VINsider News & Updates

Announcing the Spring 2019 VINsider Shipment

We are pleased to announce the Spring 2019 VINsider Club shipment, highlighted by the 2016 Panoplie, rated 96 and 95-96 points from Jeb Dunnuck and Vinous, respectively. It also includes our newest wine club-only blend, based on one of our newest grapes, two small-production varietal whites, our limited-release Dianthus rosé, and the luscious 2017 Cotes de Tablas. The Classic Mix is below; information on the red-only and white-only shipments is on our club shipments page.

  • 1 bottle of Panoplie 2016 (Our elite red blend, based on Mourvedre and available only to wine club members; 96 Jeb Dunnuck, 93-95 Wine Advocate, & 95-96 Vinous, "impressively concentrated")
  • 1 bottle of Roussanne 2017 (A varietal bottling of our most powerful and ageworthy white grape; 90-92 Jeb Dunnuck; 92-93 Vinous, "hefty but impressively vibrant")
  • 1 bottle of Dianthus 2018 (Our newly-bottled Mourvedre-based dry rosé, rich and luscious; last vintage received 95 points BevX & 92 points Vinous & Wine Advocate)
  • 1 bottle of Vermentino 2018 (The newest vintage of the bright, citrusy grape that we introduced to California; last vintage received 94 points BevX, 91 Vinous, & 92 Wine Enthusiast)
  • 1 bottle of Le Complice 2016 (The first vintage of the wine we built around the kinship between Syrah and our newest red grape Terret Noir; 93 Jeb Dunnuck & Vinous)
  • 1 bottle of Cotes de Tablas 2017 (Our blend that showcases Grenache's lush fruit; 91-93 points Vinous, "smoothly plays power off delicacy")

If you need to your make any changes to your account: update a new shipping address (an adult signature is required) or a new credit card you can email your changes to wineclub@tablascreek.com, call us at 805.237.1231 x239, or update your VINsider information online.

The shipment’s cost of $221.60, plus applicable shipping and taxes, reflects as always a 20% VINsider member savings off the retail prices of the wines in the shipment. Shipments will be sent out the week of March 18th (unless other arrangements are made). Shipments will be available for will-call customers to pick up beginning Friday, March 15th.

Spring 2019 VINsider Shipment Tasting Party, Sunday, March 31st

One of the benefits of being a member is the opportunity, after each semi-annual shipment, to taste the wines in the shipment, learn what new projects we've been working on, and spend some time with the Tablas Creek winemakers and team. The spring tasting party is also one of only two times each year when we open and taste the Panoplie! On Sunday, March 31st, we will close the tasting room to the public and dedicate it to our wine club members. Members are invited to reserve a specific time slot (10:30, noon, 1:30pm, or 3pm) and we will take each group through the impact of the 2018-19 winter, our progress in blending the 2018 vintage, and a tasting through the shipment wines. We will serve a small dish to pair with the whites and another with the reds.

Attendees will receive a day-of-the-event-only extra 5% discount on additional purchases of the wines in the shipment. This tasting is open only to VINsiders and their invited guests (2 guests maximum- $15/person). Email wineclub@tablascreek.com or call 805.237.1231 ext 236 with reservations or questions.

Nikki At Pig Roast

En Primeur Offer for 2017 Esprit de Tablas and 2017 Panoplie

Offering wine en primeur is a time-honored French tradition most often associated with first-growth Bordeaux estates. In outstanding vintages, valued customers are offered the opportunity to secure a limited quantity of sought-after wines at a special price in advance of bottling and subsequent general release. This year, we're offering our top red wines from the exceptional 2017 vintage: the 2017 Esprit de Tablas and 2017 Panoplie. Details on the wines:

2017 Esprit de Tablas

  • PRODUCTION NOTES: Esprit de Tablas is Tablas Creek's signature red blend, always led by the dark red fruit, earth, spice and mid-palate richness of Mourvèdre (40%). In 2017, we also had outstanding Grenache lots, and we added the most Grenache (35%) we ever have in the Esprit, along with 20% Syrah and 5% Counoise for black spice and acidity. The result is a powerfully fruity, chocolatey Esprit that should provide excellent drinking anytime in the first two decades.

  • PRESS: Vinous (Sept. 2018) 93-95 points, "vibrant, mineral-tinged black raspberry, cola and spicecake flavors that show excellent clarity and thrust. The mineral and spice notes drive an impressively persistent finish"

2017 Panoplie

  • PRODUCTION NOTES: Panoplie is our elite Mourvèdre-based cuvée, made in the model of Château de Beaucastel's Hommage a Jacques Perrin and selected from the top 5% of lots that come into the cellar each vintage. In 2017, we chose two exceptional lots of Mourvèdre to represent 69% of the wine, and added roughly equal parts Grenache (17%) and Syrah (14%), producing a wine with layers of dark red currant fruit over Mourvèdre's meaty, mocha signature. It will be hard to resist young, but we expect it to age effortlessly up to 30 years

  • PRESS: Vinous (Sept. 2018) 95-97 points, "superb energy and tension in the mouth, offering sweet, densely packed black raspberry, boysenberry and floral pastille flavors sharpened by a peppery spice nuance"

VINsider Wine Club members were invited to order futures at the 30% en primeur savings. Pricing and availability are detailed on this PDF en primeur order form. Orders must be submitted to wineclub@tablascreek.com (or by fax, phone or mail) by December 3rd, 2018. The wines will be available at the standard 20% VINsider member savings upon their release.

Red-Only and White-Only Options

We are excited to offer, in addition to our classic mix of red and white wines (and the occasional dry rosé) in each shipment, options for VINsider club members who prefer red-only and white-only shipments. Like our classic mix, the red-only and white-only options are selected from small-production lots, special blends, and sneak previews.

Please note that due to the limited supplies of our library wines, we cannot offer red-only or white-only options for our fall Collector's Edition shipments, although Collector's Edition members are welcome to choose red-only or white-only for their spring shipments.

If you have any questions about our different color mix options, please contact us at wineclub@tablascreek.com or 805.237.1231 x239.