2006 Tablas Creek Esprit de Beaucastel

DATE CONSUMED

Sunday, September 15, 2013

VINTAGE

2006

WINERY/PRODUCER

Tablas Creek Vineyard

WINE NAME

Esprit de Beaucastel

TYPE OF WINE

Red blend

COMPOSITION

45% Mourvedre, 28% Grenache, 22% Syrah, 5% Counoise

SUBNAME/NICKNAME

N/A

VINEYARD DESIGNATION

Estate grown and bottled

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

Paso Robles, California (Central Coast)

ALCOHOL CONTENT

14.5%

PRICE PAID

Retail price: $45

Wine club member price: $36

WHERE/WHEN BOUGHT AND/OR HOW PROCURED

We received this bottle from Tablas Creek’s (TC) wine club in November 2008.  We’ve been sitting on this bottle for the past five-ish years because it’s been in a “closed” phase according to TC’s vintage chart.  Their Esprit de Beaucastels are famous for being open and young and approachable for a couple of years after being released but then eventually “shut down” for a few years before opening back up.  This particular vintage was in a closed phase for years and just recently reached peak maturity and is now in an open phase where it should continue to age beautifully for another five to ten years or so.

BOUQUET

The usual Southern Rhone qualities of red and black/dark fruits, along with pepper and savory herbs are prominent on the nose, along with hints/suggestions of oak and earth, though the fruit and spices are the real stars on this wine’s bouquet.  Most of TC’s Esprit de Beaucastels exhibit classic Calineuf-du-Pape qualities but bouquet-wise this wine is more fruit and spices and less earth and terrior.  Either way, it smells yummy.  Let’s see…….

 

TASTING NOTES

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.

PAIRING SUGGESTIONS

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.

 

AGING POTENTIAL

As previously discussed, this wine just came-out of a closed phase and will continue to mature and develop for many years to come before fading away.  It’s drinking GREAT right now and I’d imagine it will continue to drink well for at least another 10-ish years.

SCORE (on a 100-point scale)

93

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

GOOD – EXCELLENT

WINERY WEBSITE

http://www.tablascreek.com/