2010 Marsanne

Production Notes

The 2010 Tablas Creek Vineyard Marsanne is Tablas Creek’s first varietal bottling of Marsanne, the noble white grape of France’s Hermitage appellation. We use most of our Marsanne in our Côtes de Tablas Blanc each year. However, in 2010 we felt that the Marsanne was so complete and compelling, and so representative of the Marsanne grape, that we selected out several lots for a single-varietal bottling.

The grapes for our 2010 Marsanne were grown on our 120-acre certified organic estate vineyard.

The 2010 vintage saw healthy rainfall after three years of drought. The ample early-season groundwater and a lack of spring frosts produced a good fruit set. A very cool summer delayed ripening by roughly three weeks, with harvest not beginning until mid-September and still less than half complete in mid-October. The long hangtime and cool temperatures combined to produce fruit with intense flavors at low alcohol levels. Both of our Marsanne blocks were harvested on October 4th.

The Marsanne was whole cluster pressed, and fermented in stainless steel to emphasize its clean crisp flavors and preserve its aromatics. Only native yeasts were used. After fermentation, the wine was racked and blended, and bottled in June 2011. The wine underwent only a light cold stabilization before bottling.

Tasting Notes

The 2010 Marsanne shows a minty, spicy, citrus blossom and honeyed nose, with flavors of saline, nectarine and mineral, a creamy mid-weight texture and a long, clean, limestone-enriched finish. Drink it over the next five years.

Reviews

[...more recent Tablas Creek press]

Recipe Suggestions

[...more recipes]

Food Pairings

  • Mussels Marinière
  • Green salads with avocado and citrus dressing
  • Scallops
  • Light-fleshed fish (halibut, sole) with tropical salsa
Marsanne

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Blend

  • 100% Marsanne

Technical Notes

  • 13.0% Alcohol by Volume
  • 525 Cases Produced

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