- 0 Items
- Subtotal: $0.00
2006 Esprit de Beaucastel
2006 Esprit de Beaucastel Named Wine Spectator’s #50 Wine of 2009
We are thrilled that the 2006 Esprit de Beaucastel made an appearance at #50 on the Wine Spectator’s Top 100 Wines of 2009. We feel it is a gorgeously pure expression of our terroir, and one of our best Esprits yet.
As always, members of the VINsider wine club received early access to this wine in the fall 2008 club shipment. The wine was also available to VINsiders en primeur in the fall of 2007
This wine is available in national distribution as well as through our online wine shop, with shipping included on orders of six bottles or more.
Production Notes
The Tablas Creek Vineyard Esprit de Beaucastel 2006 is a blend of four estate-grown varietals, propagated from budwood cuttings from the Château de Beaucastel estate. The wine is based on the dark red fruit, earth, spice and mid-palate richness of Mourvèdre, with additions of Grenache for forward fruit, approachability and lushness, Syrah for mineral, aromatics, and back-palate tannins, and Counoise for brambly spice and acidity.
The 2006 vintage was a study of contrasts, with a cold, wet start, a very hot early summer, a cool late summer and a warm, beautiful fall. Ample rainfall in late winter gave the grapevines ample groundwater, and produced relatively generous crop sizes. The relatively cool late-season temperatures resulted in a delayed but unhurried harvest, wines with lower than normal alcohols, strong varietal character, and good acids. Syrah began our red harvest starting September 26th, followed by Grenache on October 4th, and Counoise October 24th. Mourvèdre was harvested throughout late October and completed the vintage on November 9th.
The grapes for our Esprit de Beaucastel were grown on our 120-acre certified organic estate vineyard.
The grapes were fermented using native yeasts in open and closed stainless steel fermenters. After pressing, the wines were moved into barrel, blended, and aged in 1200-gallon French oak foudres before being bottled in May 2008. The wine is unfined and unfiltered.
The 2006 Esprit de Beaucastel is delicious and unusually approachable right now, with a complex nose of red plum, ripe cherry, fresh figs and candied orange peel, a velvety, layered palate with spicy plum and cherry fruit, pepper and nutmeg spices, and excellent breadth. The finish shows more mineral, plum, and spice, and a little gentle oak from the foudre aging. It is delicious now, if very young, and should evolve elegantly in bottle for 10-15 years or longer.
Updated tasting notes from a December 2010 vertical tasting can be found on the Tablas Creek blog.
Reviews
- 94 points: The Rhone Report (Dec. 2010)
- "Very juicy and pure": James Molesworth (May 2010)
- #50 Wine of 2009: Wine Spectator (Dec. 2009)
- 92 points: The Rhone Report (Nov. 2009)
- 92 points: Wine Advocate (Aug. 2009)
- 93 points: Wine Spectator (Mar. 2009)
- 93 points: Tanzer's IWC (Nov. 2008)
- 91-93 points: Wine Advocate (Jun. 2008)
[...more recent Tablas Creek press]
Recipe Suggestions
Food Pairings
- Game
- Dark Fowl (i.e., duck)
- Richly flavored stews
- Lamb
- Asian preparation of red meats (i.e., beef stir fry)
Not Available for Purchase
Blend
- 45% Mourvèdre
- 28% Grenache
- 22% Syrah
- 5% Counoise
Technical Notes
- 14.5% alcohol by volume
- 3500 cases produced
Downloads
Upcoming Events
Paso Robles Rhone Rangers Experience 2/19
Join the 40+ members of the Paso Robles Rhone Rangers chapter for a seminar, lunch and tasting on everything Rhone and Paso Robles. Event tickets, including the seminar, lunch and grand tasting are $75, and tickets for the Grand Tasting alone are just $25. Details & More Events »
Tablas Creek News
February Featured Wine: 2009 Tannat
Each month, we feature a wine that we feel is showing particularly well, and offer that wine at a 10% discount. The 2009 Tannat is dark and smoky, rich with fruit yet powerfully structured. The Wine Advocate gave it 90-93 points and called it "absolutely fabulous...with an opulent, full-bodied personality graced with exquisite inner perfume". Read more » or order online »
On the Blog: Mapping out Tablas Creek's future
February 1, 2012
It's been a busy couple of years for us. We expanded our winery, launched the Patelin de Tablas wines, and dove into Biodynamics. But perhaps the biggest investment we've made in the long-term success of Tablas Creek is the purchase of the 150-acre parcel to our south. Read more »