Winemaker Notes
An expressive nose with both red fruit and darker elements, like raspberries rolled in cocoa powder, with additional notes of fresh fig, herbes de Provence, and a floral violet note. The mouth is pretty and has an appealing wildness, like salted wild strawberries, complete with the leaves, mint chocolate, clove, and a little loamy earth. The finish is gentler than the varietal Grenache at this stage, with refined tannins and a long, elegant finish.
Blend: 66% Grenache, 18% Syrah, 8% Counoise, 8% Mourvèdre
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Generous, alive and complicated with a medicinal dark-cherry cast to the fruit. Savory spices and iron-rich meaty flavors interweave with brambleberries and earth. A wine of many layers. Of note, this has a higher percentage of grenache than any previous vintage since 2006. Drink or hold.
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Wine Enthusiast
This Paso Rhône pioneer shows its superpowers most prominently through blends, such as this mix of 66% Grenache, 18% Syrah, 8% Counoise and 8% Mourvèdre. Black plum, lavender potpourri and pepper dust aromas show on the nose, while the extremely balanced palate pairs those similar elements into a cohesive and elegant expression.
Editors' Choice -
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
A blend of 66% Grenache, 18% Syrah, 8% Counoise and 8% Mourvedre, the 2023 Côtes de Tablas features the highest proportion of Grenache in two decades, reflecting the fortunate combination of the varieties' yields and quality in this vintage. It leads with a strikingly fresh and pure bouquet of vibrant red fruits, orange rinds and candied licorice, introducing a lively palate with a touch of sweetly fruited padding that carries through the succulent, grippy finish.
With bold fruit flavors and accents of sweet spice, Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre form the base of the classic Rhône Red Blend, while Carignan, Cinsault and Counoise often come in to play. Though they originated from France’s southern Rhône Valley, with some creative interpretation, Rhône blends have also become popular in other countries. Somm Secret—Putting their own local spin on the Rhône Red Blend, those from Priorat often include Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. In California, it is not uncommon to see Petite Sirah make an appearance.
RGL03231371_2023 Item# 3879611