Dec 15th, 2020
2018 Esprit de Tablas: #32 Wine of 2020 (Owen Bargreen)
In his annual "Top 100 Wines of the Year" post, Dr. Owen Bargreen included a Tablas Creek wine for the 3rd year in a row. This year, the 2018 Esprit de Tablas:
Always a Mourvedre dominant wine, the 2018 ‘Esprit de Tablas’ red wine is a sensational new release. A blend of 40% Mourvedre with 27% Syrah and smaller parts Grenache, and Counoise, the 2018 ‘Esprit de Tablas’ shows really good aromatic range from white pepper and dried Provencale herbs to wild blackberries and shades of charcuterie on this gorgeous bouquet. Once on the the attack the wine is silky and highly elegant, seamlessly gliding across the mid-palate. Ripe red currants dance with minerals, huckleberry, smoked meats, green olive tapenade and white pepper with a light saline steak throughout the drinking experience. Complex and magical to enjoy in its youth, with a great combination of weight and finesse, this beautiful wine will cellar well for another fifteen to twenty years. Drink 2020-2038 - 96 points