est assez longue avec un brin de chauffe sur des relents minéraux. Pour le même prix, le 2007 est quelques coches au-dessus de 2006! Un beau vin qui se boira encore mieux dans quelques années!!!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Toujours aussi expressif en bouche. Quelles saveurs agréables! Le touché de bouche est exquis : beau velours. Le seul bémol est sa finale assez juste ce soir. Cela est pardonné par l'heure tardive de la soirée. À regarder dans l'avenir. RQP indéniable. 92-93.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
A wine packed with aromas, a lot of fruit hits you the moment you smell it. almost has a feel och jam to it but in a good and still balanced way. It's very complex but the most dominant tones are liquroice and black currant
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
My second bottle in less than 2 months. Once again, this is borderline fruit bomb, definitely not my style anymore! If you enjoy the style you'll probably like this wine, for me it's quite disapointing, considering that the 2007 is leaps and bounds better than the 2006 for me! Not sure this will get better with age !!! 3 more bottles to liquidate unfortunately!!!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
On first pour this was highly reductive with odors of gun powder and long set lukewarm meringue. A good deal of that blew off after 20 minutes in the glass. It was then a fruity, semi-true raspberry puree mixed with dark blueberry and dry road shrubs. Overall, this has a far more "Californian" bouquet than I would have liked to have found in a bottle with this designation. On the palate, this pops with a nice sparkle, reminding me of some of the more well controlled GSM wines I've had from Australia. As with those wines, this does spike a touch of heat going out the back exit. Lots of red and bright dark fruit flexing on the entry; some sweet spice; a bit of not too imposing oak. Above medium to heavy body, but not notable for mouthfeel in any other sense other than to note the tannins that present themselves mid-grade rough keeping the environment fairly dry. Some reduction shows on the mid-palate, and that's annoying. I can tell what this is striving to be, but it just doesn't get there for me, coming across as a very well made CA syrah or syrah blend -- But where's the tar? Where the crushed peppercorn spices? The Garrigue, well there is a little of this. The savory and meaty? To sum it up, this is a big, sometimes delicious, fruity, reasonably controlled and balanced for its style CA wine trying to mimic the French CdP. It lacks the soul of that place but is certainly a perfectly fine presentation of the essence of well made California juice. It should hold up for five years at least, but I don't think it will evolve significantly in that term.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This bottle was even worst than my previous one. Once again in pales in comparison to the 2007 drank a few weeks ago. The more the tasting went on the more the wine seem to fade, was a bit flimsy toward the fifth hour. Still had nice fruit presence evnthough a bit on the bmbastic side of it. May improve with time...lets hope I stil have 3 bottles!!!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Similar notes to prior tasting. Better on day one, than day two. Seemed to loose a little steam and fruit. Overall a very nice California Rhone experience.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Quite disapointed with the 2006 when compared side by side with the 2007 opened at the same time to compare. The 2007 blew away the 2006! Decanted for two hours. The nose has some buble gum, candy, vanilla and some blackberries and spices. The mouthfeel lacks acidity & structure, a bit of Cherry and some animal taste. It is quite fruit bomby & sugary presently...it's all over the place! Lack of acidity and poor structure does not make for a prmosing future but we'll see!!!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Tasting room pour. Briary fruit nose. Slight gaminess, minerals, and a pure red and blue fruit profile. Good feel and weight. Round tannins. Long finish. Excellent.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Le vin titre 14,5%. La robe est sombre le nez est sur les petits fruits rouges et noires, chocolat, poivre rose, bel équilibre en bouche, superbe texture, assez corsé. Tout un RQP à mon sens. Très belle réussite encore une fois.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Tasted at the tasting room with the 2008. The wine is smooth, balanced, plum and cherry nose and palate. There is some acidity and nice structure here to allow it to age gracefully. I preferred the 2008 a little better, so this ended up just under 90 points for me.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Tablas Creek Spring Tasting Party: Dark ruby. A touch of sweetness on entry. Earthy dark fruits, soy sauce, with a little mushroom thing going on. Rich and very smooth with well integrated tannins, this is excellent but a little too under control right now for a mourvedre based wine and lacks a little sex appeal. Excellent and better than the bottle I had at home a week ago.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
A blend of 45% Mourvedre, 28% Grenache, 22% Syrah, and 5% Counoise. Ruby color. Dark fruit nose. Tastes of blackberry, raspberry, soy sauce, garrigue, and spice. Well balanced. Fine grained tannins. Nice finish with nice complexity and elegance.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted for about 2 hours. Brickish ruby purple color with a dense appearance. Aromas of violets & lavender, slate, and ripe blueberry & plum. Voluptuous on the palate with blueberry, black cherry, coffee bean, and black truffle notes. A little green tea, curry, and vanilla bean notes come into play in the middle, adding depth. Rich throughout and well-balanced with silky ripe tannins and long fruit finishing notes. Hitting on all cylinders. Excellent.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted 2 hours. Disappointing bottle. Medium mouthfeel with muted aromas & flavors. Recent tastings of this have pointed to some burgeoning development, but not this one. Suspecting a touch of TCA. Damn!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Vient tout juste d'arriver sur les tablettes. Le vin titre 14,5%. Assemblage de 45% Mourvèdre, 28% Grenache, 22% Syrah et 5% Counoise. La robe est pourpre. Çä sent vraiment bon. Le nez est profond sur des notes de mûres, cassis, moka et de cerises noires. La texture est incroyable, on dirait une caresse sur le palais, belle densité, splendide rétro-olfaction avec de beaux épices en arrière-plan, poivre rose, bonne acidité, superbe fraîcheur, bonne longueur en finale. Un pur délice qui sera encore meilleur dans quelques années. 93-94.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Open 24 hours. Lovely dark ruby. Nice legs. Nose is filled with ripe raspberry fruit. Really lovely. Palate is even better-wow! Rich red and black fruits with a lot of complexity. Silky smooth texture with a dollop of oak fir structure. A hell of a wine. 5-12-17-8: 92/100.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Garnet color. Floral and raspberries on the nose. Raspberries, cherry, leather on the palate. Balanced, with barely noticeable tannins. Medium bodied and good finish. Very good wine, but needs a good food pairing to work. I had it with steaks and it was just the right level of fruit to offset the meat; seems too fruit forward to be as enjoyable by itself. Doesn't seem to have the stuffings to improve significantly with age.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
A beautifully made wine showing dark fruits and bright cherry notes along with a bit of earth and leather. Balanced with modest acid and tannins it drank well shortly after opening and a day later later after half the bottle was suctioned. However, even though it was solidly built and expressed vibrant fruit, for the price point is was a bit shallow with a modest finish and less deep earth and animal notes than I've come to expect from a mourvedre-based wine, less spice, and generally less complexity. So the QPR is in question given the proliferation of excellent sub-$40 bottles out there. Will give my couple other bottles some time to develop.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Tasting note from second day of tasting (vacu-vin):
Deep, dark, ruby red with a nose of bright, fresh strawberry and wildflowers; sweet, candied raspberry fruit with a smidgeon of earth and a backbone of crushed rock; very smooth and full-bodied; but in a typical riper Tablas style.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Tablas Creek at East Beach Wine (Santa Barbara, CA): 45% Mourvedre, 28% Grenache, 22% Syrah, 5% Counoise. Seaweed, olive, eucalyptus, kirsch and dark fruit. Grippy tannin. Seems a bit rustic, in the best possible sense, compared to the 2008.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
– tasted a single glass non-blind over approx. 5 minutes – – bottle opened yesterday – – 45% Mourvedre, 28% Grenache, 22% Syrah, 5% Counoise –
Purple-garnet color of medium-deep to deep depth. Expressive Nose features raspberry and spice. Medium-full bodied on the expressive palate with flavors of red-fruited jam and leather. Tannins are a slightly drying and provide decent grip. Well-balanced between acid and tannin. 14.5% alc. was barely noticeable. Medium-long finish of moderate-great intensity. Well-structured, and will continue to improve in the cellar.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Needs about 10 minutes to breath and unleash its flavors. Medium-to-full bodied with red berries, nutmeg, potpourri, cedar and raspberry with a slightly tangy finish. Quite interesting and rather subtle. This should be taken as a starter wine amongst a line-up. Drink from 2010 to 2016.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Surprising youth and vigor in this magnum we opened. Dark red, cool fruits (the mouvedre of course) with wonderful earth and minerals that remain equal balance thoughout the evening. This tells me it will age wonderfully for years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Thanksgiving dinner following the '08 Tablas Creek Rousanne. Poured from magnum with no decant. A hit around the table. Some wines elicit more dinner conversation than others. This clearly was on the "let's talk about this" side. Wonderful melding of California fruit with French sophistication, with the wine picking up a nice mineral note in the finish that had people trying to describe what they were tasting. Full bodied with notes of blackberry, blueberry and slight tobacco. Without the decant, the wine opened up beautifully in the course of the long meal. They're still talking about it.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
A very nice Red Rhone experience. Much more body and weight than a french CNP. More spice as well on the nose, with a darker fruit profile. Most likely from the heavier Mouvedre in this bottling. Really well made, and well-blended. It has both the body and fruit to keep up with all the flavors on a Thanksgiving day plate. Some mineral qualities, but the fruit was all California.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Pop and pour. Very interesting wine. I like it. Very smooth and balanced but I can't say that anything stood out on the nose or the palate. Just a nice wine to drink.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Very nice. Nose consists of potpourri, most notably violets. Drinks very smooth. This is a medium bodied wine with moderate tannins. Upfront flavors are currants,red cherries, pomegranate and red berry fruit compared to the dark blackberry/black cherry some others have mentioned. I did not get that. Also noted that the alcohol content was lower compared to the stated 14.5%, undoubtedly a result of the cool fall harvest. This would be considered a very good CDP had it not come from the US. Highly recommended for the price......and just plain recommended also.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Great nose of chocolate black fruits and spice - reminiscent of cabernet. On the tongue, it comes across as well structured with a long finish, similar to a Perrin & Fils I had a few weeks back but with a much smoother mouthfeel and finish.
Seems to do well as a pop and pour and I prefer it on the cool side. I find it disjointed as it warms up.
(Second day tasting) What a pleasant surprise. After sitting in my glass to warm up to room temperature, the wine becomes delicate and adds notes of cherry and raspberry. Very impressive.
I left the wine in the glass for 3+ hours yesterday when I felt it was disjointed. On the second day, I drank it 1/2 hour out of the bottle. The only conclusion I can make is that you shouldn't let this one decant for multiple hours - somehow it becomes worse.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Tablas Creek Winery Tasting (Tablas Creek Winery): Tasted non blind at the winery. Dark garnet color in the glass, clear hue throughout. Nose of black raspberries, black berries, a bit of black cherries and a hint of currants. A bit of red currants up front on the palate followed by flavors of red berries and red cherries. Medium acidity, medium tannins, medium body. Drink now. 91?
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Would not have even pegged this as a CA wine in a blind tasting. The qualities of this wine remind me more of a good Brunello than a CdP despite the varietal composition. After an hour decant, this wine came into perfect balance. Great fresh acidity, plum/stone fruit, and leather on the palette. The winemaking process yields something that is truly remarkable, and I'm still in shock that these grapes are from Paso.
I opened a half bottle so the evolution was a little accelerated... Would assume the 750's will be just as great and balanced in 1 to 2 years...
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Nose is relatively simple with dark fruit and a touch of earthiness. Flavor is more layered with figs, leather, dark berries and tobacco. Med-full body with concentrated fruit that's balanced by supple tannins and a medium finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Excellent blend. Granache shines with a smooth palate and terrific finish. Berries and a weighty chew that make for an excellent wine with our grilled chicken.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Drinking perfectly now; like an aged CdP, but with a much richer and creamier mouthfeel. Extracted flavors of bing cherry, sweet rasberry and red currants, with a nicely balanced structure and smooth, round tannins. Terrific mouthwatering finish, and perfectly paired with grilled caraway/garllic pork. Wow, silenced the dinner party!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Lots of red fruits and a hint of leather on the nose. Medium-full bodied. Smooth on the palate, with sweet red fruit flavors; tannic on the finish. A bit sweeter than I prefer, but still very nice.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
45% Mourvedre, 28% Grenache, 22% Syrah, and 5% Counoise. Deep ruby color. Red berry nose. Tastes of blackberry and black cherry with some well integrated charred oak. Firm tannins. Well balanced. Medium bodied. Long, elegant finish with very good depth. Much more approachable than the 2007 at this instance in time.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
91. Nice wine, but i thought this paled in comparison to the structure and complexity of the 2007 version. Still a well balanced and interesting red. 90-91.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
From a 375ml. Aromatic red fruits and herbs on the nose. On the palate, medium-heavy and surprisingly smooth, with a bit of olive character joining the mix. Very slightly tannic on the finish. Not sure about aging this for the long-term.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Brixr Rhone Varietals Tasting: Very spicy with a nice minerality to it. Some sweet cherry fruit in the background at first, but waking up with some swirling. Tastes of sweet black cherries, and while still quite tight, giving up some nice spice flavors. Killer tannic bite on the finish, drying my mouth out thoroughly.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
A shame we didn't give this one enough time. It was spur of the moment. Did manage about an hour decant, but this baby was just starting to unwind as we were finishing up. Started off tight, real tight. Not giving much at all but pickle juice on the nose at first. Slowly revealing tobacco and brambly notes. On the palate it was all red berry action, but still tight. It did gain some depth and complexity in the glass. Very balanced and well put together. Should reward with cellaring.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
I really like this stuff! Fresh cherries on the nose with a hint of spice and minerals; more big and sweet fruit but balanced and complex in the palate; generous fruit; still a touch of alcohol but softening; very nice finish; great QPR.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
A blend of 45% Mourvedre, 28% Grenache, 22% Syrah, and 5% Counoise. Deep ruby color. Cranberry and raspberry nose. Tastes of blackberry, cherry and earth. Medium bodied. Very well balanced. Elegant finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Plum and blackberry are dominant. Asian spices, earth, and tar are secondary notes. Body is light to medium, too thin. Tannins are fairly harsh. Tasty but nothing special.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
I've got a cold but those nose coming through on this is raspberry puree. pretty much the same taste. I love raspberry so no problems with this. Misssing the rustic barnyard CDP characteristics or at least they are buried at this point. Getting a little blast of alcohol on the backend and some bitterness. Needs a couple of years to shine more but I'm still enjoying it very much. 90+Pts
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Quite a bit disappointed with this bottle tonight .. very closed not giving much and didn't seem to have really anything that it would give in the future. Just pretty straightforward .. what you would find in your usual $10 dollar wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Really enjoyed this wine. Has a great flinty, earthy, minerally front (most likely from 45% Mourvedre) with a nice long finish strong on stone fruits. Definitely needs to be decanted for an hour or so as it was "confused upon opening. Sure this wine can benefit from age for a few more years. Medium bodied with moderate tannins and nice fruit.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Stumbled across this at the beach. From bottle opened 5 hours prior. Dark red in color. Nose of blueberry, black raspberry, earth, a little coffee, spice. Palate of blueberry, black, forest floor, herb crusted game. Nice long finish, and nice balanced wine with good fruit, that is very well balaced with acidity. After hearing so much about these wines, I got to say I will be getting more. Hold or drink. 50+5+13+17+7
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
I just do not understand this Rhone wantabe. Even after a visit to winery last year. What is the Cali Cab type flavour that goes away on day two ( an improvement I think when gone ). This wine is confusing.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Cloudy ruby red. More high toned than I recall from a half bottle in the spring, but nevertheless full of energy and lift on the nose with fresh berry and earth scents, followed by a medium mouthfeel with good persistence and a pleasing interplay between lively, crisp, red fruit and dark, earthy spice notes. Drinking well now; or hold through 2013.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
There's good fruit; dark and syrupy, suggesting young mourvedre, and some pepper and smokey grenache fruit. On the whole, it's a good wine, but without the garrique and funk I'd expect from an average Chateauneuf, which this clearly emulates. I'd be curious to see how this is with 6-8 more years of bottle-age to let it round out and come together.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Consumed over 2 days. Day 1: Nose: Red currant, floral scents (Rose?), crushed rock, and dust. Palate: Nice mouth feel, some spice up front with a gaminess in the mid-palate. Finish: Short but satisfying.
Day 2: Nose: Very similar to day1 with the floral scents dominating, even more expressive than day 1 - very nice. Palate: Not quite as good as day 1, dominated by gaminess with more spice showing. Finish: Still short but less satisfying. I really thought this would be singing on second day, but alas... - still a very nice wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
45% Mourvedre, 28% Grenache, 22% Syrah and 5% Counoise. Ruby color. Bing cherry nose. Tastes of raspberry, pepper, earth and black cherry. Great balance. Fine grained tannins. Long beautiful finish with very nice depth and elegance.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Good nose, Very good tannins (berries), medium finish. From 375ml. Tasted over two days (Vacusealed and stored in the fridge). I'll wait a little more before opening the additional bottles.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Wonderful red blend. Smooth in the mouth, very earthy aroma, easy on the finish. Having never been to France, this is exactly what I would expect to find/drink while roaming the Southen Rhone. I'm glad I still have another bottle to enjoy later this year or next. A fantastic Rhone-style blend. Yummy!!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This is a wonderful wine. It's the closest thing to a CdP that I've had from the USA. Opens with lot's of dark fruit, blackberries, and pencil lead on the nose. Full, fruity mouthfeel. Long, tannic finish. 92+ now.... I bet this gets even better over time.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
2009 Family Winemakers of California San Diego Tasting (Del Mar Fairgrounds): More soft and closed on the nose, I only got impressions of crushed berries from this. Very pure herb tinged fruit on the palate which has flavors of cherry and blackberry. I could not get a lot from this wine so I think it is just in a dumb phase, give it time. 90+
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
-- tasted non-blind at Tablas Creek tasting room -- -- bottle had been opened the previous day -- -- 45% Mourvèdre, 28% Grenache, 22% Syrah, 5% Counoise --
NOSE: boysenberries and some florals; pretty tight, despite having been opened yesterday. BODY: garnet color of medium-deep depth; medium bodied. TASTE: lighter on the palate than the '05 ... also more tannic and more mineraly than the '05. has some nice cigar spice to it. well-balanced, but needs some time. Not as good as a bottle I had a couple weeks ago --- I think the fact that this bottle had been opened the previous day made the wine shut-down and not show very well. Still, a very nice well-made wine.
B: 50, 5, 11, 15, 7 = 88
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
– decanted for about an hour before tasting – – tasted non-blind over 5 hours – – 45% Mourvedre, 28% Grenache, 22% Syrah, 5% Counoise –
NOSE: initially showed ripe red fruits (raspberries and sour cherries) along with a hint of garrigue and some limestone minerality; a spicy wood note emerges with time in the glass; the bouquet did tighten-up a few hours into the decant
BODY: clear; dark ruby color of medium-great depth; medium-full bodied.
TASTE: yummmm!! another successful vintage for this wine: a very smooth, easy-drinking CA Rhone blend showing loganberry and some Italian herbs on the full & seamless palate; the chalky minerality takes a back seat to the fruits, but is certainly there; hints of cedar and cigar wrapper come through on the long finish (50 - 60 sec.); tightened-up after a few hours in the decanter; although the tannins were moderately drying on the finish, this wine is extremely well-balanced and I believe it has the structure to withstand mid-term aging. Hold.
B: 50, 5, 12, 16, 8 = 91
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dark fruit and a bit of leather on the nose. Well balanced fruit, with a bit of earth in your mouth, with a great finish. If you can wait, save this wine for a few more years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted for two hours; pretty garnet colored, medium bodied wine; nose was still closed with hints of dark fruit - much more expressive after a few more hours; palate of dark fruits, some spice, silky tannins and a long finish. A brooding beauty and definitely drank to young (we just couldn't wait) - I'll give my last bottle a few more years rest.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Half bottle, decanted in the glass for an hour. Red plums, cherries, licorice and brambles on the nose. Classic Mourvedre profile of waxy cherries, licorice, chocolate and brambles on the palate, with some heat on the finish. Still evolving in the glass two hours later. Infanticide.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Year in year out, this is one of my favorite wines, especially for the price. I think the 06 is a little weaker than the 04 or the 05, however it is still an excellent wine. cherries and plums on the nose. overall a very balanced and classy wine with flavors of licorice, blueberries, cherries.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This wine was opened and poured. This showed above expectations and showed an outstanding combination of forward primary fruit and structure. The bouquet shows primary red fruits, blueberry and some underlying spice and rock notes. The color is a vibrant dark red that is youthful. The medium/full bodied palate continues the youthful theme. This is drinking very well now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
No notes taken. Very good wine, though with more of a modern profile than I expected. Nice licorice notes to back up the substantial fruit, with good balance.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
At once structured and seductive. Sweet nose of blackberry, blueberry, liquorice, mineral, and bramble. Very engaging palate of approachable fruit, midpalate complexity and long finish with ample and fine tannins. A true joy.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Another excellent, excellent vintage. Mint, blackberry, and plum aromas. Crisp, clear fruit on the midpalate with lots of cherries and chocolate. Much lighter on its feet than the 05, this should age spectacularly.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This was pretty tight and never really seemed to open up while I was tasting it. So I don't have a good guage on the wine. There were no noticeable flaws. In contrast to the 2004, the fruit I did taste seemed much brighter.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This started out kind of slow for me. It was lighter bodied than I had expected. It steadily opened up though, and I found it quite satisfying. I had expected it to be heavier and more fruit forward, but it was not. Nicely made wine. I just drank it a little young, because I had two of them.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
6/18/2023 - larsnpmi Likes this wine: 94 Points
Wonderful. Still had great fruit and soft tannins. Better than the 2013 we had last night.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/10/2023 - Stefan75 Likes this wine: 91 Points
From Mag, definitely towards the end of its lifespan but still in good shape! Tertiary aromas dominated by the mourvedre, not too hot or heavy. Interesting. Drink asap.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/15/2023 - Wein Fraulein wrote:
Past it’s prime as expected. Sort of corked but not horrible. Oh well.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/25/2021 - yvonnekoen Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drink now. Benefits from a good food pairing. Decanted for an hour. Forward notes of ripe plum on the nose. After an hour it all came together. Paired exceptionally well with Tablas Creek’s Boeuf Provencale recipe on their site - a real case of 1+1=3. Both the food and the wine sung beautifully together in harmony, while neither by themselves was especially remarkable.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/31/2020 - Peggypepperoni wrote: 90 Points
12/30/20 Day 1 PnP - smells only of iron, maybe some steak. Taste is prune/date, concentrated. Medium acid, full-bodied, tannin medium to medium +. Will report back. Delish!
12/31/20 - Day 2 - sat out in the decanter. Smell of dark fruits. Taste strongly of dark fruits. This is so good! Simply scrummy!
TLDR; oooo dang it's guud!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/21/2020 - soyhead wrote:
Nose - dark fruited, dates
Mouth - big fruit but mellow enough, better acidity would make this thrilling. Showing tolerably well at age 14.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/20/2020 - VlgJeff wrote: 90 Points
Slo-oxed for over an hour. Was professionally cellared for many years. Still drinking reasonably well with red fruits and some earth on the nose. The medium to plus bodied palate showed these same red fruits, some darker red berries, plum, earth, and a touch of spice. The acidity was balancing, and there was just a touch of tannins on the medium finish.
The Tablas Creek Vintage Chart indicates that this wine could hold for another 5 years, but based on the many TNs over the last 6 months, this wine should be enjoyed over the next year - with some air up front.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/17/2020 - jimineff Does not like this wine: 75 Points
Waited too long - very much over the hill.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/15/2019 - KO'Grady wrote: 89 Points
Drank too late.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/29/2019 - perlasteve Likes this wine: 90 Points
Nice wine but wasn’t great. Other’s with better reviews. PNP and probably should have decanted earlier since one comment stated a few hours to open up. Mixture of dark fruit and savory, medium body and alcohol not an issue. Will decant further bottles
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/28/2019 - pauldenisarcher Does not like this wine: 80 Points
Past it’s prime.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/2/2019 - tb_baltimore Likes this wine: 94 Points
Still, in my view, drinking well, different taste and texture than earlier, but clearly an outstanding wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/10/2019 - Schwarzer Hund Likes this wine:
Very dark red, earthy dark berry aromas but light compared to the very rich black raspberry and black plum fruit on the palate. Full bodied, integrated tannins with a very long and smooth finish. Wish it wasn't our last bottle.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/6/2019 - dino_mike Likes this wine: 89 Points
Took hours to open up (from Mag) so it has a 3 more years. Try again in early or mid 2022
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/22/2019 - yatchisin Likes this wine: 93 Points
Brought to a tasting so only got a bit, but a powerful fruity, spicy joy, if a bit browning.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/6/2019 - VoteferPedro wrote:
drinking well
perhaps a sprittz but deep cherry fruit and mineral on palate
only medium finish but deeply satisfying
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/3/2019 - SumCellar Likes this wine: 94 Points
A special wine for Super Bowl Sunday. Decanted for 3 hours. Medium red color with a tinge of rust. Bright fruit that lingers. Tannins are beautifully balanced. This wine maybe near its peak though there is much more life in it.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/5/2019 - tward Likes this wine: 91 Points
This entry is coming in a week+ after consumption, so sadly it's just from memory. This is well into maturity but by no means at its end. It showed well, but I was looking for something "more" in it, particularly I wanted it to show a bit more power with air over a few hours, but it remained a bit subtle w.r.t. what I wanted. But this is a better situation than if it had gotten really heavy and unraveled. Still an excellent wine that shows the staying power of Tablas Creek's wines.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/27/2018 - Sborthwick Likes this wine: 93 Points
Has held up well after 10 years in the cellar. Beautiful deep red color. Unmistakable plum and berry notes with a slight pepper on the long finish. Was a great partner to a traditional Italian meal.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/8/2018 - bmigneron Likes this wine: 90 Points
Wine needed some time in the decanter, but once there it opened up nicely. Rich, dark color, it went great with Beef Tenderloin at our dinner party.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/26/2018 - Schwarzer Hund Likes this wine:
Very dark red,earthy plum, dark berry, aromas, full bodied with rich black raspberry, plum, chocolate layers of flavor, very long finish (minute +). Could't detect the anise found in our previous bottle. This wine has evolved beautifully, packed with delicious fruit and very smooth. Served with pan grilled grass fed beef sausages and sweet potato puree.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/10/2018 - jimineff Likes this wine: 95 Points
I would say this wine is drinking at its peak now. Fantastic balance, great nose, no defects.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/7/2018 - pgm wrote: 91 Points
Nice CdP kirsch notes, pretty, but definitely mature. Drink in the near term.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/4/2018 - eags25fla wrote: 94 Points
Absolutely beautiful, balanced, elegant w/ big but seductive silky fruit. Nose of earth, black fruits, berries and cedar. Focused with mouth coating silky fruits and terrific structure leading to a long seductive finish. Fantastic.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/21/2018 - SICILIAN-SOLE Likes this wine: 94 Points
Fantastic wine! Pnp..ready to go. Still showing juicy, lively red fruit that is completely balanced and integrated. A powerful yet truly feminine wine by any standard (not just Paso). IMHO this wine would compete easily with any high end CDP. I see this holding steady for another couple of years but I can't think of a reason to wait.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/21/2018 - dino_mike Likes this wine: 89 Points
Drinks good with baked pie cherry and earthy flavors with very smooth light tannins. Not a heavy extracted wine but the fruit feels 'tight' with room to grow and gain complexity in a couple more years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/20/2018 - mtaczak wrote: flawed
was saving this bottle to see what happens, but i think it was probably flawed :( weird VA on opening, never really settled into its own.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/6/2018 - eags25fla wrote: 93 Points
Fantastic - nose of flowers, violets, berries and underbrush. Big, silky & beautiful. Tons of life left and probably needed more time in the decanter. Pleasing and perfect wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/2/2017 - SchlaepDog Likes this wine: 93 Points
Savory red fruit nose with rose petals, lavender along with some balsamic notes. Layered and soft red fruit first-mostly cherries with some raspberry and slight pomegranate with faint hints stewed strawberry. Earthy mid-palette with some garden herbs like thyme/ tarragon, then savory silky red fruit finish that shows a slightly stewed quality from age that is not too distracting. Fully mature, this wine is not going to improve from here, might have even been better last year. Still good stuff and not necessarily California in style, certainly feels French.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/22/2017 - eags25fla wrote: 94 Points
Fantastic. Old world, beautifully balanced and extremely pleasing. Nose of underbrush, earth, wild berries and licorice. Perfect from start to finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/20/2017 - dlduchon Likes this wine: 92 Points
Wonderful aged Esprit and drinking quite well at the moment. Well balanced with a bit of elegance.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/5/2017 - treesritter wrote: 92 Points
Maybe getting a little tired, but still very nice.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/4/2017 - Whine-oh Likes this wine: 92 Points
Popped and poured this wine table side with Mediterranean fare. Stemware was clunky and could not appreciate much of a bouquet. Wine had a very new world and Serata profile. Not too over-the-top as was concerned. In a sweet spot this evening. Nice red n black fruits. Some earthiness to the mid-palate. Nice mouth feel and finish. Held up with flavorful food from tonight’s menu. Wish I had more of these in the cellar. Enjoy it now. Not sure he will get much better with time.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/4/2017 - jonahfactor Likes this wine:
Six years after we last popped a cork on one of these, this is drinking wonderfully. A 90-minute decant loosened the hinges, and it continued to open in the glass throughout the evening, where it complemented a simple Bertoli pasta dinner. Fully integrated with secondary notes of black licorice, seasoned oak and wet pavement having joined the black and blue fruits we enjoyed so much. Long, elegant finish. Rusting a bit at the rim. Drink now-2022. (= Outstanding)
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/29/2017 - aaronfeigin Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very enjoyable, drinking right in the sweet spot. A very nice MGSC (Mourvedre, Grenache, Syrah, Counoise) blend, as good as any CdP.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/27/2017 - VoteferPedro Does not like this wine:
meh
87-ish
bit sour and thin
not up to other Esprits I have had nor on par with other CT notes
well stored in my cellar since release
feel it's over the hill or just a bad bottle but got no TCA and cork was sound
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/24/2017 - SumCellar Likes this wine: 92 Points
Deeply colored with a rusty cast reflecting its age. This wine still boasts big fruit with flavors that explode and dwells on the palate. This wine is wonderful now, but has more life in it.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/3/2017 - europat55 wrote: 90 Points
Quite fruit forward (89 pts). UPDATE: Got better after a few days vacusealed (+1pt), but still a fairly fruit forward wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/18/2017 - Foodchik Likes this wine: 92 Points
Lovely and full of flavor - this one has years left on it. More fruit than I remember the last bottle I opened.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/29/2017 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 93 Points
Some older Aussies, and some others with friends (Chris and Renee's): Still in a great place and no hurry to open. Pop and pour. The nose has black raspberries, plums, some cherries, pepper and slight earthy funk. On the palate, plenty of fruit, light tannins. Very nice texture, silky yet velvety. Lots of black cherries, black raspberries intertwined with some spice and earth. Good acidity. Long finish.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/27/2017 - ctjared Likes this wine:
shame there is no more. bright red fruit, medium to long finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/30/2017 - SteveG wrote: 90 Points
Full garnet. The nose is ripe, blackberries, plums, and tar, and a little alcohol. The palate is in keeping but more plum, spice, and tart edges. The finish is long and sweet, some tannins and slightly hot. Overall plenty of flavor and sophisticated fruit, with no CdP rusticity. Enjoyed with orange mustard chicken thighs.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/29/2016 - maxima wrote: 87 Points
Mieux que mes autres, mis en carafe un bon 5 heures et bu avec les escaloppes de veau au porto.
Assez ample et corsé,boisé et un peu capiteux malgré l'aération, finale longue avec une impression de sucre.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/23/2016 - barrytaylor Likes this wine: 90 Points
ch.du pape style. very dark. will last years
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/16/2016 - sixblade40 wrote: flawed
Raisin flavor
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/25/2016 - Tige Likes this wine: 89 Points
Peu de différence avec la dernière bouteille. C'est bien équilibré mais peut-être un peu sucré (vanille?). Je recommande de le prendre en mangeant de la viande grillée avec une sauce sucrée.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/6/2016 - Schwarzer Hund Likes this wine:
Very dark red, plum, dark berry, & anise aromas, full bodied with dense black raspberry, plum, anise, chocolate layers of flavor, very long finish. Seems to be at a perfect drinking stage now. No signs of fading.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/26/2016 - WG198 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Served with braised lamb shanks, great match.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/5/2016 - europat55 wrote: 89 Points
Included as a bling ringer in a CdP tasting and correctly identified as a New World wine by some of the guests.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/15/2016 - Paul S wrote: 92 Points
Dinner at Chao Shan (Chao Shan, Phillip Street): I liked this very much. The nose was a dead ringer for a CDP from a ripe year - blackberries, plums, scorched earth, a shade of garrigue, violets. Very attractive. The palate was a bit of change in gear though. While nicely balanced and well shaped, with juicy acidity and silky tannins, there a sunny ripeness to its black fruited character, with an almost plum and blackberry jam note to it, along with an earthier, spicier note pulling away along with a lick of licorice at the finish. Nothing too complex, but this was enjoyably yummy and nicely interesting.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/9/2016 - TallMikeWine wrote: 89 Points
Just a little more aged than I like. Extreme bricking, almost brown in color. Could have also been a storage failure, but this one was past prime, though the non-fruit elements were something to behold. Was better once the food hit the table, interesting anyway.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/7/2016 - Roentgen Ray Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drank along side a 2004 Beaucastel. This one was more fruit forward with chocolate and caramel notes followed by blueberry-raspberry pie. Soft mouthfeel, and juicy. The Beaucastel was much more leathery.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/27/2016 - MichielV wrote: 91 Points
Great bottle - drink now or hold!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/3/2016 - Djfermentation Likes this wine: 92 Points
Had this wine a few times in the past year and enjoyed it every time. We took this bottle to Jaleo to be enjoyed with Spanish Cuisine by Jose Andreas in Las Vegas. Decanted and enjoyed over a couple hours. This wine went great with several different pork preparations in the signature paella. The rustic elements of the pork stock infused rice were a homerun with this wine. I wish I had more as this still seems quite young and more secondary flavors are only beginning to emerge.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/18/2016 - CADomer Likes this wine: 91 Points
In a good place right now. Berries, sweet spices, and forest floor. Great weight and balance.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/5/2016 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 93 Points
Really in a great place right now. Close to peak at least. Purple in color, ruby rim. The nose is deep and complex with black raspberries, cherries and spice. Also a slight damp earthy note. On the palate, this is layers of fruit with earth. A bit of spice. Mostly red fruits with some underlying black raspberries. Good balance. I drank this sitting outside talking with the kids in a light rain (we got wet) listening to among other songs, Led Zeppelin's Fool in the Rain. Perfect.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/18/2016 - ravbik wrote: 88 Points
Heavy meaty red, iron bloody with bitter rose. Need to eat rich red meat with this one
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/3/2016 - mattdathan Likes this wine: 93 Points
Awesome
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/28/2016 - wine247365 wrote: 92 Points
Decant at least 2 hours!!! Drinking very well. Fully integrated. The CT end date of 2020 is reasonable, but I don't know if it will improve with 4 more years as it's drinking so well now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/15/2016 - pinoteer Likes this wine: 91 Points
Almost ready to drink from popping the cork. I let this one bottle breath. Initially, lots of red fruits, almost liquid twizlers. Then, after a while it was more black fruits and cocoa. Very nice.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/9/2016 - stayhappy21 wrote: 90 Points
Drank this at the Boathouse Lounge during the CNY gathering with my relatives today.
Wine was bottle breathed for 2 hours before serving. As compared to the 2004 Penfold's Bin 389 (which behaved like a well-mannered gentleman), the 2006 Esprit de Beaucastel behaved well a well-groomed lady. Gentle and feminine, she displayed charm, some complexity, sweetness and was attractive in her own way.
Notes of sweet red berries coupled with some peppery spice, dark chocolates, graphite and meat flavours.
Very rounded, balanced and elegant.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/2/2016 - stayhappy21 wrote: 90 Points
Opened this bottle at my new place with my wine mates from hardwarezone.com to usher in the new year.
Blend of 45% Mourvèdre, 28% Grenache, 22% Syrah and 5% Counoise. Bottle breathed for 3 hours prior to consumption. Sweet cassis and blueberries with prunes in the attack, with a lush and warm mid palate. Finish is long and memorable.
Integration of the flavours and balance between the elements is what made this wine awesome and amazing at the same time.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/20/2015 - SLOFred Likes this wine: 92 Points
Grenache fruit flavors come through up front. Tarry flavors from the syrah hit you next. Very even fullness from front to back palate. I great example of what Paso Robles Rhone varietals are capable of producing. Drank it with a Villa Creek 2007 High Road and a Saxum Broken Stones. I liked the Villa Creek slightly more as its tannins were really soft, but more than the Saxum.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/22/2015 - mattdathan Likes this wine: 93 Points
Lovely!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/1/2015 - Neras Likes this wine: 93 Points
Last bottle - and great is was. Very pleasant and mature nose. Round, pleasant and balanced on the palate. Subtle. Nice.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/28/2015 - Bob in NC Likes this wine: 91 Points
Lovely supple wine with a soft sweet fruit entry that leads to layers of flavors that melds into nice earthy finish. The ripe plum fruit is well balanced with cedar, pepper, allspice, cloves and forest floor flavors. Has just enough acidity to work well food. The lingering finish has soft tannins. Drink now for a more youthful wine or over the next 10 years.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/24/2015 - tamfrezo Likes this wine:
Excellent wine great value wonderful wine
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/18/2015 - ntruder wrote: 93 Points
This is really drinking nicely now - really integrated and showing some really nice subtle flavor aspects along with silky tannins and still surprisingly vibrant fruit. If you like a more aged new world Rhone, I would let this go a few years longer.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/24/2015 - jrkennedy37 wrote:
Enjoyable wine though not nearly as good as their 2005 at this same stage. By comparison, this is more brooding, a touch more bitter and not quite as complex. I think this may benefit from another 2-3 years of cellaring, though I won't know as this was my only bottle.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/20/2015 - bruce.lovett@yahoo.com Likes this wine: 93 Points
This is a terrific wine. It needs decanting for 2 or more hours to maximize flavor. Grenache dominant. I expect it will cellar for another 5 years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/11/2015 - tward Likes this wine: 91 Points
Drank well on PnP. Aerated half a glass by pouring back and forth several times and liked it better without that much air, though it still drank well from the bottle over several hours.
Grenache seems to dominate on the nose, bright berries, nicely fragrant. Some dustiness, dried herbs, and dried berries, and I got some cocoa nibs coming in (the Mourvedre?). This is nice, elegant. Fully ripe fruit but the style is nothing like the (score-chasing?) extracted wines that some in the area produce.
After 5+ years in good, but not ideal storage (65F?) this was ready.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/8/2015 - SLOFred Likes this wine: 92 Points
Started off a little shut down, but with a 2 hour decant was wonderful. Despite the blend, I felt like the grenache was dominant. Lovely wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/7/2015 - ephorn Likes this wine: 96 Points
gorgeous wine. Real depth of flavor that evolves. Long finish, tannins well judged. Fairly big wine and well balanced. Should keep another 5+ yrs with some upside potential.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/9/2015 - tcarter wrote: 90 Points
Not sure if this is a bad bottle or the wine is past its prime. But this was right on the edge of turning to me. Have one more bottle left and will probably try it soon, just in case.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/23/2015 - miker02 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Opened 4 hours before drinking. Powerful and rich with strong mourvedre overtones and a mellow finish. Drinking excellently now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/7/2015 - pomelo wrote: 90 Points
Belle bouche bien fondue. À point pour boire en ce moment. Par contre, comme certaines bouteilles précédentes, il y avait encore un léger pétillant sur la langue qui ne s'est pas vraiment dissipé sur les deux heures ou nous avons bu la bouteille
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/3/2015 - eporres Likes this wine: 92 Points
Powerful, requires decant. Agree with tasting notes from KENHOEVE below.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
2/22/2015 - papabluez wrote: 93 Points
Consumed most of it with my blind tasting group. Enjoyed by all! Aromatic with some texture. Smooth and well balanced. Delicate, yet powerful. Red to purple fruit with secondary flavors/aromas emerging. 3 hour decant before tasting. May last a few more years, but in a great drinking window now. The little bit that was left was even better 24 hours later -- richer, fuller and did not lose power or structure at all. Great Wine!!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/22/2015 - SLOFred Likes this wine: 93 Points
Another outstanding GSM from TCV. I still prefer the 2005,however!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/17/2015 - maxima wrote: 86 Points
Similaire aux autres notes, simple et moins complexe que le 2007, bien tout de même celle-ci.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/16/2015 - kenhoeve wrote: 93 Points
Drinking very well. Had this in a vertical of 04, 05, 06. The '06 is a star. It has the same profile as the previous two, but cranks up the intensity of the fruit a few notches. Gorgeous light berries, perfume, cherry fruit, plum, and then some meat and smoke. All of these wines showed well, if anything they are balanced and smooth. The 06 just had the upper hand. Extremely good with red wine braised lamb.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/9/2015 - isbjoern wrote: 91 Points
Sadly the last bottle as it was the best of the three I purchased. Lots of sweet fruit and that lovely Mourvedre funk, Syrah spices and garrigue flavors of great Rhone or Languedoc wines. A hint of oxidation adds even more interest to the wild mix of flavors, tannins have mellowed out over the years and the heat is less obvious than with previous bottles. Juicy and skillfully handled extraction. A lovely and well-aged bottle of Californian wine. - 91 points
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/3/2015 - charliesea Likes this wine: 92 Points
Deep red/purple on the eye,juicy on the palate. Raisins and perhaps a hint of wood on the palate, and that is right after popping the cork.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/31/2014 - bbcc66 wrote: flawed
Decanted for 2+ hrs. Not much bouquet. Was flat, tart & tasteless (no berries, fruit, etc). Likely corked. Disappointing.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comments (1)
12/26/2014 - richardkim Likes this wine: 93 Points
Lively flavors of berry and black fruits with a well balanced acidity. This wine has integrated well and remains lively.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/12/2014 - Hodby wrote: 87 Points
Medium dark red color. Though slathered in oak, the mixed red fruits dominate the nose; just minor background player are anise and black pepper. On arrival, medium-low tannin initially and low acidity; a very grenache body here. Buckets of dry raspberry, cherry, and cranberry fruit in the mouth, with oak spice. Very primary in the finish too, tannin rising here substantially; some tar at the end. A little more difficult for use at the dinner table than expected, the tannin and the fruit grappling too strongly with each other and burying the herbed roast chicken. Bottle #1 of three.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/29/2014 - jdub818 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Opened up beautifully after an hour, amazing depth!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/15/2014 - pomelo wrote: 92 Points
Wow, Le vin commence à se révéler. Un rhone ranger qui passerait pour un Châteauneuf en finesse. Pas lourd du tout et des tannins lisses. Il entame sa période de consommation optimale à mon avis.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/10/2014 - GARDEN Likes this wine: 92 Points
This is in its prime drinking window.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/12/2014 - WineDoctors wrote: 86 Points
garnet almost to rim, low acid, medium/soft tannins. hydrogen sulfide and spritz./incomplete vs. pediacoccus hard to get past this. dark fruits, black olive
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/28/2014 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 93 Points
A lot of Wines at Tommy's Clambake (again) (Tommy K's.): Really in a great place right now. The nose has black cherries, raspberries, minerals and slight charred wood notes. Seamless. Medium bodied. Complex and layered with plenty of fruit. No tannins. I don't see this getting better but no hurry. delicious and complex.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/14/2014 - SLOFred Likes this wine: 92 Points
Phenomenal wine. You could almost taste each of the individual grapes in the wine. Well crafted. Still has some longevity in it.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/13/2014 - VinoPKM wrote:
My 35th B-day (Capital Grille & mi Casa): Killed another bottle once we got home- so good right now. Going to be hard to keep my hands off this one.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/13/2014 - VinoPKM wrote: 92 Points
My 35th B-day (Capital Grille & mi Casa): This Rhone blend is fully open for business and drink amazing right now. Drinks great with and without food.
Red fruits, blueberries, hints of licorice, soy and smoky oak.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/8/2014 - Woodbridge Brad Likes this wine: 90 Points
Developed and lovely. Nice grip, great acid. Mint, red fruits, and a bit of a rustic note. Excellent
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/19/2014 - Wineson Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drank over 2 evenings. Really good wine with lots of fruit and depth.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/6/2014 - JSPuskar Likes this wine: 93 Points
Excellent wine. We had this with baked chicken. Opened and decanted about 30 minutes before serving. Earthy, pencil shavings on the nose. Blackberry and dark chocolate on the palate. Medium-long finish. This is a great effort from Tablas Creek.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/4/2014 - BigBoy_Sonoma wrote: 94 Points
Blackberries, blueberries, cranberries, black licorice, cassis, soy, dust of mocha and finishes with some smokey oak. A/A-
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/30/2014 - SLOFred Likes this wine: 92 Points
Still has a lot of life in it. Decanted it one hour ahead. Very balanced, delicious wine. Definitely could age another 5-10 years. Still not as good as the 2005!!!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/28/2014 - europat55 wrote: 90 Points
Outstanding nose (A-). Very good to excellent palate (B+/B++). Quite fruit forward, and a decent complexity. Will likely continue to improve over the next few years. From 375ml.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/28/2014 - mhewitt wrote: 93 Points
Drinking very well right now. Still has several years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/26/2014 - SLOFred Likes this wine: 92 Points
Really nice wine. So balanced. One of the finest GSM's I have had in months. TCV just does such a good job with there products. You just cannot go wrong.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/30/2014 - Neras Likes this wine: 91 Points
Still nice, but not as good as previous bottles. It still has a lot of freshness and fruit, and I tend to believe this was a "not-as-good-as-the-others" bottle. I will keep my last two bottles for some years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/27/2014 - BigBoy_Sonoma Likes this wine: 92 Points
Blackberries, blueberries, cranberries, licorice, soy, dust of mocha and finishes with some smokey oak. A/A-
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/27/2014 - BigBoy_Sonoma Likes this wine: 94 Points
Blackberries, black cherries, fine tobacco, pepper, chocolate and smokey oak. intense flavors with terrific balance. A
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/31/2014 - CRAUBER4242 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Opened for 1 hour and enjoyed over the next 4 hours. I'd say this wine was best around 2 hours from opening as it showed black cherry, cassis, blackberry, black pepper, leafy garrigue with earth and minerals showing with further air. The weight was really nice as well, but after 3 hours of air it became more disjointed and just showed as a over-ripe bloody/irony wine. I'm scoring it based on my experience from earlier in the evening. Another note is that it was pretty darn good upon opening, but would probably only need 1/2-1 hour decant to shine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/22/2014 - floydtp wrote: 92 Points
No detailed notes but PnP and held in a decanter while drinking over 4 hours. Wine is definitely in its window but I believe will improve over the next 3-4 years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/4/2014 - xwine wrote:
Brief decant, then drank it over the next couple hours. Initially some stewed fruit and slight VA, but both dissipate very quickly. Then it shows herbs, tobacco, and a mix of red and black fruit, but leaning to red; later becomes just a bit spirity. More than adequate acidity, nice texture, mature fruit. This is a fairly nice wine, and seems to be in a good place right now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/22/2014 - rocknroller wrote: 90 Points
CDP Tasting (Irene's House, St. Paul): Dark red color. Decanted for 2 hours. Drank 1 glass over 2 hrs. Nose shows kirsch, cherry, plum, wood, and later some dry earthy quality/ The palate shows sweet cherry fruit, some berry and fair bit of oak and spiciness and alcohol that integrates gradually over 2 hours. Medium full body, medium finish. This seems like it still needs some cellar time to really show well. Not sure it will be improved, but it will be more integrated off the bat. 88 to 89 initially, 90pts after 2 hours in glass plus a 2 hours decant.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/27/2014 - SLOFred wrote: 92 Points
Really nice, but not the 2005!!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/26/2014 - BVal wrote: 90 Points
Color: deep/dark ruby -> ruby rim with the barest hint of brick beginning. Pleasant enough nose of black cherries, plums, perfumy violets and a hint of leather and earth. Palate brought in meat elements along with savory herbs, Ouzo, plums and some earthiness. Medium to full-bodied, this seems to be in a good place right now with plenty of time to go. Touch of heat on the reasonably long finish surprised me as did the slight coarse bitterness at the end. Would have pushed the score a bit higher if not for that.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/11/2014 - SLOFred wrote: 91 Points
Not as good as the 2005. Decanted one hour before tasting. Will give it a year or two before I drink another.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/3/2014 - Vinomarcus Likes this wine: 93 Points
A fairly stout and well built wine, the nose is rife with Asian spices and ripe blackberries, plums and powdered cocoa. The palate mirrors the nose. It's so well balanced and well made, there's nothing overwhelming about its ample weight and size. There's a long lush finish that rewards each sip. Delicious wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/2/2014 - diananm Likes this wine: 90 Points
Still tight, should have decanted. Was really singing about hour 3 when we were finishing it.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/1/2014 - ckinv368 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Notes of burnt strawberry, cherry and leather on the nose. Leather, dark cherry, thick candied cherry (like the cherry essence in cough-syrup), hints of marzipan, brown sugar, mulberries, and light hints of forest floor and dusty mildew. Really lovely right now--drinking well, and very refreshing. Drink now or hold.
With cassoulet it brings out much more of the leather, the earthiness of the duck confit, and the forest. Great wine pairing!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/1/2014 - SLOFred wrote: 90 Points
Not as good right now as the 2005. I decanted 1 hour before. Still not opened up. I will taste again in 6 months.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/1/2014 - hawk30 wrote: 89 Points
Tannic and closed upon opening, so decanted for half hour. Wonderful color, juicy ripeness, a touch of minerality, plus some heat.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/26/2013 - maxima wrote: 86 Points
Rustique et un peu simple, beaucoup de boisé et de chauffe...tarde à se placer!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comments (2)
12/25/2013 - Cabfrancophile wrote: 89 Points
Very primary fruit, interestingly, with a bit of chocolate and soy. Macerated cherries, raspberries, and plums. Darker fruits on the palate with medium acidity and resolving but still present tannins. Fruit-forward, though layered. Oak is well-integrated.Not showing as much of the feral character of Mourvedre as I might have anticipated.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/24/2013 - WG198 Likes this wine: 92 Points
PnP after drinking a 2011 Alto Moncayo. This wine matched up sip for sip with the Alto. As one would expect, it got better the longer is was open. Aromas of red cherries, red fruit flavors, surprisingly mild tannins, longish finish. Just an excellent wine on a cold Christmas Eve.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/17/2013 - isbjoern wrote: 89 Points
This bottle showed some secondary fermentation, but otherwise was a fine drink with spicy flavors and sweet ripe fruit, some earthy notes and very nice acidity, perfectly ripe tannins, the high alcohol didn't bother so much with the food. This is drinking really well now and was a good match with the roast venison we had. - 89 points
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/19/2013 - dino_mike Likes this wine: 93 Points
Amazing at this age. Bright cherry and pie cherry mingle with earth and forest floor. Taste young still but not in a "too bright" manor, though the red fruits are distinct, it's elegant with the dark berry and earthy mouvedre lurking around, still holding back it's power. The long balanced finish tells me it will age for a few more years and change a bit more into an earthy and complex rhone blend. Drank this at the end of 2013 so maybe enjoy next year with decanting but see what 2015 does to it.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/16/2013 - scottkeyc Likes this wine: 94 Points
Beautiful wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/16/2013 - vin0vin0 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Awesome rhone blend from Paso. Black cherries and blackberries jump out first followed by red cherries. Great balance, long finish, just a fantastic wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/10/2013 - mtaczak wrote:
classic mourvedre nose of bloody meat, this is a great example of an old world wine made with new world fruit. restrained and elegant, I felt like it was most distinctive within the first 30 minutes before air mellowed out and balanced all of the aromas and scents. this definitely has the legs to run - I'd give it another 3+ years before I open another one.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/27/2013 - Neras Likes this wine: 94 Points
This is just great now. Wonderful fruity nose and balanced on the palate with both red and dark berries, pepper, mint, nice rounded and laid-back tannins and a long taste. I also had this a few years back when it was closed down and was somewhat worried. But it has really opened up and is just gorgeous now. I remain a huge fan of Tablas Creek!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/26/2013 - tb_baltimore Likes this wine: 94 Points
Really outstanding. Enjoyed very much. Nice taste of cracked pepper at end. Modest tannins and acids, so still can continue to improve. Right now at a high point. This peaked about 1/2-hour after opening. Continues to be my standard to judge other wines by --
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/19/2013 - wjochim Likes this wine: 93 Points
Shared with a couple of friends and we all loved it. The nose is so pleasant that we just wanted to keep smelling it - to the point of making conversation difficult! While still young, the wine seems beautifully balanced. I wish I had another case!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/13/2013 - Wineson Likes this wine: 92 Points
We all enjoyed this wine. Very good nose, body and taste. Smooth and pleasant.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/4/2013 - tooch wrote:
A very young wine that was a bit too wound up this time around. Had a nice spice and dark fruit profile, but I struggled getting much else. Hold.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/4/2013 - KeithAkers wrote: 92 Points
Nose: There is a very good meatiness that provides a base for black cherries, black fruits, licorice, earth, and spices. While this shows the mouvedere, there is also a warmth to the fruit that still lets you know it's california.
Taste: Medium/full bodied with medium acidity and hearty tannins. The structure is still youthful with black cherries, meaty tones, black fruits, licorice, and leather tones.
Overall: This still has a way to go. There is a lot to like here as there is a very Beaucastel quality to it with there also being a warmth from California. I would love to see where this is in another 5 years.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/28/2013 - paul canet wrote: 90 Points
Tres belle bouteille, on sent la chaleur dans le vin, les fruits rouges sont presents, l'alcool est bien balancé. On aime bien!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/15/2013 - DaveZack Likes this wine: 93 Points
Well, the bouquet wasn’t classic Chateauneuf-du-Pape (or it’s California cousin, Calineuf-du-Pape), but the flavor profile absolutely is!!
This wine is beautifully balanced, with the fruit, spices, earth, oak, tannins, acids, and terrior complementing each other and all the parts coming together to make the whole more than it normally could/should/would be.
This is a rich, creamy, spicy, delicious red blend that could easily pass for a Chateauneuf-du-Pape. The red and black fruits are most prominent (plums, blackberries, and sour cherries) but the abundance of black pepper and savory herbs are right behind the fruits (rosemary, sage, thyme, etc.). Next up to the plate is that certain je ne sais quoi, a.k.a. terrior from Chateauneuf-du-Pape (CdP). Finally, the perfect amount of earth and oak, along with silky, elegant tannins and zippy acidity all add-up to present a perfect, soft, smooth, lingering finish.
Paso Robles is famous for sharing many similar attributes with CdP, especially it’s soils, which is the main reason why TC partnered with CdP’s Chateau de Beaucastel to establish TC in Paso, where they excel at Southern Rhone varietals, in the form of both blends and single varietal bottlings. This particular bottle (which translates to “The Spirit of Chateau de Beaucastel) is perfectly named and appropriate beyond belief.
One final thought: there are many benefits to allowing Southern Rhone-styled red blends to properly age and mature before popping the cork. When this wine was released in (I’m guessing) 2008, it was probably very fruity, very spicy, very rambunctious, with strong, prominent tannins and acidity. Thanks to the majority of Mourvedre, this wine has aged gorgeously and has become more meaty, with the spiciness becoming more savory and less shrarp/peppery. And of course with proper aging, the tannins and acidity have mellowed a bit with the end result being a smooth, creamy, delicious red blend that, given its age, would probably be VERY difficult to find in a restaurant or wine shop. At seven years post-harvest, this is still a young, vibrant, delicious-beyond-belief fabulous red blend that is drinking fantastically right now and will probably only get better with time.
We paired this beauty with our go-to red blend companion: CostCo ribeyes spiced with Kosher salt, black pepper, and Herbs de Provence. This wine paired perfectly with the steaks and would also pair well with most red meats, but I’d imagine it would drink
GORGEOUSLY with lamb, especially shanks, chops, and racks. Like most red blends, pair this wine with red meat; can’t go wrong there.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/19/2013 - Oeno-1 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Good upon opening and great half an hour into a decant. Mature, complex fruit and earth. Likes many types of food. Was WOTN. Everyone at dinner was surprised at the quality. This wine is singing now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/16/2013 - ctjared wrote:
This is something special. Decant for 30. Almost no nose. Light tannin on dark fruit. Very interesting.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/12/2013 - Oakwine wrote:
- Garnet color. It's balanced with a medium/full body. Satin-Like texture with a long finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/11/2013 - BobMilton Likes this wine: 95 Points
This is just fabulous roght now. Red cherries on the nose and palate with spice and earth underpinnings and well integrated tannins.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/18/2013 - isbjoern wrote: 90 Points
As one would expect this is a ripe and full-bodied wine with slightly stewed sweet fruit and a wet dog fur note which could stem either from the Mourvedre or some slightly bretty oak foudres. Soft tannins and decent acidity, a bit syrupy and some heat on the finish. If the aim is to produce a Chateauneuf-like wine (which the name would suggest) than the result is very good. Drinks well now but no rush. - 90 points
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/18/2013 - soyhead wrote: 83 Points
nose - raisin, per cindy iron
mouth - stewed prune,super ripe fruit with some oak to boot. per brain 'it manages to be in balance while being out of balance.'
needs better acidity in my humble opinion
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/13/2013 - duchamp wrote: 91 Points
Dark purple, raisin, mission fig, black pepper and herbaceous notes, sweet and dense on the palate with loads of black fruit balanced by tangy acidity, finish is tight and slowly reveals black plum, nutmeg and cherry with smoky undertones
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/19/2013 - joet626 wrote: 86 Points
Not much here. Very first sip was a little bit fruity but it disappeared. No fruit and a little bit of earthiness. Boring. Very disappointed
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/12/2013 - vino_per_tutti Likes this wine: 90 Points
A little hot out of the bottle, but settled down nicely.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/7/2013 - Leoville_2012 wrote: 92 Points
Very positively surprised by this one. Nicely integrated by now. Sweet tannins, nice fruit, velvety in the mouth, some tertiary characteristics leaning towards liquorice. Should provide lots of pleasure for the coming 2-4 years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/4/2013 - cobhcork Likes this wine: 92 Points
drank with some buds last night, they loved Josh Reynolds description using the term "underbrush" and all agreed it was the star of the evening that included a Ch du Pape and a couple of nice cabs
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/3/2013 - prasm wrote:
Consumed over 2 days, note from day 2. Nose: Medium expressiveness, dark flowers, smoke, and gaminess - venison. Palate: Medium bodied, spicy red fruit with big acidic kick, acids dominate thru the mid-palate to back-end. Finish: Medium length sense of tart red fruit and a little spice. Slightly disappointing effort here as the acid overpowers everything else from the mid-palate thru the back-end. I've had a previous bottle that performed much better than this - perhaps just an off bottle. Not scored, would have scored 86+.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/8/2013 - Justin B wrote:
Closed phase for this wine I think... should have waited on this one.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/9/2013 - Tige wrote: 89 Points
Bien équilibré, complexité moyenne, ne me laisse pas de souvenirs particuliers.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/8/2012 - Neras Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very good with terrific balance between fruit and tertiary notes. Round tannins. Drink now, but also in five years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/1/2012 - mcubed wrote: 91 Points
Well balanced and drinking at its peak. No reason to hold but certainly has life.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/24/2012 - Brownvino wrote: 89 Points
Seems to have aged faster than anticipated. Still has fruit, but is faint and disjointed.
The wine looks Tawny colored. The legs are Medium. It smells like and Plum.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/23/2012 - Three-Star Dave wrote: 89 Points
Decanted an hour beforehand. Quite tasty, and went quite nicely with a turkey dinner at Thanksgiving, but not noteworthily so.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/28/2012 - Neras wrote: 93 Points
Opens up after 2 hours. Lots of fruit and a little cardboard in the nose. Wonderful on the palate with dark berries and some pepper/spices. Tannins are still visible. It has surely opened up and I guess there are more to come.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/24/2012 - vanpe003 wrote: 93 Points
From a 375ml. Pop/pour. Initially just slightly tight without a lot of depth. 30 minutes of air does wonders, with the wine becoming more rich and rounded. In terms of mid-palate flavors, grenache seems to play a bigger role than it's 28% would suggest. Some acidity provides a balance, but in general there doesn't seem to be a lot of structure to this for longer term aging. Lush, soft and long on the finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/15/2012 - cubswinws wrote: 91 Points
Nice rich dark fruit with a slight herbal character. Very enjoyable.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/22/2012 - pomelo wrote:
Pas certain que la bouteille était dans son meilleur état... petit pétillant sur la langue, un peu mince.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/19/2012 - Bluethunder wrote: 93 Points
Decanted 1 hour. WOTN, ripe tannins, smooth long finish, dark fruit, spice, licorice. Wow.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/20/2012 - vanpe003 wrote: 91 Points
From a 375. Aromatic nose with an herbal character. On the palate, savory with a background note of black olive. Medium to medium-heavy in body.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/16/2012 - Katie&Mike wrote: 89 Points
I've had a few bottles of this vintage and each is the same - effervescent on the palate when you first try it. It blows off after a while and the wine is good. Not bad but not my favorite wine from this producer.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/31/2012 - vinole wrote: 92 Points
Dark red fruit with a bit more ripeness and slight sweetness than I expected. Not as much earth and leather as the 05 I last had. Medium to full body and medium acidity. All in all a well balanced and very enjoyable wine that paired well with veal chop, just lacking some of the Old World characteristics I have gotten from other vintages of this.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/25/2012 - mikeaukenbals wrote: 90 Points
disappointing versus previous bottles. already on its way down a bit.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/30/2011 - jcomm wrote: 83 Points
Still two more bottles of this to go!!!
Decanted for two hours.
Nose is again muted and closed, even with air, it's a bit on the dull side!
The palate once again is showing very little fruit with some drying tannins, not really showing well once again.
Miles form the beautiful 2007! Might improve but will drink up the remaining ones in 1 to 3 years MAX!!!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comments (1)
11/19/2011 - HStaal wrote: 89 Points
Very good – clear dark garnet; dark fruit on nose; off-dry; mid acidity; low/mid tannins; medium/full body; mid length finish; soft smooth; dark fruit; good balance; some oakiness but well integrated; decanted 1 hour before hand and contrasted this against Domaine Font de Michelle CdP 2004. Served with Roast Beef.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/6/2011 - smcg wrote: 85 Points
Agree with the other tasters; soft, pleasant, unremarkable, drink up.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/28/2011 - underwds wrote: 87 Points
Plenty of raspberry fruit and maybe a touch of blueberry. Fruit quickly gives way to strong earthiness and tannins. Nothing memorable in the nose or color. Too unbalanced to enjoy on it's own, but the tannins and acidity turned it into a very food friendly wine with our pasta and red sauce. Overall I was disappointed given it was a Wine Spectator Top 100 pick. Maybe it needed a little more air time...I only gave it half an hour.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/26/2011 - ctjared wrote:
A little disappointing like some of the notes. Not badly made, but not that exciting.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/24/2011 - pomelo wrote:
Tannins beaucoup trop fermes. À attendre encore 4 ou 5 ans
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/4/2011 - maxima wrote: 85 Points
Encore une petite déception avec ce millésime surtout si on compare avec le 2007, on comprend mieux pourquoi les notes et les cotes sont inférieures pour le 2006 vs le 2007!
Le nez est un peu caricatural, grosse bombe de fruit, pire que ma dernière expérience on a remarqué.
En bouche, ça chauffe et c'est disjoint, un manque d'acidité en plus, ce qui me fait dire que l'évolution du vin risque d'empirer avec le temps, manque d'équilibre et pas très bien fait je trouve.
Très dommage car les 2007 sont tellement différents et prometteurs...bien heureux d'avoir encore quatre 2007 en cave!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/3/2011 - jcomm wrote: 80 Points
I don't see this getting better with time. Quite un balanced and disjointed, almost cloying! Nt very well made unfortunately compared to the 2007.
Major pass for me!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/19/2011 - Opusone99 wrote: 92 Points
Encore une très belle fiole! Le vin livre parfaitement la marchandise. Belles saveurs, assez costaud, texturé à souhait, finale correcte, plus serré que la dernière fois. Aurait peut-être dû respirer un peu plus longtemps. Le vin était moins expansif en bouche.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/13/2011 - hfinkel wrote: 92 Points
Full bodied, complex...everyones favorite of the night.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/26/2011 - maxima wrote: 85 Points
L’œil : La robe est d’une teinte de rouge rubis foncé.
Le nez : Le nez est puissant et intense et ce dès le premier nez. On sent qu’il y a pas mal d’extraction!
On y trouve des effluves de bleuets, de boisé et d’épices.
La bouche : En bouche, c’est ample et concentré. On goûte des cerises noires, de la muscade et un peu de cuir et de viande! Les tannins sont assez charnus et un peu asséchants. La finale est assez longue avec un brin de chauffe sur des relents minéraux. Pour le même prix, le 2007 est quelques coches au-dessus de 2006!
Un beau vin qui se boira encore mieux dans quelques années!!!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/14/2011 - Opusone99 wrote: 93 Points
Bu en fin de soirée,
Toujours aussi expressif en bouche. Quelles saveurs agréables! Le touché de bouche est exquis : beau velours. Le seul bémol est sa finale assez juste ce soir. Cela est pardonné par l'heure tardive de la soirée. À regarder dans l'avenir. RQP indéniable. 92-93.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/11/2011 - hubas wrote: 94 Points
A wine packed with aromas, a lot of fruit hits you the moment you smell it. almost has a feel och jam to it but in a good and still balanced way. It's very complex but the most dominant tones are liquroice and black currant
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/10/2011 - jcomm wrote: 82 Points
My second bottle in less than 2 months. Once again, this is borderline fruit bomb, definitely not my style anymore!
If you enjoy the style you'll probably like this wine, for me it's quite disapointing, considering that the 2007 is leaps and bounds better than the 2006 for me!
Not sure this will get better with age !!!
3 more bottles to liquidate unfortunately!!!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/6/2011 - z_willus_d wrote: 90 Points
On first pour this was highly reductive with odors of gun powder and long set lukewarm meringue. A good deal of that blew off after 20 minutes in the glass. It was then a fruity, semi-true raspberry puree mixed with dark blueberry and dry road shrubs. Overall, this has a far more "Californian" bouquet than I would have liked to have found in a bottle with this designation. On the palate, this pops with a nice sparkle, reminding me of some of the more well controlled GSM wines I've had from Australia. As with those wines, this does spike a touch of heat going out the back exit. Lots of red and bright dark fruit flexing on the entry; some sweet spice; a bit of not too imposing oak. Above medium to heavy body, but not notable for mouthfeel in any other sense other than to note the tannins that present themselves mid-grade rough keeping the environment fairly dry. Some reduction shows on the mid-palate, and that's annoying. I can tell what this is striving to be, but it just doesn't get there for me, coming across as a very well made CA syrah or syrah blend -- But where's the tar? Where the crushed peppercorn spices? The Garrigue, well there is a little of this. The savory and meaty? To sum it up, this is a big, sometimes delicious, fruity, reasonably controlled and balanced for its style CA wine trying to mimic the French CdP. It lacks the soul of that place but is certainly a perfectly fine presentation of the essence of well made California juice. It should hold up for five years at least, but I don't think it will evolve significantly in that term.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/5/2011 - mikeaukenbals wrote: 94 Points
Everyone's favorite wine of the evening. drinking perfect now. great value under $50
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/5/2011 - jcomm wrote: 85 Points
This bottle was even worst than my previous one.
Once again in pales in comparison to the 2007 drank a few weeks ago. The more the tasting went on the more the wine seem to fade, was a bit flimsy toward the fifth hour.
Still had nice fruit presence evnthough a bit on the bmbastic side of it.
May improve with time...lets hope I stil have 3 bottles!!!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/2/2011 - mpricher wrote: 90 Points
Similar notes to prior tasting. Better on day one, than day two. Seemed to loose a little steam and fruit. Overall a very nice California Rhone experience.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/26/2011 - jcomm wrote: 84 Points
Quite disapointed with the 2006 when compared side by side with the 2007 opened at the same time to compare.
The 2007 blew away the 2006!
Decanted for two hours.
The nose has some buble gum, candy, vanilla and some blackberries and spices.
The mouthfeel lacks acidity & structure, a bit of Cherry and some animal taste.
It is quite fruit bomby & sugary presently...it's all over the place!
Lack of acidity and poor structure does not make for a prmosing future but we'll see!!!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/25/2011 - MattMauldin wrote: 94 Points
Tasting room pour. Briary fruit nose. Slight gaminess, minerals, and a pure red and blue fruit profile. Good feel and weight. Round tannins. Long finish. Excellent.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/10/2011 - konquest Does not like this wine: 85 Points
Came out as overly jammy and lacking structure. One of the least liked wines of the night.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/10/2011 - Opusone99 wrote: 93 Points
Toujours une belle réussite. Quel vin!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/10/2011 - Opusone99 wrote: 93 Points
Le vin titre 14,5%. La robe est sombre le nez est sur les petits fruits rouges et noires, chocolat, poivre rose, bel équilibre en bouche, superbe texture, assez corsé. Tout un RQP à mon sens. Très belle réussite encore une fois.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/26/2011 - rdk8 wrote: 90 Points
Raspberry on the nose, surprisingly young. Red and black fruit, velvety mouthfeel. Great with bean stew.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/19/2011 - Grenik wrote: 89 Points
Tasted at the tasting room with the 2008. The wine is smooth, balanced, plum and cherry nose and palate. There is some acidity and nice structure here to allow it to age gracefully. I preferred the 2008 a little better, so this ended up just under 90 points for me.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/17/2011 - Opusone99 wrote: 93 Points
Deuxième bouteille hier soir.
Laisser respirer 2 heures. Très expressif, beaucoup de fruits noirs, présence de moka, très agréable en bouche, quel touché!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/3/2011 - Redguy wrote: 91 Points
Tablas Creek Spring Tasting Party: Dark ruby. A touch of sweetness on entry. Earthy dark fruits, soy sauce, with a little mushroom thing going on. Rich and very smooth with well integrated tannins, this is excellent but a little too under control right now for a mourvedre based wine and lacks a little sex appeal. Excellent and better than the bottle I had at home a week ago.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/1/2011 - mamacol wrote:
Drunk on cruise
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/29/2011 - kstoddard Likes this wine: 92 Points
A blend of 45% Mourvedre, 28% Grenache, 22% Syrah, and 5% Counoise. Ruby color. Dark fruit nose. Tastes of blackberry, raspberry, soy sauce, garrigue, and spice. Well balanced. Fine grained tannins. Nice finish with nice complexity and elegance.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/27/2011 - MattMauldin wrote: 93 Points
Decanted for about 2 hours. Brickish ruby purple color with a dense appearance. Aromas of violets & lavender, slate, and ripe blueberry & plum. Voluptuous on the palate with blueberry, black cherry, coffee bean, and black truffle notes. A little green tea, curry, and vanilla bean notes come into play in the middle, adding depth. Rich throughout and well-balanced with silky ripe tannins and long fruit finishing notes. Hitting on all cylinders. Excellent.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/26/2011 - Redguy wrote:
Decanted 2 hours. Disappointing bottle. Medium mouthfeel with muted aromas & flavors. Recent tastings of this have pointed to some burgeoning development, but not this one. Suspecting a touch of TCA. Damn!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/26/2011 - wetlandwino wrote: 94 Points
Full bodied, complex wine. Nicely integrated with a velvet finish. Drink now or hold.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/24/2011 - bpvrm wrote: 89 Points
Really nice GSM.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/24/2011 - bpvrm wrote: 89 Points
Really nice GSM from Paso Robles.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/23/2011 - Opusone99 wrote: 94 Points
Vient tout juste d'arriver sur les tablettes. Le vin titre 14,5%. Assemblage de 45% Mourvèdre, 28% Grenache, 22% Syrah et 5% Counoise. La robe est pourpre. Çä sent vraiment bon. Le nez est profond sur des notes de mûres, cassis, moka et de cerises noires. La texture est incroyable, on dirait une caresse sur le palais, belle densité, splendide rétro-olfaction avec de beaux épices en arrière-plan, poivre rose, bonne acidité, superbe fraîcheur, bonne longueur en finale. Un pur délice qui sera encore meilleur dans quelques années. 93-94.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/19/2011 - MicklethePickle wrote: 92 Points
Open 24 hours. Lovely dark ruby. Nice legs. Nose is filled with ripe raspberry fruit. Really lovely. Palate is even better-wow! Rich red and black fruits with a lot of complexity. Silky smooth texture with a dollop of oak fir structure. A hell of a wine. 5-12-17-8: 92/100.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/27/2011 - Daisyscooler wrote: 91 Points
Fruity and smooth! A very nice wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/19/2011 - JuniorSamples wrote: 92 Points
Garnet color. Floral and raspberries on the nose. Raspberries, cherry, leather on the palate. Balanced, with barely noticeable tannins. Medium bodied and good finish. Very good wine, but needs a good food pairing to work. I had it with steaks and it was just the right level of fruit to offset the meat; seems too fruit forward to be as enjoyable by itself. Doesn't seem to have the stuffings to improve significantly with age.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/15/2011 - tward wrote: 89 Points
A beautifully made wine showing dark fruits and bright cherry notes along with a bit of earth and leather. Balanced with modest acid and tannins it drank well shortly after opening and a day later later after half the bottle was suctioned. However, even though it was solidly built and expressed vibrant fruit, for the price point is was a bit shallow with a modest finish and less deep earth and animal notes than I've come to expect from a mourvedre-based wine, less spice, and generally less complexity. So the QPR is in question given the proliferation of excellent sub-$40 bottles out there. Will give my couple other bottles some time to develop.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/14/2011 - Three-Star Dave wrote: 89 Points
Still a bit young, but flavorful and a good match with a good steak.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/30/2011 - jtcseventysix wrote: 88 Points
Tasting note from second day of tasting (vacu-vin):
Deep, dark, ruby red with a nose of bright, fresh strawberry and wildflowers; sweet, candied raspberry fruit with a smidgeon of earth and a backbone of crushed rock; very smooth and full-bodied; but in a typical riper Tablas style.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/10/2010 - Cabfrancophile wrote:
Tablas Creek at East Beach Wine (Santa Barbara, CA): 45% Mourvedre, 28% Grenache, 22% Syrah, 5% Counoise. Seaweed, olive, eucalyptus, kirsch and dark fruit. Grippy tannin. Seems a bit rustic, in the best possible sense, compared to the 2008.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/5/2010 - grafstrb wrote:
– tasted a single glass non-blind over approx. 5 minutes –
– bottle opened yesterday –
– 45% Mourvedre, 28% Grenache, 22% Syrah, 5% Counoise –
Purple-garnet color of medium-deep to deep depth. Expressive Nose features raspberry and spice. Medium-full bodied on the expressive palate with flavors of red-fruited jam and leather. Tannins are a slightly drying and provide decent grip. Well-balanced between acid and tannin. 14.5% alc. was barely noticeable. Medium-long finish of moderate-great intensity. Well-structured, and will continue to improve in the cellar.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/4/2010 - Life At Your Leisure 🍷 wrote: 92 Points
Needs about 10 minutes to breath and unleash its flavors. Medium-to-full bodied with red berries, nutmeg, potpourri, cedar and raspberry with a slightly tangy finish. Quite interesting and rather subtle. This should be taken as a starter wine amongst a line-up. Drink from 2010 to 2016.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/30/2010 - dino_mike wrote: 92 Points
Surprising youth and vigor in this magnum we opened. Dark red, cool fruits (the mouvedre of course) with wonderful earth and minerals that remain equal balance thoughout the evening. This tells me it will age wonderfully for years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/28/2010 - jonahfactor wrote: 93 Points
Thanksgiving dinner following the '08 Tablas Creek Rousanne. Poured from magnum with no decant. A hit around the table. Some wines elicit more dinner conversation than others. This clearly was on the "let's talk about this" side. Wonderful melding of California fruit with French sophistication, with the wine picking up a nice mineral note in the finish that had people trying to describe what they were tasting. Full bodied with notes of blackberry, blueberry and slight tobacco. Without the decant, the wine opened up beautifully in the course of the long meal. They're still talking about it.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/25/2010 - mpricher wrote: 91 Points
A very nice Red Rhone experience. Much more body and weight than a french CNP. More spice as well on the nose, with a darker fruit profile. Most likely from the heavier Mouvedre in this bottling. Really well made, and well-blended. It has both the body and fruit to keep up with all the flavors on a Thanksgiving day plate. Some mineral qualities, but the fruit was all California.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/8/2010 - PSUSteve Likes this wine: 91 Points
Pop and pour. Very interesting wine. I like it. Very smooth and balanced but I can't say that anything stood out on the nose or the palate. Just a nice wine to drink.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/1/2010 - wine4me2 wrote: 91 Points
Very nice. Nose consists of potpourri, most notably violets. Drinks very smooth. This is a medium bodied wine with moderate tannins. Upfront flavors are currants,red cherries, pomegranate and red berry fruit compared to the dark blackberry/black cherry some others have mentioned. I did not get that. Also noted that the alcohol content was lower compared to the stated 14.5%, undoubtedly a result of the cool fall harvest. This would be considered a very good CDP had it not come from the US. Highly recommended for the price......and just plain recommended also.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/8/2010 - DuaneT wrote: 91 Points
Great nose of chocolate black fruits and spice - reminiscent of cabernet. On the tongue, it comes across as well structured with a long finish, similar to a Perrin & Fils I had a few weeks back but with a much smoother mouthfeel and finish.
Seems to do well as a pop and pour and I prefer it on the cool side. I find it disjointed as it warms up.
(Second day tasting) What a pleasant surprise. After sitting in my glass to warm up to room temperature, the wine becomes delicate and adds notes of cherry and raspberry. Very impressive.
I left the wine in the glass for 3+ hours yesterday when I felt it was disjointed. On the second day, I drank it 1/2 hour out of the bottle. The only conclusion I can make is that you shouldn't let this one decant for multiple hours - somehow it becomes worse.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/5/2010 - wineismylife wrote: 91 Points
Tablas Creek Winery Tasting (Tablas Creek Winery): Tasted non blind at the winery. Dark garnet color in the glass, clear hue throughout. Nose of black raspberries, black berries, a bit of black cherries and a hint of currants. A bit of red currants up front on the palate followed by flavors of red berries and red cherries. Medium acidity, medium tannins, medium body. Drink now. 91?
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/1/2010 - SM Wine wrote: 94 Points
Would not have even pegged this as a CA wine in a blind tasting. The qualities of this wine remind me more of a good Brunello than a CdP despite the varietal composition. After an hour decant, this wine came into perfect balance. Great fresh acidity, plum/stone fruit, and leather on the palette. The winemaking process yields something that is truly remarkable, and I'm still in shock that these grapes are from Paso.
I opened a half bottle so the evolution was a little accelerated... Would assume the 750's will be just as great and balanced in 1 to 2 years...
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/23/2010 - Surfdoc wrote: 92 Points
Nose is relatively simple with dark fruit and a touch of earthiness. Flavor is more layered with figs, leather, dark berries and tobacco. Med-full body with concentrated fruit that's balanced by supple tannins and a medium finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/20/2010 - JCaress wrote: 94 Points
Excellent blend. Granache shines with a smooth palate and terrific finish. Berries and a weighty chew that make for an excellent wine with our grilled chicken.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/15/2010 - Snoman wrote: 93 Points
Drinking perfectly now; like an aged CdP, but with a much richer and creamier mouthfeel. Extracted flavors of bing cherry, sweet rasberry and red currants, with a nicely balanced structure and smooth, round tannins. Terrific mouthwatering finish, and perfectly paired with grilled caraway/garllic pork. Wow, silenced the dinner party!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/2/2010 - grafstrb wrote:
A day in Paso (Denner, Tablas Creek, Graves ...): -- tasted a single glass, non-blind in tasting room ––
– 45% Mourvedre, 28% Grenache, 22% Syrah, 5% Counoise –
Lots of red fruits and a hint of leather on the nose. Medium-full bodied. Smooth on the palate, with sweet red fruit flavors; tannic on the finish. A bit sweeter than I prefer, but still very nice.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/20/2010 - kstoddard Likes this wine: 93 Points
45% Mourvedre, 28% Grenache, 22% Syrah, and 5% Counoise. Deep ruby color. Red berry nose. Tastes of blackberry and black cherry with some well integrated charred oak. Firm tannins. Well balanced. Medium bodied. Long, elegant finish with very good depth. Much more approachable than the 2007 at this instance in time.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/4/2010 - winegr wrote: 91 Points
91. Nice wine, but i thought this paled in comparison to the structure and complexity of the 2007 version. Still a well balanced and interesting red. 90-91.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/18/2010 - jcbrand wrote: 92 Points
Balance, earth, smoke undertone. This is great.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/10/2010 - vanpe003 wrote: 92 Points
From a 375ml. Aromatic red fruits and herbs on the nose. On the palate, medium-heavy and surprisingly smooth, with a bit of olive character joining the mix. Very slightly tannic on the finish. Not sure about aging this for the long-term.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/17/2010 - cartime wrote: 89 Points
Not as good as the '07.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/3/2010 - RPerro Likes this wine: 90 Points
Brixr Rhone Varietals Tasting: Very spicy with a nice minerality to it. Some sweet cherry fruit in the background at first, but waking up with some swirling. Tastes of sweet black cherries, and while still quite tight, giving up some nice spice flavors. Killer tannic bite on the finish, drying my mouth out thoroughly.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/11/2010 - jahlove wrote: 92 Points
A shame we didn't give this one enough time. It was spur of the moment. Did manage about an hour decant, but this baby was just starting to unwind as we were finishing up. Started off tight, real tight. Not giving much at all but pickle juice on the nose at first. Slowly revealing tobacco and brambly notes. On the palate it was all red berry action, but still tight. It did gain some depth and complexity in the glass. Very balanced and well put together. Should reward with cellaring.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/17/2010 - royalscam wrote: 93 Points
I really like this stuff! Fresh cherries on the nose with a hint of spice and minerals; more big and sweet fruit but balanced and complex in the palate; generous fruit; still a touch of alcohol but softening; very nice finish; great QPR.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/31/2009 - kstoddard wrote: 92 Points
A blend of 45% Mourvedre, 28% Grenache, 22% Syrah, and 5% Counoise. Deep ruby color. Cranberry and raspberry nose. Tastes of blackberry, cherry and earth. Medium bodied. Very well balanced. Elegant finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/27/2009 - rmalloy wrote: 88 Points
Plum and blackberry are dominant. Asian spices, earth, and tar are secondary notes. Body is light to medium, too thin. Tannins are fairly harsh. Tasty but nothing special.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/23/2009 - beachnic wrote: 90 Points
I've got a cold but those nose coming through on this is raspberry puree. pretty much the same taste. I love raspberry so no problems with this. Misssing the rustic barnyard CDP characteristics or at least they are buried at this point. Getting a little blast of alcohol on the backend and some bitterness. Needs a couple of years to shine more but I'm still enjoying it very much. 90+Pts
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/19/2009 - jlinden wrote: 91 Points
Excellent Paso Robles wine
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/18/2009 - cmr wrote: 89 Points
Quite a bit disappointed with this bottle tonight .. very closed not giving much and didn't seem to have really anything that it would give in the future. Just pretty straightforward .. what you would find in your usual $10 dollar wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/15/2009 - douggator wrote: 93 Points
Vewry nice flavors with great fruit. It seemed that the Grenache shined even though it was only 28% of the blend.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/7/2009 - louis1ma wrote: 91 Points
Really enjoyed this wine. Has a great flinty, earthy, minerally front (most likely from 45% Mourvedre) with a nice long finish strong on stone fruits. Definitely needs to be decanted for an hour or so as it was "confused upon opening. Sure this wine can benefit from age for a few more years. Medium bodied with moderate tannins and nice fruit.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/28/2009 - manonthemoon wrote: 92 Points
Stumbled across this at the beach. From bottle opened 5 hours prior. Dark red in color. Nose of blueberry, black raspberry, earth, a little coffee, spice. Palate of blueberry, black, forest floor, herb crusted game. Nice long finish, and nice balanced wine with good fruit, that is very well balaced with acidity. After hearing so much about these wines, I got to say I will be getting more. Hold or drink. 50+5+13+17+7
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/30/2009 - GregGH wrote: 89 Points
I just do not understand this Rhone wantabe. Even after a visit to winery last year. What is the Cali Cab type flavour that goes away on day two ( an improvement I think when gone ). This wine is confusing.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/17/2009 - AdamWallstein wrote: 92 Points
Cloudy ruby red. More high toned than I recall from a half bottle in the spring, but nevertheless full of energy and lift on the nose with fresh berry and earth scents, followed by a medium mouthfeel with good persistence and a pleasing interplay between lively, crisp, red fruit and dark, earthy spice notes. Drinking well now; or hold through 2013.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/4/2009 - DSchnider wrote: 89 Points
French Neumf De Pape guys playing int he Cally sun. Doesn't work great, plays a little flat.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/31/2009 - Blue Shorts wrote: 92 Points
50+5+12+17+8
A superb effort. This wine rivals many of the top french CDPs. A keeper.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/28/2009 - ekenneth wrote: 88 Points
There's good fruit; dark and syrupy, suggesting young mourvedre, and some pepper and smokey grenache fruit. On the whole, it's a good wine, but without the garrique and funk I'd expect from an average Chateauneuf, which this clearly emulates. I'd be curious to see how this is with 6-8 more years of bottle-age to let it round out and come together.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/27/2009 - prasm wrote: 90 Points
Consumed over 2 days. Day 1: Nose: Red currant, floral scents (Rose?), crushed rock, and dust. Palate: Nice mouth feel, some spice up front with a gaminess in the mid-palate. Finish: Short but satisfying.
Day 2: Nose: Very similar to day1 with the floral scents dominating, even more expressive than day 1 - very nice. Palate: Not quite as good as day 1, dominated by gaminess with more spice showing. Finish: Still short but less satisfying. I really thought this would be singing on second day, but alas... - still a very nice wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/9/2009 - goofy Yno wrote: 91 Points
cherry, raspberry nose, good body with some complexity,
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/20/2009 - goofy Yno wrote: 92 Points
nice nose with earth, meat, red fruits. better mouth that developed as the night progressed, good fruit and complexity.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/11/2009 - kstoddard wrote: 93 Points
45% Mourvedre, 28% Grenache, 22% Syrah and 5% Counoise. Ruby color. Bing cherry nose. Tastes of raspberry, pepper, earth and black cherry. Great balance. Fine grained tannins. Long beautiful finish with very nice depth and elegance.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/22/2009 - europat55 wrote: 88 Points
Good nose, Very good tannins (berries), medium finish. From 375ml.
Tasted over two days (Vacusealed and stored in the fridge). I'll wait a little more before opening the additional bottles.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/22/2009 - DaveZack wrote: 92 Points
Wonderful red blend. Smooth in the mouth, very earthy aroma, easy on the finish. Having never been to France, this is exactly what I would expect to find/drink while roaming the Southen Rhone. I'm glad I still have another bottle to enjoy later this year or next. A fantastic Rhone-style blend. Yummy!!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/21/2009 - Will wrote:
Tablas Creek / Denner / Hoage; 6/20/2009-6/21/2009 (Templeton, CA): Pure dense bright fruit on the nose, lots of cherry, very bright in the mouth, a touch of alcohol (burning a bit), style of a point-seeking CdP (think Janasse Chaupin). $45
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/20/2009 - gdykema wrote: 91 Points
Nice GSM, juicy and full. Concentrated berry, perfume/floral components, medium+ body, very well structured. Tasted at the winery.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/5/2009 - Blue Shorts wrote: 92 Points
This is a beautiful expression of an american CdP. Great now... I assume it will get better for the next few years, at least.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/7/2009 - Blue Shorts wrote: 92 Points
This is a wonderful wine. It's the closest thing to a CdP that I've had from the USA. Opens with lot's of dark fruit, blackberries, and pencil lead on the nose. Full, fruity mouthfeel. Long, tannic finish. 92+ now.... I bet this gets even better over time.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/2/2009 - ews3 wrote: 90 Points
Philadelphia Wine Festival (Marriott, Philadelphia PA): black fruit, berries, and black pepper. nice finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/2/2009 - jrobs7777 wrote:
The Eighth Annual Philadelphia Wine Festival (Philadelphia Marriott Downtown): Not sure what the price point is on this, but it was very good. Nice California red wine with CdP varietals. Fresh, fruit and spicy. I like this effort and look forward to seeing how the Perrin family develops this brand.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/15/2009 - Badfish wrote: 90 Points
2009 Family Winemakers of California San Diego Tasting (Del Mar Fairgrounds): More soft and closed on the nose, I only got impressions of crushed berries from this. Very pure herb tinged fruit on the palate which has flavors of cherry and blackberry. I could not get a lot from this wine so I think it is just in a dumb phase, give it time. 90+
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/15/2009 - grafstrb wrote: 88 Points
-- tasted non-blind at Tablas Creek tasting room --
-- bottle had been opened the previous day --
-- 45% Mourvèdre, 28% Grenache, 22% Syrah, 5% Counoise --
NOSE: boysenberries and some florals; pretty tight, despite having been opened yesterday.
BODY: garnet color of medium-deep depth; medium bodied.
TASTE: lighter on the palate than the '05 ... also more tannic and more mineraly than the '05. has some nice cigar spice to it. well-balanced, but needs some time. Not as good as a bottle I had a couple weeks ago --- I think the fact that this bottle had been opened the previous day made the wine shut-down and not show very well. Still, a very nice well-made wine.
B: 50, 5, 11, 15, 7 = 88
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/11/2009 - beezer6 wrote: 89 Points
Paso Robles Tour and Seminar (Binny's South Loop - Chicago, IL): Concord grape with a dusty blueberry essence. Purple flowers with nice acidity on the finish.
Medium full bodied with some solid grip. Not about all the hype though.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/1/2009 - grafstrb wrote: 91 Points
– decanted for about an hour before tasting –
– tasted non-blind over 5 hours –
– 45% Mourvedre, 28% Grenache, 22% Syrah, 5% Counoise –
NOSE: initially showed ripe red fruits (raspberries and sour cherries) along with a hint of garrigue and some limestone minerality; a spicy wood note emerges with time in the glass; the bouquet did tighten-up a few hours into the decant
BODY: clear; dark ruby color of medium-great depth; medium-full bodied.
TASTE: yummmm!! another successful vintage for this wine: a very smooth, easy-drinking CA Rhone blend showing loganberry and some Italian herbs on the full & seamless palate; the chalky minerality takes a back seat to the fruits, but is certainly there; hints of cedar and cigar wrapper come through on the long finish (50 - 60 sec.); tightened-up after a few hours in the decanter; although the tannins were moderately drying on the finish, this wine is extremely well-balanced and I believe it has the structure to withstand mid-term aging. Hold.
B: 50, 5, 12, 16, 8 = 91
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/25/2009 - drwine2001 wrote:
Medium dark ruby. Bark, blueberry, and tobacco on the nose. Fairly dense wine with tannic finish and noticeably high acidity. Clean and very good.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/21/2009 - dandiephouse wrote: 92 Points
Dark fruit and a bit of leather on the nose. Well balanced fruit, with a bit of earth in your mouth, with a great finish. If you can wait, save this wine for a few more years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/1/2009 - green-steve wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for two hours; pretty garnet colored, medium bodied wine; nose was still closed with hints of dark fruit - much more expressive after a few more hours; palate of dark fruits, some spice, silky tannins and a long finish. A brooding beauty and definitely drank to young (we just couldn't wait) - I'll give my last bottle a few more years rest.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/31/2009 - Fielding wrote: 91 Points
Half bottle, decanted in the glass for an hour. Red plums, cherries, licorice and brambles on the nose. Classic Mourvedre profile of waxy cherries, licorice, chocolate and brambles on the palate, with some heat on the finish. Still evolving in the glass two hours later. Infanticide.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/30/2009 - bilge316 wrote: 90 Points
Year in year out, this is one of my favorite wines, especially for the price. I think the 06 is a little weaker than the 04 or the 05, however it is still an excellent wine. cherries and plums on the nose. overall a very balanced and classy wine with flavors of licorice, blueberries, cherries.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/23/2009 - sehill wrote: 92 Points
This wine was opened and poured. This showed above expectations and showed an outstanding combination of forward primary fruit and structure. The bouquet shows primary red fruits, blueberry and some underlying spice and rock notes. The color is a vibrant dark red that is youthful. The medium/full bodied palate continues the youthful theme. This is drinking very well now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/27/2008 - xwine wrote:
No notes taken. Very good wine, though with more of a modern profile than I expected. Nice licorice notes to back up the substantial fruit, with good balance.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/2/2008 - Haltermr wrote: 93 Points
At once structured and seductive. Sweet nose of blackberry, blueberry, liquorice, mineral, and bramble. Very engaging palate of approachable fruit, midpalate complexity and long finish with ample and fine tannins. A true joy.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/1/2008 - drdebs wrote: 93 Points
Another excellent, excellent vintage. Mint, blackberry, and plum aromas. Crisp, clear fruit on the midpalate with lots of cherries and chocolate. Much lighter on its feet than the 05, this should age spectacularly.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/12/2008 - stevetimko wrote:
This was pretty tight and never really seemed to open up while I was tasting it. So I don't have a good guage on the wine. There were no noticeable flaws. In contrast to the 2004, the fruit I did taste seemed much brighter.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/30/2008 - DenisLee wrote:
This started out kind of slow for me. It was lighter bodied than I had expected. It steadily opened up though, and I found it quite satisfying. I had expected it to be heavier and more fruit forward, but it was not. Nicely made wine. I just drank it a little young, because I had two of them.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment