 |
||||
 |
 |
|
|
|
 |
||||
|
TECHNICAL NOTES
Printable Brand Sheet44% Mourvèdre 29% Grenache 21% Syrah 6% Counoise 14.5% alcohol by volume 4000 cases produced
FOOD PAIRINGS
RECIPE SUGGESTIONS
Printable Restaurant/Shelf Talker
REVIEWS How is it drinking? Vintage Chart
|
The Tablas Creek Vineyard Esprit de Beaucastel 2007 is a blend of four estate-grown varietals, propagated from budwood cuttings from the Château de Beaucastel estate. The wine is based on the dark red fruit, earth, spice and mid-palate richness of Mourvedre, with additions of Grenache for forward fruit, approachability and lushness, Syrah for mineral, aromatics, and back-palate tannins, and Counoise for brambly spice and acidity. The 2007 vintage was the best vintage we've yet seen at Tablas Creek. Yields were very low (down between 15% and 30%, depending on variety) due to a cold and very dry winter, which produced small berries and small clusters. A moderate summer without any significant heat spikes followed, allowing gradual ripening, and producing red wines with tremendous intensity, excellent freshness and a lushness to the fruit which cloaks tannins that should allow the wines to age gracefully. Syrah began the harvest of our reds between September 5th and October 3rd, followed by Grenache between September 25th and October 22nd, the Counoise between October 11th and 30th and the Mourvedre throughout October and completing the harvest on October 30th. As with all our wines, the grapes for our Esprit de Beaucastel were grown on our 120-acre certified organic estate vineyard. The grapes were fermented using native yeasts in open and closed stainless steel fermenters. After pressing, the wines were moved into barrel, blended, and aged in 1200-gallon French oak foudres before being bottled in July 2009. The wine is unfined and unfiltered. The 2007 Esprit de Beaucastel is delicious and unusually approachable right now, with a complex nose of red plum, ripe cherry, fresh figs and candied orange peel, a velvety, layered palate with spicy plum and cherry fruit, pepper and nutmeg spices, and excellent breadth. The finish shows more mineral, plum, and spice, and a little gentle oak from the foudre aging. It is delicious now, if very young, and should evolve elegantly in bottle for 10-15 years or longer. Updated tasting notes from a May 2009 vertical tasting can be found on the Tablas Creek blog.
|
