2017 Tablas Creek Esprit Blanc de Tablas, USA, California, Paso Robles, Adelaida, Wine Review

This is their take on a white Chateauneuf du Pape and they do it very well. A blend of 68% Roussanne, 17% Grenache Blanc, 7% Picpoul Blanc, 4% Picardan, and 4% Clairette. Having had this a bunch form 375ml, this seemed to be really hitting its stride from a 750ml. Slightly deeper gold in color, clear and bright. The nose is deep with minerals, peach, wax and honey. On the palate, this is slightly viscous, slightly oily in texture. Lemon verbena, minerals and some peach. Enough acidity to be refreshing. Long finish. Still youthful, this, given that white Rhones go in and out of shut down, should drink well for twenty years. This will work well with pasta alfredo or other cream sauces.

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Vintage:

2017

Current Price:

$45.00USD

America's Best Rhone Style White Wines: 11th Annual Rhone Rangers Tasting Reviewed

The Rhone Report: About Rhone and Rhone-Style Wines and Winemakers is part of an ongoing series. Like many lovers of Rhone style wines from America, we have just returned from the 2008 edition of the annual Rhone Rangers tasting event at Fort Mason in San Francisco (March 18). This was the 11th year that the Rhone Rangers , a group of about 200 American producers of wines using 22 varietals traditional to France’s Rhone Valley, have shown off their wines at this public tasting event. This year, about 138 wineries presented approximately 520 wines. During the tasting, we enthusiastically tasted as many wines as we could within the 5 hours (3 public and 2 trade/media) the event was open. We tasted 30 white wines first, and then we tasted 50 reds. We skipped the rosés, not because we don’t love them, but because we didn’t have time. Kudos to Rhone Rangers for providing eco-friendly paper spit cups instead of the plastic cups so common at other tastings. We divided our attention between wines and producers we have known previously, producers new to us, and specific bottlings we didn’t already know. While we found many wines to admire, we are sure we missed other gems.

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2008 Hospice du Rhone Events: Highs & Lows of American Rhone-style Wines Tasted

The Rhone Report: About Rhone and Rhone-Style Wines and Winemakers is part of an ongoing series. The 16th annual Hospice du Rhone events in Paso Robles, California from May 1 to 3, 2008 was an opportunity to consider Rhone-style wines from a fresh perspective. Unlike most tasting opportunities, these events included Rhone-style wines from the Rhone Valley itself (51 wineries), elsewhere in France (4 wineries) as well as from Spain (4 wineries), Australia (17 wineries), South Africa (6 wineries), Chile (2 wineries), Argentina (1 winery) and the United States. The American wines were mostly from California (144 wineries), but a few examples from Arizona (2 wineries) and Washington State (5 wineries) were also included. While this is a California-dominated event, and while many of the Rhone Valley’s best producers aren’t represented, there is still sufficient European and other entries to make for interesting comparisons and contrasts. The events included two general tastings and a series of focused seminars.

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2017 Tablas Creek Esprit Blanc de Tablas, USA, California, Paso Robles, Wine Review

Vintage:

2017

Score:

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Current Price:

$40.00USD

This is a blend of Roussanne, Grenache Blanc, Picpoul Blanc, Picardan, and Clairette Blanche. From a 375ml size bottle which is a great format for early drinking or when one wants just another glass or two. Light golden in color, clear and bright. The nose is nice with pears, spice, slight wax, and slight honey. On the palate, this is full bodied. The pears come thru along with the baking spices. Good balance. Light tannins. Long finish. White Rhone varietals can be tricky to age, but this seems like it should be good for five to seven and probably more. It will work well with sea

2018 Tablas Creek Esprit Blanc de Tablas, USA, California, Paso Robles, Adelaida District, Wine Review

Vintage:

2018

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Current Price:

$47.00USD

This is a blend of 66% Roussanne, 21% Grenache Blanc, 8% Picpoul Blanc, 3% Picardin and 2% Clairette Blanche. Light golden in color, clear and bright. The nose has pears, peaches, some minerality and spice. Full bodied. On the palate, pears and peaches with good acidity. A roundness of the wine makes it very accessible. Long finish. Still youthful, there is plenty of depth and complexity. White Rhone varietals are notoriously difficult to guess an ageing curve, but this should easily have a decade left. It worked quite well with a Caprese Salad and also Guacamole.

2014 Tablas Creek Esprit Blanc de Tablas, USA, California, Paso Robles, Wine Review

Vintage:

2014

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Light yellow, silvery, gold in color. Really nice nose with slight waxiness, minerals, citrus and slight dust. On the palate, this is crisp. Good citrus. Deep but tight. This wine drinks well now, but should improve in a cellar for a decade at least. Long finish. Very food friendly. Pretty wine.

2017 Tablas Creek Esprit Blanc de Tablas, USA, California, Paso Robles, Adelaida, Wine Review

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America's Best Rhone Style White Wines: 11th Annual Rhone Rangers Tasting Reviewed

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2017 Tablas Creek Esprit Blanc de Tablas, USA, California, Paso Robles, Wine Review

2018 Tablas Creek Esprit Blanc de Tablas, USA, California, Paso Robles, Adelaida District, Wine Review

2014 Tablas Creek Esprit Blanc de Tablas, USA, California, Paso Robles, Wine Review