Winemaker Notes
The Tablas Creek Vineyard Côtes de Tablas Blanc is a blend of four estate-grown white Rhône varietals: Viognier, Roussanne, Marsanne, and Grenache Blanc. The wine, like most wines of the Southern Rhône, is a blend of varietals, featuring the aromatics and fruit of the Viognier, the flavors and clean minerality of the Marsanne and Roussanne, and the crisp acids and rich mouthfeel of the Grenache Blanc. Like our Côtes de Tablas red, this wine is designed to be ready to drink young: at its peak from the moment of its release.
The 2007 Côtes de Tablas Blanc is a blend in the style of French Cotes du Rhone whites, and features intense aromas of stone fruits and minerals, flavors of apricot and Provençal herbs, rich texture, moderate acidity and a long peachy finish.
As with all our wines, the grapes for our Côtes de Tablas Blanc were grown on our 120-acre certified organic estate vineyard.
"Offers up aromas of honeysuckle, white currants,apricots, and quince as well as a hint of tropical fruits. This medium-bodied, refreshing, zesty white should drink well for 2-3 years." 89-90 Points
Wine Advocate
June 30, 2008
"Light gold. Strongly floral nose offers scents of peach, lemon, mango and exotic cherry pit.Juicy, sharply focused pit fruit flavors are given nerve by bitter citrus zest qualities and are dusted with a gentle talc element. Spicy notes build and carry through a long, sappy finish. Already showing complexity." 89 Points
International Wine Cellar
November/December 2008
Professional Ratings
Full-bodied and flavorful, white Rhône blends originate from France’s Rhône Valley. Today these blends are also becoming popular in other regions. Typically some combination of Grenache Blanc, Marsanne, Roussanne and Viognier form the basis of a white Rhône blend with varying degrees of flexibility depending on the exact appellation. Somm Secret—In the Northern Rhône, blends of Marsanne and Roussanne are common but the south retains more variety. Marsanne, Roussanne as well as Bourboulenc, Clairette, Picpoul and Ugni Blanc are typical.
Paso Robles has made a name for itself as a source of supple, powerful, fruit-driven Central Coast wines. But with eleven smaller sub-AVAs, there is actually quite a bit of diversity to be found in this inland portion of California’s Central Coast.
Just east over the Santa Lucia Mountains from the chilly Pacific Ocean, lie the coolest in the region: Adelaida, Templeton Gap and (Paso Robles) Willow Creek Districts, as well as York Mountain AVA and Santa Margarita Ranch. These all experience more ocean fog, wind and precipitation compared to the rest of the Paso sub-appellations. The San Miguel, (Paso Robles) Estrella, (Paso Robles) Geneso, (Paso Robles) Highlands, El Pomar and Creston Districts, along with San Juan Creek, are the hotter, more western appellations of the greater Paso Robles AVA.
This is mostly red wine country, with Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel standing out as the star performers. Other popular varieties include Merlot, Petite Sirah, Petit Verdot, Syrah, Grenache and Rhône blends, both red and white. There is a fairly uniform tendency here towards wines that are unapologetically bold and opulently fruit-driven, albeit with a surprising amount of acidity thanks to the region’s chilly nighttime temperatures.