2010 Antithesis Chardonnay

Production Notes

The 2010 Tablas Creek Vineyard Antithesis Chardonnay is Tablas Creek’s eleventh bottling of this traditional Burgundian varietal. In the early 1990s, we imported all our Rhône varietal cuttings from France. At the same time, at the request of a Sonoma winery, we imported the highly regarded small-berry, low-vigor Chardonnay clone named “La Vineuse” and planted 1.5 acres to produce a small amount of bud wood for sale. In 2000, we got our first small crop of Chardonnay.

After tasting the grapes, we thought them so compelling that we made the Antithesis Chardonnay our first non-Rhône bottling, as well as our first single-varietal wine. We have continued to produce a small amount each year since.

Our Chardonnay grapes were grown on our 120-acre certified organic estate vineyard.

Chardonnay thrives in our chalky clay soils (much like those of Burgundy), and the cool nights in Paso Robles serve to balance the warm, sunny days. We chose a terraced north-east facing block above our grapevine nursery for the Chardonnay.

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. The Chardonnay was harvested in one day on September 29th -- the latest Chardonnay harvest ever at Tablas Creek.

The Chardonnay grapes were whole cluster pressed, and fermented using native yeasts in a mix of neutral oak and stainless steel barrels to preserve the wine’s varietal and mineral character. The wine went through full malolactic fermentation in barrel. It was bottled in July 2011.

Tasting Notes

The 2010 Antithesis shows a creamy, minerally nose, but there are sweeter aromas of creme patisseur and custard too. The mouth is lush but firmly dry, with supple texture and a generous mid-palate. The flavors are classic Chardonnay, edging slightly tropical with pineapple and toasted bread, then finishing with a briny mineral note.  Drink now and for the next five years.

Reviews

[...more recent Tablas Creek press]

Recipe Suggestions

[...more recipes]

Food Pairings

  • Chicken in cream sauce
  • Light-fleshed fish
  • Baked scallops
  • Lobster with butter sauce
Antithesis Chardonnay

Not Available for Purchase

Blend

  • 100% Chardonnay

Technical Notes

  • 13.5% Alcohol by Volume
  • 800 cases produced

Downloads

Share
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 »