Wine Advocate (Aug. 2004)

Las Tablas Estates wines are single-vineyard expressions of the characteristic varietals of the Southern Rhône. All the estates are planted with cuttings from vines imported from Château de Beaucastel by Tablas Creek Vineyard. These estate wines use the palette of Châteauneuf du Pape to show character of place. All Las Tablas Estates wines are fermented using only indigenous yeasts, vinified, blended, and bottled at Tablas Creek.

Glenrose Vineyard, in west Paso Robles, California, is over 2000 feet in elevation, and planted on very chalky, steep and deeply terraced soils. These conditions stress the vines, which average only about 2 tons yield per acre. The resulting wines are intense and flavorful, with excellent minerality and great propensity for ageing.

The 2002 vintage was wonderfully balanced, with warm days, cool nights, and a long, glorious fall. The Glenrose Vineyard harvest began with Syrah on September 13th, continued with Grenache and Counoise on September 17th, and concluded with the Mourvedre at the very end of September and beginning of October. The last lot of Mourvedre was brought into the winery on October 10th.

This Las Tablas Estates Glenrose Vineyard 2002 has a deep red color, displays copious aromas of ripe cherries and raspberries, leather and peppery spice. In the mouth, it displays tremendous intensity, minerality, and depth, with a velvety feel on the palate and a long and elegant finish.