Reviews

Saveur (Nov. 2004)
Wine Advocate (Aug. 2004)
Wine Anorak (July 2004)
Wine Enthusiast (Feb. 2004)
Stephen Tanzer (Feb. 2004)
Wine Advocate (Aug. 2003)

How is it drinking?
Vintage Chart

The Tablas Creek Vineyard Côtes de Tablas Blanc is a blend of four estate-grown white Rhône varietals: Viognier, Marsanne, Grenache Blanc, and Roussanne. The wine, like most wines of the Southern Rhône, is a blend of varietals, featuring the aromatics and fruit of the Viognier, the clean minerality of the Marsanne, and the crisp acids and rich mouthfeel of the Grenache Blanc.

The 2002 Côtes de Tablas Blanc is Tablas Creek's first national release of its Viognier-based white blend, made in a rich and aromatic style, yet with a clean minerality in the mouth and a very long finish. Like our Côtes de Tablas red, this wine is designed to be ready to drink young: at its peak from the moment of its release.

The 2002 vintage was wonderfully balanced, with warm days, cool nights, and a long, glorious fall. Low yields (2.5 - 3 tons per acre) produced concentrated flavors, while the dry-farmed vineyard emphasized the mineral character of the limestone soils. The white varietals were harvested roughly simultaneously through the second half of September, beginning with the Viognier on September 12 and concluding October 2 with the last lot of Marsanne.

All varietals for the Côtes de Tablas Blanc were whole cluster pressed, and fermented in stainless steel to emphasize the clean crisp flavors and preserve the aromatics. Only native yeasts were used. After fermentation, the wines were racked and blended, and bottled in April 2003. The wines underwent only a light cold stabilization before bottling.

The 2002 Côtes de Tablas Blanc is an excellent expression of the terrific 2002 vintage, featuring a bright Viognier nose of peaches and minerals, followed in the mouth by flavors of mango, melon and wet rocks, moderate acids and a long peachy finish.