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2003 Esprit de Beaucastel Blanc
Production Notes
The Tablas Creek Vineyard Esprit de Beaucastel Blanc 2003 is a blend of three estate-grown varietals, propagated from budwood cuttings from the Château de Beaucastel estate.
The 2003 vintage was tremendous: warm and sunny, with cool nights that prolonged the hangtime of the grapes and led to wines with excellent acidity. A relatively early flowering, combined with a warm but not overly hot summer produced unusually long hangtime, and grapes with concentrated flavors and a distinct minerality. The extended harvest meant that we harvested varietals multiple times: Grenache Blanc between September 16th and October 22nd, Viognier between September 18th and October 6th, and Roussanne (usually the latest-ripening white varietal) between September 24th and October 25th.
The fruit was whole cluster pressed, and fermented with native yeasts. The Roussanne was fermented half in stainless steel fermenters and half in small oak “pieces”, while the other varietals were fermented 100% in stainless steel. All the wines went through malolactic fermentation. The varietals were blended in late April, after which the wines were racked, blended, cold stabilized, and bottled in June 2004.
The 2003 Esprit de Beaucastel Blanc is a tremendous expression of the outstanding 2003 vintage. Rich aromas of honeysuckle, lemon drop, meringue and spice are followed by intense flavors of honey, caramel apple and lemon, and a long mineral finish. Best served slightly chilled, but not ice cold.
Updated tasting notes from a July 2011 vertical tasting can be found on the Tablas Creek blog.
Reviews
- 94 points; "remarkable freshness and purity": The Rhone Report (Jun. 2012)
- "#11 Wine of 2005": Wine Enthusiast (Dec. 2005)
- 91 points; "Soars from the glass": Wine Advocate (June 2005)
- 5 stars: Restaurant Wine (Jun. 2005)
- 95 points; "Enormous complexity and charm": Wine Enthusiast (Jan. 2005)
- 90+ points: Stephen Tanzer (Jan. 2005)
- 90-92+ points: Wine Advocate (Aug. 2004)
[...more recent Tablas Creek press]
Recipe Suggestions
Food Pairings
- Cooked shellfish (lobster, softshell crab, shrimp)
- Roasted or grilled vegetables (eggplant, asparagus, peppers)
- Foods cooked with garlic and olive oil
- Rich fish dishes (i.e., salmon, swordfish)
- Asian stir fry
Not Available for Purchase
Blend
- 68% Roussanne
- 27% Grenache Blanc
- 5% Viognier
Technical Notes
- 14.5% alcohol by volume
- 1350 cases produced
Downloads
Upcoming Events
Real Men Drink Pink, June 23rd
Join us, along with a dozen Paso Robles rosé producers for the ultimate summer wine revel! Held at Star Farms in San Miguel, complete with a half-acre blue lagoon pool, white sandy beaches and tropical palm trees, the afternoon begins with a rosé Grand Tasting and continues with great live music and revelry. Proceeds benefit the Cancer Support Community. Details & more events »
Tablas Creek News
Featured Wine for May: 2011 Cotes de Tablas Blanc
In May, we're featuring our 2011 Cotes de Tablas Blanc at a 10% discount. In 2011, our Viognier crop was cut by 80% due to spring frost, leaving a tiny, intense yield of less than one-half a ton per acre. The resulting wine is rich and tropical, with stone fruits and honey, but at the same time firmly dry, with a very long, saline & mineral finish. Details »
On the Blog: Tablas Creek is a finalist for Best Winery Blog
May 20, 2013
We are proud to have been named a finalist for "Best Winery Blog" at the 2013 Wine Blog Awards. This is the sixth consecutive year we've been finalists, and we've taken home the trophy twice, in 2008 and 2011. We'd love to make the 2013 awards a three-peat, and look back at nine favorite posts of the last year. More »