Winemaker Notes
The 2016 Patelin de Tablas has a darkly fruity, Syrah-driven nose of black cherry, blackberry, pepper spice, meat drippings, and pipe tobacco, with a little sweet anise spice providing lift. The mouth shows a balance of fruitier and more savory notes, with cool, minty, cherry skin flavors and notes of pine forest and wood smoke that emerge with air. Chalky tannins provide structure and confidence that while the wine is delicious now, it has the substance and balance to age for up to a decade.
Professional Ratings
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Tasting Panel
A lovely version of a Châteauneuf: GSM with some Counoise added. Silky and bright with flavorful notes of cherry and raspberry. Charming, balanced, and long.
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James Suckling
This has a very pretty, spicy nose with black pepper, brambleberry pie, dried thyme and sage, iodine, licorice and bark. Medium-bodied with bright acidity, tangy fruit and a fresh, medium-chewy finish. Drink now or hold.
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Wine Enthusiast
This blend of 52% Syrah, 31% Grenache, 11% Counoise and 6% Mourvèdre is a complete success. Fresh aromas of carnations, purple flowers, crushed cranberries, plump berries and dried sage lead into a taut palate of red plums, red cherries and potpourri spice.
Editors' Choice -
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2016 Patelin de Tablas will be released later this year, and it's really beginning to become expressive, bursting from the glass with aromas of blackberry, raspberries, cracked pepper and Provence herbs. On the palate, it's medium-bodied, supple and juicy, with a lovely core of fruit, youthfully chewy tannins and a nicely pure finish. Bottled under screwcap, fully 3,000 cases of this blend of 52% Syrah, 31% Grenache, 11% Counoise and 6% Mourvèdre were produced.
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.
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.