First bottle consummed in 2014 and I did not like it at all. Ten years later opening up my second bottle, I find it considerably better. Rust tinged color. Dark cherry currant fruit, moderate finish. Nothing exciting here. Definitely not worth the price.
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Popped and poured. Full bodied, expansive, but poise and precision. Black cherry, tar, smoke and spice. This is still quite youthful and will continue to age for quite a while.
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1st of 2 bottles purchased directly from TC in 2011. This wine is lovely, showing off bright red fruits alongside menthol, black licorice, pepper, and garrigue. The finish is long and interesting, with nicely supporting acidity to give an interesting and gorgeous mouthfeel. Drink now through 2024+.
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Decanted 3 hours. Dark cherry juice, spice, leather, iodine, and a hint of fresh thyme. Beautifully balanced, nice depth but not overly powerful. Medium finish, 20+ seconds, with a warmth and spicy sweetness reminiscent of bourbon mellowed out by a melted ice cube.
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I think you drink this now. Very drinkable immediately after opening. Interesting fruit which demonstrated the wine was clearly different than everything else. Would give 91 points, but since the wine was so different/interesting, I'm giving 92.
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Popped and poured. This is a cherry-red wine, but one that seems to get darker as the bottle progresses. There is some modest sediment toward the end of the bottle, so go ahead and decant this. On the nose, I get raspberries, leather, some earthy mushrooms, and roasted herbs. In the mouth, this has sweet red fruit and dark berries, all leaving a finish of slight blackberry pie. Overall, this is a tasty wine that is in a nice spot now. 91 points.
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Upon opening, it was very reticent on the nose, with mild blueberry, mulberry, iodine, and meaty notes. After an hour decant, the nose was still quite delicate, but when tasted, it’s body and flavor were a whole different story. Layers of black and red fruit cascaded over the palate, with notes of black earth and leather, accompanied by sweet tannins. It was incredibly well balanced and the finish lasted almost a minute. It was probably the best Rhône-style American wine I have ever tasted. Bravo!
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After being disappointed by this wine a few weeks ago, I decided to open another bottle to see if it was a one-off or a trend. I was very disappointed to also find this bottle to taste like its fading or going bad. To see if its the temp of my storage area I opened a couple of '06 Cabs and they were excellent. I would be curious to know if anyone else has had a similar experience with their TC wines.
Oh my. Seems to just be entering its prime drinking window with an explosive palate that keeps from crossing the line into being heavy and awkward. Forest meets orchard meets vineyard in the bouquet, where the black fruit aromas are joined by plum, mulch, pine needles and resin. Shorter finish than you would expect. But maybe a bit more time will remedy that. Profound, as these TC wines often are. Suggest not decanting; but serve at a dinner you’ll linger over to coax out even more nuances and enjoyment. (������= Outstanding)
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Not much on the nose, but what you get is nice. But on the palate it is a very different story. Dark red and blue berries. Nice persistent tannins. Very balanced very long and pleasant aftertaste. Still fresh. Full bodied. Great.
We got this beauty (Tablas Creek’s (T.C.) top/best red blend) from T.C.’s wine club in March, 2011. Their delicious-beyond-belief/complex red blends go through a “Closed Phase” about five years after being harvested/bottled where the flavor elements “shut-down” and “go flat.” This vintage recently “came-out/exited” its closed phase. For years, I only drank T.C.’s wines when their vintage chart on their website listed their wines in a “Peak Maturity” stage. Going forward, I’m going to start drinking their wines while they’re in an “Early Maturity” stage in order to avoid the wines from going through their “Closed Phase.” Even though this wine already went through a “Closed Phase,” it’s still delicious, complex, deeply-flavored, and marvelous. The bouquet is rather subdued and subtle (probably “thanks” to its “Closed Phase”?!?!?!). Despite already going through its “Closed Phase,” the flavor profile, depth-of-flavors, and complexity is still VERY active and vibrant!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This wine pours VERY dark and consists of 54% Mourvedre, 29% Grenache, and 17% Syrah. The fruit profile is 100% dark-fruited, such as plums, black cherries, and blackberries. Next “up to the plate” are spice and herb elements, such as black pepper, and various dried herbs. This wine also has an iron and soil character that contributes to its complexity and depth-of-flavors. The wine is also rich and creamy (probably thanks to the oak used in the wine-making process, though not overwhelming). The depth-of-flavors and complexity are VERY complicated and food-friendly, thanks partially to the wine’s structural elements (tannins and acidity). This wine is drinking PERFECTLY right now but has the “legs” (structural elements) to continue to drink beautifully for another five-to-ten years. I paired this wine with a rack of lamb spied with Kosher salt, black pepper, cumin powder, and cumin seeds. This wine paired PERFECTLY with the rack of lamb and would also pair beautifully/perfectly with just about any other high-quality red protein dish, such as Beef Wellington, as well as a high-quality steak/beef dish, such as a rib eye, porterhouse, and prime rib, as well as lamb chops. This is T.C.’s highest quality red blend and is always delicious, complex, and food-friendly. If I were to ever win a $500,000,000 lottery, I would buy 50-to-100 cases of their “always fabulous” wines. I would also love to invest millions-of-dollars into the winery to become a partial owner, to help them purchase and plant dozens (if not hundreds and/or thousands) of additional acres in Paso Robles in order to increase their production of amazingly-high-quality wines!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If I were President Obama, I would have awarded Robert and Jason Haas the same award he gave to amazing athletes, actors, and directors right before he left office. Since T.C. is easily the best winery in America; all of their white and red varietal bottlings, especially their white and red blends, in addition to roses, are always fantastic. This food-friendly and complexly-flavored wine is drinking PERFECTLY right now and will continue to drink well for another 5-to-10 years (thanks to its structural “legs”/elements).
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Over the Thanksgiving holiday, I did a vertical Panoplie tasting with ’04, 05, ’06, ’07, and ’08 vintages. All of these wines were tasty, but there were some distinct differences. The ’04 and ’05 were fairly similar-- mature, soft, plum-like and gained some spice and complexity after a bit of time in the glass. I’d suggest drinking these if you still have them. The ’06 and ’08 were also similar—younger and a bit more interesting that the two oldest wines, with more cherry fruit than plum. The ’07 was the most different and controversial—it seemed much more youthful, and full of peppery spice. The ’07 was my favorite, but others preferred the ’06 and ’08.
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Color: medium ruby core -> light/medium ruby rim. Alluring bouquet of anisette, plums, cherries and a touch of leather. Palate of cherries, redcurrants, leather and what I've come to think of as an old, dusty Cabernet-type Rutherford dustiness that I associate with Cali-red-wine maturity. Yeah, yeah, obviously no Cab here, but that fairly attractive (IMHO) dustiness is distinct. Though there are still some tannins, I think this is fully mature and time to drink. Medium-bodied and a bit lighter than expected, ready to drink and a reasonable finish, I'd recommend enjoying this sooner vs. later.
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Decanted and aired for about an hour before drinking. Deep purple. Robust mourvedre-dominated smoothness. Seems mature now but no hurry to drink. Excellent.
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Fabulous wine, deep full rich note on the nose of plums, raisins and sweet cherries. In the month great texture and on the palate plums, cherries with a long lingering sweet finish. A really memorable wine.
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Second Sunday Group: Panoplie vertical (Jeff's): Aromas of cherry, candied red currants and evergreen/pine needles. Adds herb and clay notes as it opens in the glass. Good acidity and medium tannins with flavors of spice, cherry and red fruit. Balanced.
My #4, Domino's #8 Group #6, 60 pts
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Solid. I seem to sense the grenache over the other two varieties. Good balance, leaner expression with a level of ripeness that to me was in check for Paso. The color suggested this too, reddish tinged but nothing dark or thick here. Enjoyed this for being more subtle and restrained and given the balance, this ought to round out well and I'd be curious to try again in say 2-3 years.
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What a fantastic showing. Pebber, black currant, mint, tar and rounded tannins and wonderfully rich, full-bodied without being overdone and so balanced. The baby fat is just about to leave - has many years ahead.
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Tablas Creek Spring Tasting Party: Dark red. Very aromatic. Red and black fruits, black licorice, underbrush. Great acidity with a medium+ mouthfeel. Seamless. Long persistent finish. Not as rich as last years but captivating and showing early complexity. This is really delicious now with room for growth.
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From the winemaker: Dark brick red in color. A dark, meaty nose with aromas of raspberry, chocolate, leather and baking spices. Rich, but also cool in the mouth, with flavors of plum, cocoa powder, loam and red brambly fruit. The finish goes on for a long time, with big, fine ripe tannins. Although it's drinking beautifully now, we expect it to tighten up in the next few years, then reopen around 2016 and drink well for two decades.
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3/23/2024 - Tangokaren wrote: 87 Points
First bottle consummed in 2014 and I did not like it at all. Ten years later opening up my second bottle, I find it considerably better. Rust tinged color. Dark cherry currant fruit, moderate finish. Nothing exciting here. Definitely not worth the price.
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12/21/2021 - mclanew Likes this wine: 94 Points
Popped and poured. Full bodied, expansive, but poise and precision. Black cherry, tar, smoke and spice. This is still quite youthful and will continue to age for quite a while.
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11/24/2021 - mtaczak wrote:
Ideal storage since purchase, but seems to be more on the other side of the hill than on the upswing, which doesn't seem to jive with the other notes.
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9/25/2021 - drrobvino wrote: 91 Points
1st of 2 bottles purchased directly from TC in 2011.
This wine is lovely, showing off bright red fruits alongside menthol, black licorice, pepper, and garrigue.
The finish is long and interesting, with nicely supporting acidity to give an interesting and gorgeous mouthfeel.
Drink now through 2024+.
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11/7/2020 - dankrems wrote: 93 Points
Decanted 3 hours. Dark cherry juice, spice, leather, iodine, and a hint of fresh thyme. Beautifully balanced, nice depth but not overly powerful. Medium finish, 20+ seconds, with a warmth and spicy sweetness reminiscent of bourbon mellowed out by a melted ice cube.
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1/10/2020 - sfbikeguy wrote: 92 Points
I think you drink this now. Very drinkable immediately after opening. Interesting fruit which demonstrated the wine was clearly different than everything else. Would give 91 points, but since the wine was so different/interesting, I'm giving 92.
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12/30/2018 - whitmanlholt Likes this wine: 91 Points
Popped and poured. This is a cherry-red wine, but one that seems to get darker as the bottle progresses. There is some modest sediment toward the end of the bottle, so go ahead and decant this. On the nose, I get raspberries, leather, some earthy mushrooms, and roasted herbs. In the mouth, this has sweet red fruit and dark berries, all leaving a finish of slight blackberry pie. Overall, this is a tasty wine that is in a nice spot now. 91 points.
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9/7/2018 - DickMull Likes this wine: 95 Points
Upon opening, it was very reticent on the nose, with mild blueberry, mulberry, iodine, and meaty notes. After an hour decant, the nose was still quite delicate, but when tasted, it’s body and flavor were a whole different story. Layers of black and red fruit cascaded over the palate, with notes of black earth and leather, accompanied by sweet tannins. It was incredibly well balanced and the finish lasted almost a minute. It was probably the best Rhône-style American wine I have ever tasted. Bravo!
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1/26/2018 - wjochim wrote:
After being disappointed by this wine a few weeks ago, I decided to open another bottle to see if it was a one-off or a trend. I was very disappointed to also find this bottle to taste like its fading or going bad. To see if its the temp of my storage area I opened a couple of '06 Cabs and they were excellent. I would be curious to know if anyone else has had a similar experience with their TC wines.
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1/15/2018 - jonahfactor Likes this wine:
Oh my. Seems to just be entering its prime drinking window with an explosive palate that keeps from crossing the line into being heavy and awkward. Forest meets orchard meets vineyard in the bouquet, where the black fruit aromas are joined by plum, mulch, pine needles and resin. Shorter finish than you would expect. But maybe a bit more time will remedy that. Profound, as these TC wines often are. Suggest not decanting; but serve at a dinner you’ll linger over to coax out even more nuances and enjoyment. (������= Outstanding)
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12/30/2017 - Cphofmann Likes this wine: 91 Points
Still fresh, earthy, a bit rustic, great with wild boar bolognese!
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11/26/2017 - Rlee Likes this wine: 95 Points
Decanted for 1 hour. Amazing and paired perfectly with our lamb roulade, mashed potatoes and snap pea dinner.
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9/15/2017 - Neras Likes this wine: 96 Points
Not much on the nose, but what you get is nice. But on the palate it is a very different story. Dark red and blue berries. Nice persistent tannins. Very balanced very long and pleasant aftertaste. Still fresh. Full bodied. Great.
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5/24/2017 - DaveZack Likes this wine: 94 Points
We got this beauty (Tablas Creek’s (T.C.) top/best red blend) from T.C.’s wine club in March, 2011. Their delicious-beyond-belief/complex red blends go through a “Closed Phase” about five years after being harvested/bottled where the flavor elements “shut-down” and “go flat.” This vintage recently “came-out/exited” its closed phase. For years, I only drank T.C.’s wines when their vintage chart on their website listed their wines in a “Peak Maturity” stage. Going forward, I’m going to start drinking their wines while they’re in an “Early Maturity” stage in order to avoid the wines from going through their “Closed Phase.” Even though this wine already went through a “Closed Phase,” it’s still delicious, complex, deeply-flavored, and marvelous.
The bouquet is rather subdued and subtle (probably “thanks” to its “Closed Phase”?!?!?!). Despite already going through its “Closed Phase,” the flavor profile, depth-of-flavors, and complexity is still VERY active and vibrant!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This wine pours VERY dark and consists of 54% Mourvedre, 29% Grenache, and 17% Syrah. The fruit profile is 100% dark-fruited, such as plums, black cherries, and blackberries. Next “up to the plate” are spice and herb elements, such as black pepper, and various dried herbs. This wine also has an iron and soil character that contributes to its complexity and depth-of-flavors. The wine is also rich and creamy (probably thanks to the oak used in the wine-making process, though not overwhelming). The depth-of-flavors and complexity are VERY complicated and food-friendly, thanks partially to the wine’s structural elements (tannins and acidity). This wine is drinking PERFECTLY right now but has the “legs” (structural elements) to continue to drink beautifully for another five-to-ten years. I paired this wine with a rack of lamb spied with Kosher salt, black pepper, cumin powder, and cumin seeds. This wine paired PERFECTLY with the rack of lamb and would also pair beautifully/perfectly with just about any other high-quality red protein dish, such as Beef Wellington, as well as a high-quality steak/beef dish, such as a rib eye, porterhouse, and prime rib, as well as lamb chops.
This is T.C.’s highest quality red blend and is always delicious, complex, and food-friendly. If I were to ever win a $500,000,000 lottery, I would buy 50-to-100 cases of their “always fabulous” wines. I would also love to invest millions-of-dollars into the winery to become a partial owner, to help them purchase and plant dozens (if not hundreds and/or thousands) of additional acres in Paso Robles in order to increase their production of amazingly-high-quality wines!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If I were President Obama, I would have awarded Robert and Jason Haas the same award he gave to amazing athletes, actors, and directors right before he left office. Since T.C. is easily the best winery in America; all of their white and red varietal bottlings, especially their white and red blends, in addition to roses, are always fantastic. This food-friendly and complexly-flavored wine is drinking PERFECTLY right now and will continue to drink well for another 5-to-10 years (thanks to its structural “legs”/elements).
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4/1/2017 - TrasKY wrote: 95 Points
Beautiful!!!
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11/28/2016 - smcg Likes this wine: 90 Points
Over the Thanksgiving holiday, I did a vertical Panoplie tasting with ’04, 05, ’06, ’07, and ’08 vintages. All of these wines were tasty, but there were some distinct differences. The ’04 and ’05 were fairly similar-- mature, soft, plum-like and gained some spice and complexity after a bit of time in the glass. I’d suggest drinking these if you still have them. The ’06 and ’08 were also similar—younger and a bit more interesting that the two oldest wines, with more cherry fruit than plum. The ’07 was the most different and controversial—it seemed much more youthful, and full of peppery spice. The ’07 was my favorite, but others preferred the ’06 and ’08.
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10/20/2016 - Judith wish Likes this wine: 92 Points
This is a great wine with hearty food. Sufficient fruit, spice, smooth (but not too), just a really enjoyable wine to drink.
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10/20/2016 - Judith wish wrote:
Great wine with food. Smooth, but not too, spicy, and enough fruit. Really enjoyable.
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10/20/2016 - Judith wish Likes this wine:
Fabulous wine. Smooth, spicy, fruit, great with food.
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9/1/2016 - BVal wrote: 92 Points
Color: medium ruby core -> light/medium ruby rim. Alluring bouquet of anisette, plums, cherries and a touch of leather. Palate of cherries, redcurrants, leather and what I've come to think of as an old, dusty Cabernet-type Rutherford dustiness that I associate with Cali-red-wine maturity. Yeah, yeah, obviously no Cab here, but that fairly attractive (IMHO) dustiness is distinct. Though there are still some tannins, I think this is fully mature and time to drink. Medium-bodied and a bit lighter than expected, ready to drink and a reasonable finish, I'd recommend enjoying this sooner vs. later.
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1/22/2016 - miker02 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted and aired for about an hour before drinking. Deep purple. Robust mourvedre-dominated smoothness. Seems mature now but no hurry to drink. Excellent.
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12/25/2015 - bzell wrote: 97 Points
Fabulous wine, deep full rich note on the nose of plums, raisins and sweet cherries. In the month great texture and on the palate plums, cherries with a long lingering sweet finish. A really memorable wine.
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5/3/2015 - AllRed wrote: 91 Points
Second Sunday Group: Panoplie vertical (Jeff's): Aromas of cherry, candied red currants and evergreen/pine needles. Adds herb and clay notes as it opens in the glass. Good acidity and medium tannins with flavors of spice, cherry and red fruit. Balanced.
My #4, Domino's #8
Group #6, 60 pts
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4/14/2014 - Frank Murray III wrote:
Solid. I seem to sense the grenache over the other two varieties. Good balance, leaner expression with a level of ripeness that to me was in check for Paso. The color suggested this too, reddish tinged but nothing dark or thick here. Enjoyed this for being more subtle and restrained and given the balance, this ought to round out well and I'd be curious to try again in say 2-3 years.
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8/24/2013 - Neras Likes this wine: 96 Points
What a fantastic showing. Pebber, black currant, mint, tar and rounded tannins and wonderfully rich, full-bodied without being overdone and so balanced. The baby fat is just about to leave - has many years ahead.
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5/6/2013 - Phil C Likes this wine: 91 Points
Nice fruity wine with a silky finish. The nose is so pleasant that it makes the mouth water.
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10/12/2012 - mattdathan wrote: 94 Points
Drinking beautifully now. Has a smooth complexity with a long, integrated finish. Still has plenty of umph to age.
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5/28/2011 - Emily Perez wrote:
At Benihana's with Yolie, Michelle, Russell
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4/3/2011 - Redguy wrote: 94 Points
Tablas Creek Spring Tasting Party: Dark red. Very aromatic. Red and black fruits, black licorice, underbrush. Great acidity with a medium+ mouthfeel. Seamless. Long persistent finish. Not as rich as last years but captivating and showing early complexity. This is really delicious now with room for growth.
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3/27/2011 - ichhina wrote:
From the winemaker: Dark brick red in color. A dark, meaty nose with aromas of raspberry, chocolate, leather and baking spices. Rich, but also cool in the mouth, with flavors of plum, cocoa powder, loam and red brambly fruit. The finish goes on for a long time, with big, fine ripe tannins. Although it's drinking beautifully now, we expect it to tighten up in the next few years, then reopen around 2016 and drink well for two decades.
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