2025 Bourboulenc
The Tablas Creek Vineyard Bourboulenc is our sixth varietal bottling of this rare grape, and one of the only ones in the world. Bourboulenc is prized in the Southern Rhone for producing whites with rich texture that still have good acidity. The one acre of estate grapes we own were propagated from budwood cuttings from the Château de Beaucastel estate and is one of just a handful of acres outside France.
Tasting Notes
A spicy nose of almond, cocoa butter, and lanolin. The mouth is rich but bright too, with grilled lemon and nectarine fruit and a salty, nutty finish.
Technical Details
Appellation
- Adelaida District Paso Robles
Technical Notes
- 12.5% Alcohol by Volume
- 100 Cases Produced
Blend
- 100% Bourboulenc
Certifications
Recipes & Pairings
Recipe Suggestions
Food Pairings
- Mussels Marinière
- Green salads with avocado and citrus dressing
- Scallops
- Light-fleshed fish (halibut, sole) with tropical salsa
Production Notes
Bourboulenc is an ancient grape, first mentioned in the literature in the early 16th century, and from its earliest times identified with the south of France, particularly the area around Avignon. In the Rhone, it is valued for its ability to make wines with citrus aromatics and a distinctive smoky character, with fairly good acids and relatively low alcohol. We imported it into the United States in 2003 as part of our goal to have all the Chateauneuf du Pape varieties. It was released to us in 2014, planted in 2016, and its first harvest was 2019. A second small block was grafted onto some Grenache Blanc trunks in 2021. The two small blocks total just one acre, and are some of the only Bourboulenc vines in the United States.
Our Bourboulenc is grown on our Regenerative Organic Certified™ and biodynamic estate vineyard.
The 2024-25 winter began dry but finished wet, with two-thirds of the winter's precipitation coming in February and March. That late rain delayed budbreak and allowed us to dodge any spring frosts. The summer was warm but rarely hot, with the fewest 100° days in our history. Harvest began at a normal time frame but cool temperatures in September and October slowed down harvest. We navigated two early rain events without damage and finished an extended but unhurried harvest in early November. The exceptionally long hang time and gradual ripening combined to produce fruit with deep colors, remarkable intensity, and noteworthy vibrancy. We believe 2025 has all the hallmarks of a blockbuster year.
Our 2025 Bourboulenc comes entirely from our newer block. That block was picked on November 4th, whole cluster pressed into a stainless steel tank for settling, then sent into neutral 60 gallon French oak barrels to ferment with native yeasts. The barrels were aged on their lees until the lots for our varietal bottling were selected and blended in May 2026. The wine was bottled in June 2026.