|
|
Wine Recommendation
Tablas Creek Vineyard
2003 Esprit de Beaucastel(Paso Robles)
This outstanding cuvee tells why Tablas Creek is the benchmark for Paso Robles Rhone varieties. The Perrin (Chateau de Beaucastel) and Haas (Vineyard Brands Importing and Robert Haas Selections) families who own Tablas Creek chose the hilly Las Tablas district for its similarities to Chateauneuf-du-Pape. Paso Roble’s diverse soils feature the largest exposed limestone clay layer in California, making it ideal for Rhone varietals.
This beautifully crafted wine, a Rhone blend of Mourvedre, Syrah, Grenache and Counoise, offers huge blackberry, plum and blueberry aromas and flavors. Highlighted with warm spice, minerals, leather, earth and smoke, it’s perfectly balanced and lingers long and lovely on the palate with appealing berry and spice notes.
The Esprit de Beaucastel is a proper choice for game and lamb, or that rare, perfectly marbleized New York strip. Although it will grandly reward those patient enough to cellar it, you can certainly enjoy it now when you want to impress friends or treat yourself to something great. Only $40 retail for a superlative wine worth much, much more.
Reviewed August 13, 2006 by Kathy Marcks-Hardesty.
Other reviewed wines from Tablas Creek Vineyard
The Wine
Winery: Tablas Creek Vineyard |
The Reviewer
Kathy Marcks-Hardesty
Kathy Marcks Hardesty is the former Tasting Coordinator for Wine Spectator magazine. She prefers wines that exhibit classic varietal characteristics, regional identity, and the depth and balance to make a good meal great. She’s just as enthusiastic about sharing news of those rare, value-priced wines of good quality. Despite her past association with wine critics, she doesn’t assign numbers to wines, save in her memory (old habits die hard). She prefers writing descriptive reviews that whet the palate and leaves the final score to her readers. |