Tablas Creek Cotes de Tablas Rouge 2004
Rhone Red Blends
from Central Coast, California
winemaker's notes:
The Tablas Creek Vineyard Côtes de Tablas is a blend of four estate-grown Rhône varietals: Grenache, Syrah, Counoise and Mourvedre. Like most wines of the Southern Rhône, it is a blend of varietals, featuring the fruitiness of Grenache balanced by the spice and structure of Syrah, with meaty, earthy notes from Mourvedre and Counoise. The 2004 Côtes de Tablas is Tablas Creek's fifth release of its Côtes de Tablas red blend, made in the style of a full-throttle Côtes du Rhone.
The 2004 Côtes de Tablas has a juicy, berry nose of currants, raspberries, licorice and spice. The mouth is full of rich, sweet Grenache fruit showing good acidity and a long finish laced with licorice.
Food pairings: Grilled steaks, pastas with meat sauces, rich beef stews, spicy sausages.
"The medium-bodied 2004 Côtes de Tablas exhibits lovely peppery, berry fruit, roasted herb,
and gamy scents. It is a top-notch example of a California version of a Côtes du Rhône." 89 Points
Wine Advocate
August 31, 2007