Tablas Creek Esprit de Tablas Blanc 2014

Tablas Creek Vineyard was founded in 1989. Robert Haas of Vineyard Brands and Jean-Pierre Perrin of Château de Beaucastel conceived the project while traveling through California visiting many of the region’s early pioneers in the 1970s. The wine scene in California was very different at the time, with more focus on Burgundian varieties. The Perrin and Haas families were convinced that California’s Mediterranean climate could produce great Rhône-inspired wines, but they would need to find the perfect location to do so—one with high-calcium soils, a long growing season and moderate nighttime temperatures. The search lasted four years, from 1985 to 1989. The Perrins ultimately settled on the western reaches of Paso Robles, just 12 miles from the Pacific Ocean in what is now the Adelaida District.

The 2014 Esprit de Tablas Blanc has an appealing nose of fresh pears, wildflower honey and candied pecan, lifted by a spicy notes of anise and orange blossom. The mouth shows flavors of salted honeydew, honeycrisp apple, and more pear, with floral notes of jasmine and citrus blossom reemerging on the long, clean, spicy finish.  Already delicious, it should also go out 15 years or more and gain additional nuttiness and complexity with time.

Vines imported from the Beaucastel estate. Grown on limestone soils in the hilly Adelaida District of west Paso Robles, chosen for its similarity to Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Organically farmed vineyard. Estate grown and bottled. Fermented in classic style using native yeasts.
Combines the richness, structure and minerality of Roussanne with the spice, acid and green fruit of Grenache Blanc and the floral character and citrusy lift of Picpoul Blanc.

96 points; “marvelously nutty and earthy stuff that still has a long life ahead of it”:

Owen Bargreen (Feb. 2025)

92 points; “Good weight on entry, subtle polished white fruits in the core”:

Purely Domestic Wine Report: (Nov 2017)

93 points; “Deftly combines power and finesse”:

Josh Raynolds, Vinous (Sep. 2016)

91-93 points; “Silky and focused on the palate”:

Vinous (Sep. 2015)

92-94 points; “concentrated and with vibrant acidity”:

Wine Advocate (Aug. 2015)

“big, rich and intense”:

Gang of Pour (Sep. 2016)