2015 Panoplie
In worthy vintages, Tablas Creek Vineyard produces small quantities of Panoplie: a Mourvèdre-based cuvée from meticulously selected grapes, made in the model of Château de Beaucastel’s Hommage à Jacques Perrin. In 2015, only 800 cases were produced.
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95 points; "It has remarkable purity of fruit and its tannin quality is off the charts": Jeb Dunnuck(November 2018)
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95 points; "Concentrated yet vibrant and almost shockingly lithe": Vinous (September 2018)
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95-96 points; "striking interplay of richness and elegance": Vinous (Nov 2017)
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94 points; "Full-bodied and densely packed": Wine Advocate (Sep. 2017)
Tasting Notes
Vibrantly fruity and spicy on the nose, with notes of herby wild strawberries, orange pith, a briny mineral note, and a grilled meat depth that will only grow with time. The palate shows the characteristic lush texture of the 2015 vintage: mouthwatering ripe raspberry and cassis fruit, deepened by some brambly spice and lifted on the long finish with flavors of licorice, wild herbs and plum skin. Built to age, this wine has so much energy that it should drink well in its youth as well. We suggest drinking for its youthful vigor between 2018 and 2021, or for its meaty maturity starting around 2025 and lasting two decades or more.
Updated tasting notes from a June 2019 vertical tasting can be found on the Tablas Creek blog.
Technical Details
Appellation
- Adelaida District Paso Robles
Technical Notes
- 14.5% Alcohol by Volume
- 800 Cases Produced
Blend
- 71% Mourvedre
- 24% Grenache
- 5% Syrah
Recipes & Pairings
Recipe Suggestions
Food Pairings
- Braised meats
- Roast duck
- Leg of lamb
Production Notes
The 2015 vintage saw dramatically reduced yields from the combined effects of four years of drought and cool, unsettled weather during May's flowering. Months alternated between significantly cooler than normal and significantly warmer than normal, which produced an early start to harvest but required multiple passes through most vineyard blocks during a long, drawn-out picking season. Yields were down as much as 50% in early-ripening grapes like Grenache and Syrah, but later grapes like Mourvedre were only down slightly. The result was a vintage with excellent concentration and complexity from long hang-times, and wines with dramatic perfume, texture, and intensity. We harvested our Mourvèdre between September 24th and October 15th, Syrah between September 9th and October 5th, and Grenache between September 10th and October 8th.
The grapes for our Panoplie were grown on our certified organic estate vineyard.
The grapes were fermented using native yeasts in a mix of 1500-gallon wooden upright fermenters, open-top tanks and closed stainless steel fermenters. After pressing, the wines were moved into barrel and allowed to complete malolactic fermentation. The Esprit was selected from the vintage's best lots and blended in May 2017, then aged in 1200-gallon French oak foudres for another year before being bottled in June 2018.
Expected Maturity
2025-2045