2023 Esprit de Tablas (En Primeur)
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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 (33%), along with additions of Syrah (31%), Grenache (26%), Cinsaut (6%), Vaccarèse (2%), and Counoise (2%). In this cool vintage, Syrah was particularly outstanding, and we ended our blending trials using our highest percentage ever in Esprit. This gives the wine a luscious darkness and noteworthy minerality, in roughly equal balance with the redder fruit and spicy brightness from the other grapes. It is deep and full-bodied, with ample fine-grained tannins and a finish of sweet spice and dark red fruit. It should drink well for two decades or more.
Available to order through December 11th on the futures cart page
Tasting Notes
A serious nose of pipe tobacco, both red and black currant, licorice, and a little minty lift. The mouth is on point with flavors of black raspberry, mint chocolate, meat drippings, and loamy earth. Deep and full but structured as well, with fine-grained tannins and a finish of sweet spice and dark red fruit.
Technical Details
Appellation
- Adelaida District Paso Robles
Technical Notes
- 13.5% Alcohol by Volume
- 3500 Cases Produced
Blend
- 33% Mourvedre
- 31% Syrah
- 26% Grenache
- 6% Cinsaut
- 2% Vaccarese
- 2% Counoise
Certifications
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 2023 vintage began with our wettest-ever winter, replenishing ground water and delaying budbreak. It continued with our coolest growing season in more than a decade, which combined with the late start to produce a harvest roughly a month later than most recent years, beginning in mid-September and not concluding until mid-November. Warm, sunny weather starting in October allowed the later-ripening varieties to reach full maturity. The exceptionally long hangtime and gradual ripening combined to produce fruit with deep colors, remarkable intensity, and noteworthy vibrancy. We believe 2023 has all the hallmarks of a blockbuster year.
The grapes for our Esprit de Tablas were grown on our biodynamic and Regenerative Organic Certified 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's components were then selected for Esprit, blended in June 2024 and have been aging in 1200-gallon foudre ever since. We expect the wine to be bottled in August 2024.