2013 Esprit de Tablas
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The Tablas Creek Vineyard 2013 Esprit de Tablas is a blend of four estate-grown varietals, propagated from budwood cuttings from the Château de Beaucastel estate. The wine is based on the dark red fruit, earth, spice and mid-palate richness of Mourvèdre, with additions of Grenache for forward fruit, approachability and lushness, Syrah for mineral, aromatics, and back-palate tannins, and Counoise for brambly spice and acidity.
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94 points; "great acidity and weight, with an exceedingly long finish": Washington Wine Blog (Jun. 2020)
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93 points (Cellar Selection); "lovely flavors...will age marvelously": Wine Enthusiast (Sep. 2016)
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93 points; "rich and energetic": Josh Raynolds, Vinous (Sep. 2016)
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"Full bodied and very well structured for many years in the cellar": Gang of Pour (Jun. 2016)
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97 points; "Full-bodied with an incredible deep core of fruit and spice": BevX (Apr. 2016)
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94 points; "a stunning wine...seamless": International Wine Report (Apr. 2016)
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93 points; "strikingly long": Josh Raynolds, Vinous (Sep. 2015)
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92-94 points; "nicely concentrated": Wine Advocate (Aug. 2015)
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92-94 points; "another gorgeous, impeccable wine": Antonio Galloni, Vinous (Jul. 2014)
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92-94 points; "rich and with big bones" Wine Advocate (Aug. 2014)
Tasting Notes
The 2013 Esprit de Tablas has a nose that is deep and meaty, with wild blackberries, currants, mint, and a spicy cumin note. On the palate, the wine shows lifted red fruit (plum, and more currant) with a leathery, mocha richness behind it that is characteristic of Mourvedre in a great year. The long, savory finish shows a cedary, smoky spice over the fruit, like wild berries harvested on campout while the meat is grilling. The wine should evolve and deepen for two decades or more.
Updated tasting notes from a January 2023 vertical tasting can be found on the Tablas Creek blog.
Technical Details
Appellation
- Paso Robles
Technical Notes
- 13.5% Alcohol by Volume
- 3700 Cases Produced
Blend
- 40% Mourvedre
- 28% Syrah
- 22% Grenache
- 10% Counoise
Recipes & Pairings
Recipe Suggestions
Food Pairings
- Game
- Dark Fowl (i.e., duck)
- Richly flavored stews
- Lamb
- Asian preparation of red meats (i.e., beef stir fry)
Production Notes
The 2013 vintage was a classic California vintage, warm and sunny, with added intensity from the low yields produced by our second consecutive drought year. The summer was consistently warm, without the heat spikes or cold stretches that can delay ripening, and resulted in an early harvest under near-perfect conditions. The net result was a blockbuster vintage, with excellent concentration and good freshness, that should offer both early appeal and the capacity to age. Our Syrah harvest began August 27th, followed by Grenache and Mourvèdre on September 12th, and Counoise on September 26th. The last pick of all four grapes came October 7th.
The grapes for our Esprit de Tablas were grown on our certified organic estate vineyard.
The grapes were fermented using native yeasts in open and closed stainless steel fermenters. After pressing, the wines were moved into barrel, blended, and aged in 1200-gallon French oak foudres before being bottled in August 2015.