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2008 Roussanne
Production Notes
The 2008 Tablas Creek Vineyard Roussanne is Tablas Creek’s varietal bottling of our most important white grape. The wine is exuberantly and elegantly in character of the Roussanne grape, with honey, honeysuckle, and pear aromatics, a rich, viscous mouthfeel with just a hint of oak, and a long, lingering finish.
We use most of our Roussanne in our Esprit de Beaucastel Blanc each year. However, we often have some Roussanne lots in the cellar that are so powerfully characteristic of the varietal that we feel it would be a shame to lose them in a blend. In these cases, we reserve a small quantity of this Roussanne for a single-varietal bottling.
Our Roussanne grapes were grown on our 120-acre certified organic estate vineyard.
The 2008 vintage was our second consecutive drought year, with yields further reduced by spring frosts. Berries and clusters were small, leading to excellent concentration. Ripening over the summer was gradual and harvest about a week later than normal. Crop sizes were similar to 2007 and about 20% lower than usual. The low yields and gradual ripening resulted in wines with good intensity, lower than normal alcohols and an appealing gentle minerality. The Roussanne was harvested between September 30th and October 24th.
The Roussanne grapes were whole cluster pressed, and fermented using native yeasts half in stainless steel and half in small French oak barrels. The wine was left on its lees for 6 months, and allowed to complete malolactic fermentation. After fermentation the wines were blended, and bottled in September 2009. The wines underwent only a light cold stabilization before bottling.
Tasting Notes
The 2008 Roussanne has an expressive nose of beeswax, lacquered wood, and white flowers, with a powerful spiciness emerging with air. The mouth is juicy yet still restrained, with flavors of peaches and cream. The finish is more mineral, very clean, with almond, pear, honey and chamomile notes.
Reviews
[...more recent Tablas Creek press]
Recipe Suggestions
Food Pairings
- Rich shellfish (lobster and crab)
- Sea Bass
- Mildly spicy foods (curries, gumbo)
- Stir-fries in garlic and olive oil
- Salmon
Not Available for Purchase
Blend
- 100% Roussanne
Technical Notes
- 14.2% Alcohol by Volume
- 500 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.”