Mon 26 Mar 2012
Wine of the Week
Posted by Fredric Koeppel under California , Grenache blanc , Paso Robles , Roussanne , Viognier , Wine of the Week[2] Comments
The Tablas Creek Patelin de Tablas Blanc 2010, Paso Robles, isn’t just a well-made rendition of a southern Rhone Valley white wine; it’s 
better than about 75 percent of the examples from the region. A blend of 50 percent grenache blanc grapes, 33 percent viognier, 10 percent roussanne and 7 percent marsanne and made all in stainless steel, Tablas Creek Patelin de Tablas Blanc 2010 is a pale straw-gold color; provocative aromas of roasted lemon, lime peel, dried thyme, ginger and quince are highlighted by a winsome note of honeysuckle. Flavors of lemon and spiced baked grapefruit generously open to hints of crystallized pear and Bit o’ Honey, though the wine is as bone dry as bright acidity and a burgeoning limestone element can make it; the complete effect is spare, supple, almost sinewy and yet juicy and savory, sleek and stylish. I bought this bottle at a local store, and we drank the wine last night with Vinegar-Braised Chicken with Leeks and Peas, a fantastic match; it would be great for serving as an aperitif through the Spring and Summer and with grilled fish or chicken. 13.5 percent alcohol. Tablas Creek is a collaboration between the Perrin family of Chateauneuf-du-Pape’s Chateau de Beaucastel and Robert Haas, owner of their American importer Vineyard Brands. Executive winemaker is Neil Collins; winemaker is Ryan Hebert. Excellent. About $20 (though I paid $22).
March 26th, 2012 at 10:24 pm
Thank you, Fredric! The Patelin de Tablas wines have been a great chance for us to bring the world of California Rhones to a broader audience. I’m guessing you haven’t seen much in the way of other Tablas Creek wines in your neighborhood recently, which highlights one of our challenges: as the yields from our own vineyard ebb and flow thanks to cycles of drought and wet, frost and not-frost, it’s been very hard to keep our estate wines in sufficient production to get them around the country.
Enter the Patelin wines: some of our own fruit (more in years when we have ample production, less in years of scarcity) but principally from other vineyards near us planted with our cuttings.
That’s what Patelin means: French slang for “neighborhood”, more or less.
I’m happy you found (and liked) it.
Hope all is well,
-Jason
March 27th, 2012 at 9:12 pm
I was at Tablas this past January & tasted this wine. It’s lovely. I do, however, remember vaguely thinking that quite a few 2010 white Rhone blends were quite good.
I adore Tablas Creek. I have an 06 Tannat & the most recent vintage they’re selling at the winery – whatever that is. I believe we also picked up a rose’. I’m afraid to take any rose’ from our trip out of the box for fear that we’ll drink it too quickly. We don’t get the Tablas rose’ here in St. Louis, so it’s a real treat for us to have some.