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2009 Tannat
Production Notes
The 2009 Tablas Creek Vineyard Tannat is Tablas Creek’s eighth bottling of this traditional varietal from South-West France, known principally in the Pyrenees foothills appellation of Madiran, but originally native to the Basque region. The Tannat grape has intense fruit, spice, and tannins that produce wines capable of long aging, and it is traditionally blended with Cabernet Sauvignon or Cabernet Franc.
When we imported our Châteauneuf du Pape clones, the Perrins’ French nurseryman included the Tannat because he believed it would thrive in the rocky limestone soils of Paso Robles. We have planted just under an acre of Tannat, and it has indeed thrived here.
Our Tannat grapes are grown on our 120-acre certified organic estate vineyard.
The 2009 vintage was our third consecutive drought year, with yields further reduced by April frosts. Berries and clusters were small, with excellent concentration. Ripening over the summer was gradual and our harvest largely complete except for about half our Mourvèdre at the time of a major rainstorm on October 13th. Crop sizes were 15% smaller than 2008 and 30% lower than usual. The low yields and gradual ripening resulted in wines with an appealing lushness, rich texture and wonderful chalky tannins. Our Tannat was harvested between October 14th and 18th.
The Tannat grapes were destemmed and fermented using native yeasts. The wine was then moved to small barrels where they were aged for 18 months. The wine was bottled in May of 2011.
Tasting Notes
The 2009 Tannat shows a dense purple-black color and has a nose of blue and black fruit, mineral, smoke, game herbs (sage and juniper), and spice. The rich palate has flavors of black cherry, smoked meat, and bittersweet chocolate with big but ripe tannins and a long, smoky, generous finish. We believe that it will drink well for a decade or more.
Reviews
[...more recent Tablas Creek press]
Recipe Suggestions
Food Pairings
- Game stews
- Pepper steak
- Szechuan beef
- Duck breast
Not Available for Purchase
Blend
- 90% Tannat
- 10% Cabernet
Technical Notes
- 14.5% Alcohol by Volume
- 250 Cases Produced
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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 June: 2012 Vermentino
In June, we're featuring our 2012 Vermentino at a 10% discount. Vermentino is a classic Mediterranean grape best known in Sardinia and Liguria, where it produces fresh, dry, citrusy wines that taste of the sea the vineyards overlook. Here, we think 2012 made our best Vermentino yet, perfect for the summer's fresh meals. Details »
On the Blog: The Pleasure of Discovered Bottles
June 17, 2013
By Robert Haas. Sometimes even forgotten bottles of white wines turn out to be a revelation. Such was the case at a gathering with friends Mel and Ynez Kaplan at their house in Charlotte, VT last Saturday. Mel Kaplan brought out a couple of bottles of Tablas Creek Clos Blanc 2000. He asked whether I thought that it would still be good. Mel has an underground cellar there so I said, “Let’s give it a try.”