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2010 Cabernet Sauvignon
Production Notes
The Tablas Creek Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 is Tablas Creek's first varietal bottling of this renowned grape, famous for the wines in makes in Bordeaux and many regions around the New World.
After importing our Châteauneuf du Pape clones, we brought in selections of a few other high quality (non-Rhone) clones as part of an effort to expand our nursery business. Although we eventually decided that our nursery should remain focused solely on the Rhone grape varieties we grow, we had already planted a few small increase blocks of these other grapes. The Cabernet Sauvignon we've harvested has in past years been co-fermented with our Tannat (a traditional partner in the Basque country where it is from) but in 2010 we were so taken with our Cabernet that we kept separate the four barrels we had and bottled 88 cases.
Our Cabernet Sauvignon grapes are 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. Warm, sunny weather between mid-October and mid-November allowed the later-ripening varieties to reach full maturity. The long hangtime and cool temperatures combined to produce fruit with intense flavors and dark color at low alcohol levels. Our tiny block of Cabernet was harvested on October 20th.
The grapes were fermented in a one-ton microfermenter using native yeasts. After pressing, the wine was moved into four 60-gallon barrels: two new American oak barrels and two three-year-old French oak barrels, for a balance of oak characteristics and elegance. The wines stayed on their lees, stirred occasionally, for a year and a half before they were blended and bottled in May 2012.
Tasting Notes
The 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon has a classic Cabernet nose of eucalyptus, sour cherry, sawdust, wood spice and green peppercorns. The mouth is richer than the nose suggests, with plum, juniper, clove and allspice notes, and a very long finish that vibrates between sweet fruit, firm tannins and spice. We suggest a short-term rest in the cellar, and expect the wine to drink well for the next two decades.
Reviews
Recipe Suggestions
Food Pairings
- Game
- Dark Fowl (i.e., duck)
- Richly flavored stews
- Lamb
- Pasta puttanesca
- Asian preparation of red meats (i.e., beef stir fry)
Blend
- 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Technical Notes
- 13.5% Alcohol by Volume
- 100 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 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 »