Tablas Creek Vineyard 2009 Blanc Esprit de Beaucastel Paso Robles Central Coast White Wine

Tablas Creek Vineyard

The 2009 Esprit de Beaucastel Blanc shows a rich, lifted nose, very spicy, with aromas of ginger, tangerine, asian pear, beeswax and herbs. The mouth shows classic Roussanne flavors of honey and spice, with a little tropicality lurking behind, and a long, dry finish with toffee and pear notes. We suggest that this wine will benefit from short-term cellaring, and drink well from mid-2011 through the end of the decade.
Rich, youthful, creamy nose for fresh honey, almost toasted marshmallow in its perception of sweetness on the nose. But on the palate richness gives way to structure with flavors of citrus zest and clove, ginger and lemon drop. Still young. 1,975 cases produced.

Wine Advocate

Aug 2011 Antonio Galloni 91 Drink: 2012 - 2016
The flagship 2009 Esprit de Beaucastel Blanc is 62% Roussanne, 26% Grenache Blanc and 12% Picpoul Blanc. It reveals lovely delineation, freshness and verve. Scents of white peaches, flowers, minerals come together beautifully on the layered finish. The 2009 Esprit has lovely vibrancy for the vintage, mostly owing to the inclusion of 12% Picpoul, which adds much needed acidity. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2016.

Type	White
Varietal	Roussanne, Grenache Blanc, Picpoul
Vintage	2009
Winemaker	Neil Collins
Alcohol content	13.5%
Appellation	California – Central Coast - Paso Robles
Wine Advocate	92
Wine Enthusiast	--
Wine Spectator	--
Other	n/a

About:
From The Wine Advocate - Tablas Creek was founded as a partnership between Chateau de Beaucastel in Chateauneuf-du-Pape and Robert Haas, owner of Beaucastel’s US importer, Vineyard Brands. Tablas Creek is one of the pioneers for Rhone varieties in Paso Robles, not just for the quality of the wines, but just as importantly for creating a nursery of clones from Beaucastel cuttings that are now used widely throughout the region. The estate currently has about 105 acres under vine. Tablas Creek works with indigenous yeasts and favors large, neutral oak barrels and casks for aging. Vintage 2009 was the third in a series of drought years for the estate, which along with a severe spring frost reduced yields dramatically to less than 1.85 tons per acre. The wines, though, are striking. Vintage 2010 could not have been more different. There was no spring frost. Instead the estate received a whopping 44 inches of rain. A cold summer led to a late harvest that started during the second half of October and lasted until early November. Readers will find a broad range of compelling bottles across all price ranges. As an aside, Tablas Creek is one of the highest-quality estates in California that has the facilities and capacity to receive visitors.
The Beaucastel Model at Tablas Creek Vineyard
The Rhone in Paso Robles; Tablas Creek Vineyard was founded by the Perrin family of Château de Beaucastel and Robert Haas, longtime importer and founder of Vineyard Brands. They chose the hilly Las Tablas district of west Paso Robles for its similarities to Châteauneuf du Pape: limestone soils, a favorable climate, and rugged terrain.