Winemaker Notes
A nose of licorice and crushed rock, blackberry, soy, and sweet tobacco. On the palate, black raspberry and mineral flavors with a Syrah-driven pancetta-like meaty note. The finish is deep and long, with bright acids, chalky tannins, and a chaparral-like wild herb note that reverts finally back to the licorice note the wine started with. Complex and lingering.
Pair with grilled meats, pastas with meat sauces, roasted pork loin, beef stews and stir fry.
Blend: 54% Syrah, 29% Grenache, 13% Mourvedre, 3% Counoise, 1% Terret Noir
Professional Ratings
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Wine Spectator
Elegant structure meets a satiny texture in this red, which offers fresh cherry and raspberry flavors laced with cinnamon and red licorice notes before finishing with polished tannins. Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre, Counoise and Terret.
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Decanter
The 2022 Patelin de Tablas is loaded with freshness and savoury flavour. This blend of five Rhône varieties is primarily made up of Syrah and Grenache. The palate shows a real Grenache heavy aromatic of rose petals and fresh red fruits, and Syrah shows itself in a meaty, umami accent. The palate is bright, with ample fruits melding into spice and minerality. Dusty cherry flavours converge into notes of sumac and a stony mineral streak of crushed black stone that carries the elegant finish.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2022 Patelin de Tablas is a blend of 54% Syrah, 29% Grenache, 13% Mourvèdre, 3% Counoise and 1% Terret Noir. It begins with broody scents of tar and underbrush before unfolding to dark berries, dried lavender, tea leaves and spicy tones. The medium-bodied palate is soft and juicy with a long, earthy finish.
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Wine Enthusiast
Longtime winemaker Neil Collins continues to master the tapestry of Rhône varieties that this winery imported and nurtured, including new counterparts like Terret Noir. This nine-vineyard blend, which includes 1% of that grape as well as 54% Syrah, 29% Grenache, 13% Mourvèdre and 3% Counoise, offers aromas of cherry, red flower and light earth on the seamless nose. The palate is chalky in grip and layered in cherry, plum and spicy pepper flavors.
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James Suckling
Raspberries, fresh cherries, redcurrants and bay leaves on the nose follow through to a medium body with finely grained tannins. Suave and playful with bright acidity, crunchy fruit and a fresh, fruity finish. 54% syrah, 29% grenache, 13% mourvedre, 3% counoise and 1% terret noir.
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.