2021 Tannat
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The Tablas Creek Vineyard 2021 Tannat is Tablas Creek’s nineteenth bottling of this traditional varietal from South-West France, known principally in the Pyrenees foothills appellation of Madiran, but originally native to the Basque region. Tannat typically has intense fruit, spice, and tannins that produce wines capable of long aging.
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92 points; "juicy blue fruit with crunchy dark cherries at the center with a chewy character around the edges": JamesSuckling.com (Oct. 2023)
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91-93 points; "This is a remarkably pretty Tannat": Vinous (May 2023)
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93-95 points; "gently chewy tannins, refreshing acidity": Robert Parker Wine Advocate (Dec. 2022)
Tasting Notes
An appealing nose of raspberry candy, violets, cassis, teriyaki, and blueberry pie. The mouth is mostly red-fruited in its youth, with flavors of plum and currant, a nice saline mineral note, and a brambly, graphite note that combines with Tannat's signature combination of chewy tannins and bright acids keeping things fresh on the finish. Pair with rich foods now or age for up to two decades if you're looking for a more refined experience.
Technical Details
Appellation
- Adelaida District Paso Robles
Technical Notes
- 14.0% Alcohol by Volume
- 732 Cases Produced
Blend
- 97% Tannat
- 3% Cabernet Sauvignon
Certifications
Recipes & Pairings
Recipe Suggestions
Food Pairings
- Game stews
- Pepper steak
- Szechuan beef
- Duck breast
Production Notes
When we imported our Châteauneuf du Pape clones, the Perrins’ French nurseryman included Tannat cuttings because he believed the grape would thrive in the rocky limestone soils of Paso Robles. We have planted 3.5 acres of Tannat, and it has indeed thrived here.
Our Tannat grapes are 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 Tannat grapes were destemmed and fermented using native yeasts. We aged it in one foudre and a mix of new and older smaller barrels for nearly 2 years before bottling it in April 2023, and then aged it another 10 months in bottle before release.