2008 Syrah

Production Notes

The 2008 Tablas Creek Vineyard Syrah is Tablas Creek’s seventh bottling of this classic Rhone varietal. The wine displays the character of the Syrah grape exuberantly and elegantly, with classic flavors of bacon fat, wood smoke, blackberry and mineral, and should reward time in bottle to mature.

We use most of our Syrah as a part of our Esprit de Beaucastel and Côtes de Tablas blends each year. However, we believe that Paso Robles is one of the world's great environments for Syrah, and in favorable vintages we try to reserve some particularly classic barrels of Syrah for a single-varietal bottling.

The 2008 vintage was our second consecutive drought vintage, with low yields, cool-climate characteristics, and a persistent elegance across both whites and reds. A late spring and moderate summer combined with beautiful harvest weather to produce gradual ripening and red wines that were unusually fresh and approachable despite appealing lushness. Syrah began the harvest of our reds on September 9th and harvest continued over the next month. Our last Syrah lot was harvested October 7th.

The grapes for our 2008 Syrah grapes were grown on our 120-acre certified organic estate vineyard.

The Syrah grapes were destemmed and then fermented using native yeasts in small open-top stainless steel tanks. After two weeks, they were pressed, and moved to a balance of new and old French oak barrels to complete their fermentation. The wine was assembled in August of 2009 and aged for nearly another year in a 1200-gallon foudre before being bottled in May 2010.

Tasting Notes

The 2008 Syrah is translucent blue-black in color, with a nose of sweet oak, black fruit and mint. The flavors are consistent with the nose, with surprising acidity that should give the wine a long, graceful evolution. Think tart blackberries, with an appealing brambly component. The finish turns creamier, the hint of oak returning. Hold for 6 months or more, and then drink for another fifteen.

Reviews

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Recipe Suggestions

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Food Pairings

  • Grilled steaks
  • Lamb
  • Cassoulet
  • Spicy sausages
Syrah

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Blend

  • 100% Syrah

Technical Notes

  • 14.5% Alcohol by Volume
  • 476 Cases Produced

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