2021 Le Complice
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The Tablas Creek Vineyard 2021 Le Complice, our sixth vintage of our first new blend in a decade, celebrates the kinship between Syrah and one of our more obscure red varieties, Terret Noir. In French, Le Complice means, roughly, "partners in crime". Although Syrah is dark and Terret light, both share wild herby black spice, and Terret's high acids bolster Syrah's tendency toward stolidity. We added some Grenache for mid-palate fleshiness.
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93 points; "racy and bright ... Lively and energetic with depth to the fruit": JamesSuckling.com (Oct. 2023)
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94-96 points; "s silky and seamless": Vinous (May 2023)
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91-93 points; "core of earthy fruit, gently chewy tannins, rounded acidity and a spicy finish": Robert Parker Wine Advocate (Dec. 2022)
Tasting Notes
A gorgeous nose of sugarplum and gumdrop, sweet tobacco, pine forest, and dark chocolate. The mouth is vibrant, with flavors of cocoa powder, a tangy fruit note like red apple skin, an iron-like mineral note absolutely classic for Syrah, and a wild sage herbiness adding complexity. The finish goes back to sweeter notes of cola, baking spice, and (it is Syrah, after all) rendered pork fat. An unusually approachable Le Complice at this stage, without sacrificing any of its complexity. Drink over the next two decades.
Technical Details
Appellation
- Adelaida District Paso Robles
Technical Notes
- 13.5% Alcohol by Volume
- 882 Cases Produced
Blend
- 59% Syrah
- 32% Grenache
- 8% Terret Noir
- 1% Muscardin
Certifications
Recipes & Pairings
Recipe Suggestions
Food Pairings
- Grilled Steaks
- Cassoulet
- Spicy Sausages
- Lamb
Production Notes
The grapes for our Le Complice were grown on our Organic and biodynamic estate vineyard.
The 2021 vintage came after a chilly, relatively dry winter, the exception being a single storm that dropped more than a foot of rain on us in late January. The cold, dry winter produced a fruit set with smaller clusters and smaller berries, and yields were down about 25% compared to our average. The growing season was ideal, with each hot stretch followed by a cool period that allowed the vines to recover, and that combined with the low yields to produce some of our most intense fruit ever and our highest average acids since the chilly 2011 vintage. We believe that 2021 has all the hallmarks of a blockbuster year.
The wine was blended in June of 2022, aged in foudre, bottled in December 2022, and aged in our cellars until release.