We tasted last night (11/23/16) the New TablasCreek Releases:
1. TablasCreekVnyds Cotes de TablasBlanc AdelaidaDist/PasoRobles (EG; 26% Viog/25% GrenacheBlanc/
25% Marsanne/24% Roussanne; 13.5%) 2015: Light gold color; very attractive GB/honeysuckle/floral/gardenia some Viog/
floral/peach quite aromatic nose; fairly tart/tangy rich/lush very strong floral/honeysuckle/GB light peach/Viog
rich lovely flavor; very long/lingering strong floral/honeysuckle light pear/Viog finish; a really lovely Rhone
blend at a great price. $24.00 (VIN)
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2. TablasCreekVnyd Patelin de TablasBlanc PasoRobles (56% GrenacheBlanc/23% Viog/12% Rouss/9% Marsanne;
13.5%; Vnyds: 25% CoyoteMoon/23% Frahlich/18% Cass/10% Adelaida/9% Clautiere/6% DawsonCreek/
3% Glenrose/3% Paso de Record/3% TablasCreek) PasoRobles 2015: Light gold/brilliant color; more fresh fruit/grapey
floral/Viog/peach/pear bit simple nose; bit soft lush/ripe grapey/fruity rather floral/Viog/pear slight metallic
flavor; med.long grapey/fruity some peach/pear/Viog finish; a pleasant enough white but a bit on the simple side,
not very interesting. $20.00 (VIN)
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3. TablasCreekVnyds Roussanne AdelaidaDist/PasoRobles (EG; 13.0%) 2014: Light gold color; very strong honeyed/
honeysuckle/Rouss bit waxy/figgy quite floral/carnations ripe very aromatic nose; bit soft very rich/lush very
floral/carnations/waxy/figgy very ripe bit oaked flavor; very long/lingering ripe/rich/lush very strong honeyed/
honeysuckle/Rouss/waxy/figgy finish; shows lots of ripeness for 13.0% but stops just shy of DollyParton territory;
a lovely intense Roussanne at a great price. $28.00 (VIN)
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4. TablasCreekVnyds Esprit Blanc de Tablas AdelaidaDist/PasoRobles (72% Roussanne/23% GrenacheBlanc/
5% PicpoulBlanc; 13.5%) 2014: Med.light gold color; bit mineral/stony/chalky very fragrant floral/Rouss/honeysuckle
slight smokey/oak perfumed/complex nose; lightly tart balanced/smooth very spicy some mineral/stony/chalky light
oak honeysuckle/Rouss/floral flavor; very long/lingering strong/perfumey/honeysuckle/floral/Rouss light chalky/
stony rather spicy light oak very balanced/smooth light oak fairly complex finish; a beautiful young EspritBlanc
whose balance should take it out 10 yrs or more. $36.00 (VIN)
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5. LesCretes PetiteArvine Dd'OP: Valle d'Aosta (12.5%; L7-A13) Aymavilles 2013: Light gold color; slightly pungent/
funky very perfumed/aromatic slight valve oil slight mousey/hantavirus almost GWT-likemuscatty/flowery some
mineral/chalky lovely nose; rather tart/metallic/tangy light earthy/stony/metallic quite perfumed/floral/rose
petal/GWT-like bit stony/mineral/lean/austere rather rich flavor; very long tart/tangy/stony/mineral somewhat
floral/muscatty/GWT-like/aromatic fairly rich finish; a bit of funk in the nose but lots of attractive aromatic/
perfumed character w/ a nice minerality. $29.00 (G/MT)
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6. BKWines Savagnin Skin n' Bones White Lenswood/AdelaideHills (SkinContact; 12.5%; www.BKWines.com.Au)
BasketRange/SouthAustralia 2015: Med.gold color; very unusual/exotic bit Albarino-like/floral/perfumed/muscatty
bit figgy/waxy light skin-contact/phenolic bit earthy rather complex nose; rather tart/lemony/tangy bit
Albarino-like/floral/figgy/GWT-like very slight skin-contact/phenolic flavor w/ light tangy/tannic character;
very long/lingering quite perfumed/exotic/floral/Albarino-like/GWT-like slight earthy slight phenolic/skin-contact
finish w/ light tannic bite; rather Albarino/GWT-like very aromatic character w/ only slight skin-contact
character; a lovely white. $40.00 (UW/KC)
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7. TablasCreekVnyds Esprit de Tablas AdelaidaDist/PasoRobles (40% Mourv/35% Grenache/20% Syrah/
5% Counoise; 14.5%) 2014: Med.dark color; lovely very perfumed strawberry/raspberry/mostly Grenache strong
plummy/Mourv light oak fairly complex nose; lightly tart very strong Grenache/strawberry some plummy/Mourv/
blackberry/licorice balanced/smooth fairly rich some complex flavor w/ modest ripe/smooth tannins; very long/
lingering strong Grenache/strawberry/raspberry/floral/bright some Mourv/plummy/blackberry/boysenberry very light
oak some complex finish w/ modest gentle/ripe/smooth tannins; speaks more of bright/vibrant Grenache w/ some bass
notes from the Mourv; an absolutely TCV Esprit w/ great balance and polish and should go out 10 yrs at least.
$44.00 (VIN)
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8. TablasCreekVnyds Esprit de Tablas AdelaidaDist/PasoRobles (40% Mourv/21% Grenache/30% Syrah/ 9% Counoise; 14.0%)
2012: Dark color; more earthy/mineral strong plummy/Mourv slight strawberry/Grenache light smokey/oak quite spicy/
herbs de Provence rather perfumed/complex nose; lightly tart/tangy smooth/polished/balanced strong plummy/
blackberry/Syrah light strawberry/Grenache fairly complex flavor w/ modest smooth tannins; very long/lingering
slightly tart very balanced/smooth/polished strong blackberry/plummy/Mourv light oak quite spicy/herbs de Provence
light oak/pencilly finish w/ modest smooth/gentle/polished tannins; a very well-crafted/very balanced red that
should go out another 6-10 yrs and only get more interesting. $48.00 (VIN)
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8a. TablasCreekVnyds Esprit de Tablas 2012 (#8, half consumed 3 days later): Dark color; slight earthy/root cellar
some plummy/Mourv/blackberry somewhat beaten-down nose; lightly tart bit earthy/root cellar some beaten-down less
bright/vibrant bit dumb nose; seems to show much less vibrant fruit and harder/more angular tannins; seems to be
robbed of its fruit & lushness; a somewhat hard/brittle wine.
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8b. TablasCreekVnyds Esprit de Tablas 2012 (frsh btl, my stash): Same color; light earthy/mineral rather plummy/
blackberry/Mourv quite perfumed fragrant spicy/herbs de Provence nose; lightly tart quite smooth/balanced strong
plummy/blackberry/Mourv rather spicy nose w/ light smooth tannins; seems pretty much as I recalled it from 3 days
earlier; quite a polished/smooth blend.
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9. TablasCreekVnyd EnGoblet AdelaidaDist/PasoRobles (34% Grenache/25% Syrah/21% Mourv/15% Counoise/
5% Tannat; 14.9%) 2014: Med.dark color; slightly alcoholic/ripe very fragrant/Grenache/strawberry strong
blackberry/Syrah light toasty/oak bit earthy/graphite some complex nose; bit soft/smooth rich/lush blackberry/
Syrah/plummy light strawberry/Grenache light toasty/oak bit complex flavor w/ modest smooth/graceful tannins;
very long/lingering mostly blackberry/Syrah/plummy light strawberry/Grenache some ripe/bit alcoholic bit earthy/
chalky/mineral finish w/ modest ripe/smooth tannins; seems not as smooth/polished/balanced as the Esprit;
seems not as big & rustic and more ripe than previous EnGoblet vintages. $40.00 (VIN)
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10. Moric BlauFrankisch (OQ; trocken; www.Moric.At; Staathicher Prufnummer L-N 105221/14; 12.5%) von Roland Velich/
Grusshoflein/Burgenland 2013: Very dark color; very strong black cherry/black cherry cola slight root beer/RCCola
slight graphite/pungent rather earthy/loamy/composit pile slight smokey/oak quite complex nose; lightly tart/
tangy/metallic strong earthy/loamy/Blaufrankisch slight RCCola smooth/polished flavor w/ light gentle tannins;
very long quite earthy/loamy/root cellar strong black cherry cola/BF/licorice RCCola finish w/ light smooth
tannins; lots of Burgenland earthy/loamy character w/ strong black cherry cola fruit; quite a lovely expression
of BF. $nc (ES)/$32.00
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More stuff from TheBloodyPulpit:
1. Moric: Is regarded as one of the best winemakers in the Burgenland. This was a replacement btl from EmilySchindler/
WineMonger to replace one that was horibly corked several months ago. This was one of the best BlauFrankischs
I can recall. Also know as Lemberger.
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2. Savignan: This is a variety that has its origins in the Jura/Franche-Comte regions in the eastern French Alps.
The variety has several bio-types: SavagninBlanc/SavagninRose/GWT. The SavagninRose is a less aromatic versiom
of GWT. The variety has spawned a huge number of progeny.
The Aussie's originally imported in 1989 from Spain they thought to be Albarino and planted it in hopes of
having an aromatic white variety. Alas, the Spanish grape authorities screwed up. In 2009, what they thought
to be Albarino by DNA was shown to be Savagnin. Not as marketable as Albarino I think. This is the first Oz
Savagnin I've tried. I can see similarity to GWT as well as Albarino in this rendition. I don't know is anyone
in Oz-land is attempting a VinJaune as they make int the Jura from Savagnin.
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3. PetiteArvine: This is a variety that is indigenous to the Valais/Suisse and fairly rare in the Val d'Aosta.
Interestingly, Michel Chapoutier once had a planting of this variety in the NorthernRhone but abandoned it
because it was so finicky there.
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4. EspritBlanc '14: I thought this was/is one of the better EspritBlancs that I can recall. They can often be a
bit tight & underwhelming on release, but this one was right out there.
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5. Tablas Esprit 2012: This was an interesting experiment. #8 was a PoP on Wed night. I put the cork back into the
btl and let it stand for 3 days until I tried it again on Sat night. #8b was a fresh btl of this wine that I
had right at hand. It had been stored standing upright in a moderately warm room for about 3 yrs. The original #8
was included in the new TCV release from their library.
The results were pretty much as I expected. In the opened/half-consumed btl, I typically find there is a loss
of fruit & aromatics and the tannins seem to come to the forefront; it's just harder on the palate. And, of course,
no signs of oxidation or development of VA, even though it was standing right next to my active vinegar culture.
Wines #8a & #8b were tasted side-by-side on Sat night. The differences were pretty obvious. Obviously #8 and #8b
were not tasted side-by-side, but to the best of my recollection, the #8b struck me as pretty much the same wine
as #8 3 days before. Anyway, an interesting experiment that means absolutely nothing.
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6. I thought this TCV release was a particularly strong one. The Patelin (one we ordered on a special deal back in
Oct) was a bit quotidian, but the new ones were all quite good and very fairly priced. TCV is making some of the
most intriguing/well-made wines in PasoRables area and quite different from their colleagues, where the emphasis
seems to be on very ripe fruit, power, and alcohol. Thanks you, Monktown.
Tom