Reviews

Wine Advocate (Aug. 2004)
Wine Anorak (July 2004)
Food & Wine (May 2004)
Wine Enthusiast (Feb. 2004)
Wine Spectator (Feb. 2004)
Decanter (Jan. 2004)
Wine Advocate (Aug. 2003)

How is it drinking?
Vintage Chart

The 2002 Tablas Creek Vineyard Roussanne is Tablas Creek's first national release of its 100% Roussanne, following a highly successful 50 case experiment in 2001. The wine is exuberantly and elegantly Roussanne in character, with honey, honeysuckle, and pear aromatics, a rich, viscous mouthfeel with just a hint of oak, and a long, lingering finish.

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 Roussanne was harvested beginning September 14, and continued through the remainder of September. The last lots were brought into the winery on October 1.

The Roussanne grapes were whole cluster pressed, and fermented using native yeasts half in stainless steel and half in small French oak barrels. The wine was left on its lees for 6 months, and allowed to complete malolactic fermentation. After fermentation the wines were blended, and bottled in April 2003. The wines underwent only a light cold stabilization before bottling.

The 2002 Roussanne is a rich, concentrated expression from the outstanding 2002 vintage, featuring a rich nose of sweet oak, honeysuckle and rose petals, flavors of honey, toast and pear, crisp acids, and a long finish.