2001 Esprit de Beaucastel Blanc

The first vintage for the cuvée (they release a single white before this), the 2001 Esprit de Tablas Blanc is a unique blend of 44% Roussanne, 22% Viognier, 18% Grenache Blanc, and the rest Marsanne, brought up in foudre. I would never think to age Viognier this long, but as I said, the whites from this estate always baffle me with their longevity. This too has rocking levels of minerality, sensational notes of white flowers, orange blossoms, and tangerines, medium to full body, and building richness and depth. It’s unquestionably fully mature, yet it’s still pure and balanced, with perfectly integrated acidity, all pointing to it continuing to evolve gracefully. Hats off to the team at Tablas Creek for making such an impressive, age-worthy white. This was another terrific tasting with Jason Haas, and he and his team at Tablas Creek continue to make elegant, classic, balanced wines from their estate in the northwestern part of Paso Robles. It’s worth noting that since 2008 they’ve favored cooler temperatures during fermentation and this shows in their wines’ purity and freshness. However, in my opinion, the wines today lack some of the depth and intensity found in previous vintages. Nevertheless, these are beautiful wine that age incredibly well.

The 2001 Esprit de Beaucastel Blanc was the debut vintage of this cuvée, and it's still drinking well, offering up a mature bouquet of frangipane, drawn butter, preserved lemon and subtle bay leaf. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied, pure and stony, with a chalky, dry finish. It's in no danger of imminent decline!

(44% roussanne, 22% viognier, 18% grenache and 16% marsanne) Pale gold color. Nose like a livelier version of the 2002 Cotes de Tablas, with good minty lift. Dense, chewy, fat and very dry, but showing less fruit flavor than the 2002 Cotes de Tablas. Large-scaled yet elegant blend, finishing with subtle hints of orange oil and almond. These wines are far more French than Californian in style, leaving me to wonder what the local Southern California market makes of them.