Winemaker Notes
Blend: 40% Syrah, 33% Grenache, 21% Mourvedre, 3% Counoise, 3% Terret Noir
Professional Ratings
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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
There's a strongly stony streak on the nose of this blend of 40% Syrah, 33% Grenache, 21% Mourvèdre, 3% Counoise and 3% Terret Noir, which also offers dried berry and purple-flower aromas. The palate is earthy and full of rocky flavors, yet also offers black-raspberry, red-plum and wild herb elements.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Medium ruby-purple, the 2018 Patelin de Tablas is a blend of 40% Syrah, 33% Grenache, 21% Mourvèdre, 3% Counoise and 3% Terret Noir. It retains some rubbery aromas with notes of tar, soil and cassis. The medium to full-bodied palate has restrained flavors with a grainy frame, good freshness and an understated finish.
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Wine Spectator
Floral, raspberry, smoky bay leaf, black pepper; lively elegant.
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.