A Guide to Wine, Food & the Good Life
To subscribe and be notified anytime we post a new article, enter your email address in the box below, then click on Subscribe Now.

Distinctive New Wines

Similar Articles:

  1. 2020 DOMAINE FREDRICK ESMONIN
  2. TABLAS CREEK VINEYARD - FALL RELEASES
  3. CHANIN WINE COMPANY
  4. DOMAINE ANNE & HERVE SIGAUT
  5. TABLAS CREEK VINEYARD
  6. 2019 BURGUNDIAN RED WINES
  7. TABLAS CREEK VINEYARD
  8. GREAT DISTINCTIVE NEW WINES - RED, WHITE, AND ROSÉ
  9. GREAT DISTINCTIVE NEW WINES - RED, WHITE, AND ROSÉ
  10. SPRING 2021 DISTINCTIVE NEW WINES FROM RIDGE AND TABLAS CREEK
  11. LOVELY NEW WINES FROM DOMAINE SAUMAIZE-MICHELIN
  12. 2019 ROSÉS - PART 3
  13. 2019 FRENCH ROSÉS - PART 2 - BARGAINS UNDER $10
  14. 2019 ROSÉS – PART 1
  15. TABLAS CREEK VINEYARD 2020 FALL RELEASES
  16. RIDGE VINEYARDS FALL RELEASES
  17. THE 2018 RED BURGUNDIES ARE STARTING TO ARRIVE AND WE ARE OFF TO A GREAT START - DOMAINE FRÉDÉRIC ESMONIN
  18. RIDGE VINEYARDS: GREAT RECENT RELEASES
  19. GREAT NEW RELEASES FROM TABLAS CREEK VINEYARD – ROSÉ, WHITE, AND RED
  20. IT’S ROSÉ TIME & MORE
  21. ANOTHER GREAT VALUE PRICED WINE FROM TOAD HOLLOW
  22. 2018 ROSÉS – THE GRAND FINALE
  23. GREAT NEW WINES – RIDGE & TABLAS CREEK
  24. TOAD HOLLOW VINEYARDS
  25. CHANIN WINE COMPANY
  26. 2018 ROSÉS – PART 3
  27. BONNY DOON VINEYARD LAUNCHES A NEW LE CIGARE VOLANT & LE CIGARE BLANC
  28. 2018 ROSÉ – Part 2
  29. RIDGE VINEYARDS – SPRING 2019 RELEASES
  30. TABLAS CREEK VINEYARD – SPRING 2019 RELEASES
  31. HAT TRICK WINES FROM TOAD HOLLOW VINEYARDS
  32. TABLAS CREEK VINEYARD – FALL 2018 RELEASES
  33. RIDGE VINEYARDS – FALL 2018 RELEASES
  34. 2017 ROSÉS – PART II
  35. 2017 ROSÉS – A REMARKABLE VINTAGE PART I
  36. RIDGE VINEYARDS – SPRING 2018 RELEASES & MORE
  37. TABLAS CREEK VINEYARD – SPRING 2018 RELEASES
  38. TABLAS CREEK VINEYARD FALL RELEASES
  39. DOMAINE ANNE ET HERVÉ SIGAUT
  40. RIDGE VINEYARDS - FALL 2017 RELEASES & MORE!
  41. 2016 ROSÉS: A GREAT VINTAGE AND MANY BARGAINS
  42. 2016 ROSÉS – TIS THE SEASON & WHAT A SEASON IT IS!
  43. TABLAS CREEK VINEYARD SPRING 2017 RELEASES
  44. DOMAINE BALLOT MILLOT & FILS – THE 2014S ARE HERE!
  45. CHANIN WINE COMPANY AND LUTUM WINES – AN OUTSTANDING GROUP OF 2014 CHARDONNAYS AND PINOT NOIRS
  46. MOUNT EDEN VINEYARDS AND DOMAINE EDEN: A DYNAMIC DUO
  47. 2015 ROSÉS AS SUMMER ENDS AND THE FALL SEASON BEGINS
  48. RIDGE VINEYARDS: SUPERB NEW RELEASES & WINE INGREDIENT LABELING
  49. NEW RELEASES FROM DOMAINE-SAUMAIZE MICHELIN
  50. TABLAS CREEK VINEYARD: FIVE OUTSTANDING NEW RELEASES
  51. MORE 2015 ROSÉS
  52. CALERA – LATEST RELEASES
  53. RIDGE VINEYARDS - SPRING 2016 RELEASES
  54. TIS THE SEASON: 2015 ROSÉS ARE HERE
  55. NEW RELEASES FROM TABLAS CREEK VINEYARD
  56. CALERA WINE COMPANY
  57. DOMAINE BALLOT-MILLOT ET FILS: THE 2013S ARE HERE
  58. 2014 ROSÉS – IS IT THE SEASON OR THE END OF THE SEASON?
  59. TABLAS CREEK VINEYARD
  60. 2014 FRENCH ROSÉS
  61. MORE 2014 ROSÉS
  62. WINE IN A BOX?
  63. 2014 ROSÉS
  64. RIDGE VINEYARDS – SPRING 2015 RELEASES
  65. DOMAINE FRÉDÉRIC ESMONIN
  66. NEW RELEASES FROM THE CENTRAL COAST - CALERA AND TABLAS CREEK VINEYARD
  67. ROSÉ TIME?
  68. TABLAS CREEK VINEYARD
  69. SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAIN VINEYARD AND QUINTA CRUZ
  70. MOUNT EDEN VINEYARDS AND DOMAINE EDEN
  71. MORE 2013 ROSÉS
  72. TABLAS CREEK VINEYARD
  73. 2013 FRENCH ROSÉS
  74. UNDER THE RADAR CHAMPAGNE
  75. 2013 ROSÉS
  76. MORE 2012 ROSÉS
  77. 2012 ROSÉS
  78. UNDER THE RADAR AND VALUE PRICED WHITE WINES, SPARKLING WINES, AND RED WINES FOR SPRING
  79. DOMAINE FRÉDÉRIC ESMONIN
  80. MORE OUTSTANDING 2011 BEAUJOLAIS
  81. NEW WINES AS WE APPROACH 2013
  82. RíAS BAIXAS & ALBARIÑO – SPANISH GEMS
  83. NEW WINES FOR THE UPCOMING HOLIDAYS
  84. RED WINES FOR THE FALL
  85. UNDER THE RADAR & VALUE PRICED ROSÉS AND WHITE WINES
  86. A FEW NEW ROSÉS & WHITE WINES FOR THE DOG DAYS OF SUMMER
  87. A VARIED SELECTION FEATURING SOME GREAT WINE VALUES
  88. SOME GREAT NEW WINES FROM OLD FRIENDS AND A FEW NEW SURPRISES
  89. SPRING WILL SOON BE HERE: THESE ARE WINES FOR THE SEASON
  90. A PAIR TO DRAW TO – ALBARIÑO AND TORRONTÉS
  91. MORE TERRIFIC 2010 BEAUJOLAIS, ANOTHER 2009 CHINON, AND A 2007 SAINT JOSEPH PLUS A COUPLE OF INEXPENSIVE RED WINES AND A 2009 SANCERRE FROM ONE OF THE GREATEST PRODUCERS
  92. A SHORT LIST OF NEW WINES TO START THE YEAR
  93. NEW WINES TO CONSIDER AS WE RAPIDLY APPROACH THE END OF THE YEAR
  94. MORE NEW WINES TO FALL INTO
  95. CHANGING OF THE SEASONS - HERE ARE SOME SUGGESTIONS TO FALL INTO
  96. TWO FAVORITE CHAMPAGNE HOUSES
  97. 2010 ROSÉS -- A ROSE IS A ROSE, IS A ROSE, IS A ROSE…BUT A ROSÉ IS A ROSÉ
  98. An Eclectic Selection Of New Wines
  99. Call For Torrontes, Other Terrific Inexpensive White Wines, An Old Friend Chardonnay, And A New Friend Pinot Noir
  100. One New Star Producer For White And Red Burgundy, Revisiting An Old Favorite Producer For Affordable White and Red Burgundy, And Trying To Get Back A Best In Class Rosé
  101. You Don't Know Jura?
  102. Five Lovely Red and White Wines from Northern California
  103. Champagne -- Any Time Is Time For Champagne
  104. More 2009s And A Few Others
  105. More 2009 Beaujolais
  106. Under The Radar 2009 Wines
  107. Even More 2009 Rosés
  108. More 2009 Rosés and Other Wine Bargains
  109. 2009 New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc and Inexpensive 2009 White Wines
  110. A Selection of Reasonably-priced, Premium Wines
  111. Recession Busters/Best Buys
  112. Ah, Spring, The Vintage of the Century Is In the Air!
  113. A Selection from California and France
  114. Bargain Wines/Best Buys
  115. California and French Wines

TABLAS CREEK VINEYARD SPRING 2017 RELEASES

John Tilson • 5/5/17        Print This Post Print This PostComment Bookmark and Share

cal poly honored alumni

Tablas Creek Vineyard consistently produces really amazing and well-priced wines that few other California wineries can match. The specialty is, of course, Rhone varietals and their wines are beautifully crafted and very food friendly. Since 1997 they have made balanced and harmonious wines year in and year out. Below is the introduction from my first article on Tablas Creek Vineyard:

Tablas Creek Vineyard is a partnership between the Perrin family, proprietors of Chateau Beaucastel in Chateauneuf du Pape, and Robert Haas, founder of Vineyard Brands, as majority partners and French and American friends as minority partners. The search for a vineyard location to grow Rhone varietals began in 1987 and in 1989 they purchased a 120 acre parcel in West Paso Robles some 12 miles from the Pacific Ocean. Here the rock and limestone soils are of the same geologic origin as at Beaucastel and the climate is also similar. The result is grapes that mature fully, yet retain crisp acidity. The vine cuttings were imported from Beaucastel to replicate the clonal selection and assure the quality and genetic source. The vine cuttings arrived in 1990 and planting began several years later. The first wine was made in 1997. Production, both in terms of quantity and number of wines produced, has been increasing steadily since then. Today the planting is complete and consists of 2/3s red varieties – Mourvedre, Grenache Noir, Syrah, Tannat. and Counoise and 1/3 white varieties – Roussanne, Marsanne, Viognier, Picpoul Blanc, and Grenache Blanc. The centuries old Chateauneuf du Pape tradition is followed with the varieties blended to produce wines of a unique style and complexity. The concept of blending different varietals to make wines is one that I have always believed would make better wines in California. There are only a few exceptions to this belief and those would include the Burgundian varietals, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

Since its first wines were produced some 20 years ago the quality of Tablas Creek Vineyard wines has been widely acknowledged. Tablas Creek Vineyard was named the number one winery by The Daily Meal where I am on the wine nominating panel and The Underground Wineletter is a regular contributor.  The Daily Meal has awarded Tablas Creek Vineyard its highest award twice: Winery of the Year 2015 and #1 Winery in America 2015 (to read the article click here).

Tablas Creek Vineyards makes wine from their organic estate vineyards. They also mostly buy grapes from other Paso Robles Rhone specialists which are planted with cuttings from their organic estate vineyard. The latter wines are designated  Patelin de Tablas. The Tablas Creek wines are available in limited quantities nationally for most of their offerings. The wines are also offered for sale directly from the winery along with special limited bottlings offered only from the winery. They can be contacted at www.tablascreek.com  where you can learn about their wine club, Tablas Creek VINsider, which offers discounts and special offerings to members.

The spring 2017 Tablas Creek Vineyard wine releases are now on the market. This year there are two rosés from the 2016 vintage, 2 white wines (one from the 2016 vintage and one from the 2015 vintage), and 2 red wines (one from the 2015 vintage and one from the 2014). As usual, the wines are all delicious with the 2016 Tablas Creek Vineyard Patelin de Tablas Rosé being the best domestic rosé that I have ever tasted.

Rosé Wines

16 tablas creek rosé
2016 Tablas Creek Vineyard Patelin de Tablas Rosé Paso Robles
The production of this wine is 3000 cases and it is absolutely stunning. It exudes charm and finesse yet also has complexity and great flavor interest. Made with 73% Grenache, 17% Mourvèdre, 6% Counoise, and 4% Syrah it has a very light pink color with a golden hue and golden edge. The perfume is incredible with a myriad of floral nuances and a subtle exotic quality. On the palate, the fruit is very refined and shows faint hints of strawberry and guava with a citrus tinge and an intriguing underlying exotic floral nuance. Ever so easy to drink with a long lasting finish, in my book this represents the pinnacle for domestic rosé. Don’t miss it – Extraordinary.   $25

2016 Tablas Creek Vineyard Dianthus Adelaida District Paso Robles
The production of this wine is 900 cases.  It is made from 49% Mourvèdre, 37% Grenache, and 14% Counoise grapes taken from the oldest section of the French sourced vines at Tablas Creek and is named for the flowering plant with deep pink blossoms. It is light red in color with a pink hue and golden edge. With an intensely fruity perfume of strawberry and cherry, the wine is full and very flavorful with lots of strawberry tinged fruit accented by floral citrus nuances on the finish – Outstanding.     $30

White Wines

2016 Tablas Creek Vineyard Vermentino Adelaida District Paso Robles
Here is what I have said before about Vermentino: True confession – I love Vermentino! The Vermentinos from Italy and France (known as Rolle in France) are distinctive and lovely. And, Tablas Creek Vineyard consistently produces one of California’s best Vermentinos that is on the same level of some of the best from Italy and France. This 2016 is another great example. It is the fifteenth bottling of this varietal at Tablas Creek. And, the production is up from last year at 1250 cases. Very light yellow in color the wine is very aromatic with hints of melon and a faint floral spice nuance. With lovely very pure fruit showing subtle hints of melon and a subtle floral spice quality it is very finessful and beautifully balanced with a nice underlying crispness. Great with a wide variety of lighter foods including fish, chicken, salads, and vegetables this classic Vermentino gets my vote as one of the greatest under the radar white wines in the world – Outstanding Plus.    $27

2016 Tablas Creek Vineyard Roussanne Adelaida District Paso Robles
The production of this wine is 1200 cases. Roussanne is a wine of richness and complexity that is capable of aging for a very long time. This is a gorgeous Roussanne. It is light yellow gold in color and has a lovely honeyed floral perfume with tinges of spice and baked apples. With lovely fruit showing apple and pear with a faint honeyed nuances the wine is also lush and rounded with a faintly underlying citrus tinge and a long finish. Delicious now, but no hurry – Outstanding Plus.    $35

Red Wines

2015 Tablas Creek Vineyard Patelin de Tablas Paso Robles
The production of this wine is 5000 cases. It is made from grapes grown on 11 different vineyards and is comprised of 51% Syrah, 31% Grenache, 14% Mourvèdre, and 4% Counoise. With a deep color the wine has a lovely plum and berry perfume with tinges of spice and earthiness. It has lots of fruit with a subtle earthy spiciness and is balanced and very harmonious. A very attractive wine to drink now, but several years of additional bottle age are likely to yield additional complexity – Very Good Plus/Outstanding.    $25

2014 Tablas Creek Vineyard Espirit de Tablas Adelaida District Paso Robles
The production of this wine is 3800 cases. It is made with 48% Mourvèdre, 35% Grenache, 29% Syrah, and 5% Counoise. With a deep color the wine has a gorgeous faintly floral perfume with hints of plum and a kiss of spice. On the palate there is a lot of plum like fruit with floral tinges and faint hints of chocolate and spice with a subtle smokiness. Balanced and very flavorful this is a delicious wine to drink now and for many years into the future – Outstanding Plus.    $55

 tablas creek signs

Post a Comment

No comments so far for “TABLAS CREEK VINEYARD SPRING 2017 RELEASES”

  • Tom says:
    Your comment is awaiting moderation. This is a preview; your comment will be visible after it has been approved.
    Amen on the Vermentino. At the wine-of-the-month club price last month, it was a steal. To me, Vermentino has real soul and a breezy summer evening feel that’s irresistible. I find an engaging thread of minerality running through Tablas’ bottles.
  • Post a Comment

    Leave a Reply

    Your email address will not be published.