Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
This historic producer’s flagship blend of Roussanne, Grenache Blanc and Picpoul offers scents of wild honey and lemon custard. The flavors walk proudly between those elements and a citrus peel bitterness, woven amidst the freshness of seltzer and morning dew.
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Decanter
Rich, minerally style and crisp, racy, nicely balanced flavors; complex and layered; long and idiosyncratic. 75% Roussanne, 20% Grenache Blanc, 5% Picpoul Blanc.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Incorporating more Roussanne in 2012, the 2012 Esprit Blanc de Tablas checks in as 75% Roussanne, 20% Grenache Blanc and 5% Picpoul Blanc, all of which was brought up in larger foudre. Light gold in color, it has a classic Roussanne pear, lemon curd, honeysuckle and white flower-like qualities to go with a medium-bodied, seamless profile on the palate. Starting out lively and fresh, it gains in stature and depth with time in the glass, so a decant is recommended if drinking soon. I’d drink bottles over the coming 2-3 years, but it will have at least a decade of evolution.
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.
The largest and perhaps most varied of California’s wine-growing regions, the Central Coast produces a good majority of the state's wine. This vast California wine district stretches from San Francisco all the way to Santa Barbara along the coast, and reaches inland nearly all the way to the Central Valley.
Encompassing an extremely diverse array of climates, soil types and wine styles, it contains many smaller sub-AVAs, including San Francisco Bay, Monterey, the Santa Cruz Mountains, Paso Robles, Edna Valley, Santa Ynez Valley and Santa Maria Valley.
While the Central Coast California wine region could probably support almost any major grape varietiy, it is famous for a few Central Coast reds and whites. Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel are among the major ones. The Central Coast is home to many of the state's small, artisanal wineries crafting unique, high-quality wines, as well as larger producers also making exceptional wines.