- 0 Items
- Subtotal: $0.00
2006 Esprit de Beaucastel Blanc
Production Notes
The Tablas Creek Vineyard Esprit de Beaucastel Blanc 2006 is a blend of three estate-grown varietals, propagated from budwood cuttings from the Château de Beaucastel estate.
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. Viognier began the harvest starting September 15th, followed by Roussanne and Grenache Blanc beginning September 27th, and Marsanne starting October 4th.
The grapes for our Esprit de Beaucastel Blanc were grown on our 120-acre certified organic estate vineyard.
The fruit was whole cluster pressed, and fermented with native yeasts. The Roussanne was fermented half in stainless steel fermenters and half in small oak "pieces", while the other varietals were fermented 100% in stainless steel. All the wines went through malolactic fermentation. The varietals were blended in May, after which the wines were racked, blended, cold stabilized, and bottled in July 2007.
The 2006 Esprit de Beaucastel Blanc is a vibrant expression of the terroir of Tablas Creek. It shows aromas of honeysuckle, mint, lemon peel and spice, with rich Roussanne flavors of honey, rose petals and pear, a distinctive saline minerality from the limestone soils, balanced acidity and great length. It should drink well when young but will also reward time in bottle; we expect it to show beautifully for at least the next 8-10 years.
Updated tasting notes from a July 2011 vertical tasting can be found on the Tablas Creek blog.
Reviews
Read reviews on our Esprit de Beaucastel Blanc 2006:
- "100 best wines of 2008": Wine & Spirits (Winter 08)
- 92 points: Patrick Comiskey, Wine Review Online (Sep. 2008)
- 91 points: Wine Advocate (Jun. 2008)
- Int'l Wine Review (June 2008)
- 93 points: Wine&Spirits (June 2008)
- "Lovely acidity, length, and balance": S.F. Chronicle (Mar. 2008)
- 9/10: Vinography.com (Jan. 2008)
- 92 points: Tanzer's IWC (Nov. 2007)
- 92-95 points: Wine Advocate (Aug. 2007)
[...more recent Tablas Creek press]
Recipe Suggestions
Food Pairings
- Cooked shellfish (lobster, softshell crab, shrimp)
- Roasted or grilled vegetables (eggplant, asparagus, peppers)
- Foods cooked with garlic and olive oil
- Rich fish dishes (i.e., salmon, swordfish)
- Asian stir fry
Not Available for Purchase
Blend
- 65% Roussanne
- 30% Grenache Blanc
- 5% Picpoul Blanc
Technical Notes
- 13.5% alcohol by volume
- 1800 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 »