Tablas Creek 2008 Grenache

DATE CONSUMED

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

VINTAGE

2008

WINERY/PRODUCER

Tablas Creek Vineyard

WINE NAME

N/A

TYPE OF WINE

Red

COMPOSITION

100% Grenache

SUBNAME/NICKNAME

N/A

VINEYARD DESIGNATION

Grown and bottled on the estate

REGION/APPELLATION/A.V.A. (American Viticultural Area)

Paso Robles, California (Central Coast)

ALCOHOL CONTENT

15.5%

PRICE PAID

$32.00

WHERE/WHEN BOUGHT AND/OR HOW PROCURED

We received this bottle from Tablas Creek’s (TC) wine club in March, 2011.

BOUQUET

This wine has a red-fruited (especially raspberries and strawberries), floral, spicy, herbal bouquet.  I’m also detecting quite a bit of earthiness as a recurring undertone, along with just a hint of a suggestion of a rumor of oak as well.  Can’t wait to taste this wine!

  

TASTING NOTES

Wow, this is one YUMMY wine!!  No doubt partially due to its high alcohol content (15.5%, the result of ripe fruit/grapes), there is a raspberry jam component up front, along with a red cherry and (some slight) plum and strawberry characteristics in the wine’s fruit profile.  In addition to the fruit flavors, there is an abundance of savory spices and black pepper, all supported by zippy acidity and crisp, smooth, supple tannins.

This wine is fairly light-bodied but it packs quite a wallop of complexity and depth-of-flavor.  It is very well-balanced, smooth, silky, and has quite a lingering, delicious finish.  There’s also some subtle oak and Calineuf-du-Pape earthiness running through the wine’s core structure as well.

This is one of the best California Grenaches I’ve tasted in quite a while.  It is deliciously fruity, spicy, earthy, and food-friendly beyond belief. 

PAIRING SUGGESTIONS

We paired this beauty with racks of lamb that were cut into “chops” and seasoned with Kosher salt, a sprinkling of red chili powder, and freshly-ground cumin, grilled to medium-rare perfection on the grill.  This wine paired perfectly with the lamb chops/racks and would equally pair well with just about any other red meat dish (prime rib, pot roast, grilled steaks, meat loaf, etc.). 

Thanks to its light-bodiness, this wine would even pair well with salmon.

AGING POTENTIAL

This wine is drinking very nicely right now, but thanks to its acidity and tannins and sugar/alcohol content, this wine should age gorgeously for another 5+ years.

SCORE (on a 100-point scale)

92

Q.P.R. (QUALITY-TO-PRICE RATIO) (POOR, FAIR, GOOD, EXCELLENT)

GOOD

WINERY WEBSITE

http://www.tablascreek.com/