VINsider News & Updates

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Fall 2013 VINsider Shipment

We are excited for the fall 2013 VINsider club shipment, highlighted by the 2011 Esprit and Esprit Blanc. The shipment includes:

  • The Fall 2013 VINsider Club Shipment2 bottles of Esprit de Tablas 2011* (Our flagship red blend, based on Mourvedre, from a powerful, low-yielding vintage; 93 Wine Advocate, 93-95 Rhone Report)
  • 1 bottle of Esprit de Tablas Blanc 2011* (Our flagship white blend, based on Roussanne; 93 Wine Advocate, 92-95 Rhone Report; 92 Tanzer's I.W.C.)
  • 1 bottle of En Gobelet 2011 (Our blend sourced exclusively from dry-farmed, head-trained vineyard blocks; 92+ Wine Advocate, 91-94 Rhone Report)
  • 1 bottle of Viognier 2012 (Our first varietal bottling since 2006 of the northern Rhone's most noble white grape, just 600 cases produced; Galloni: "hugely promising")
  • 1 bottle of Vermentino 2012 (The zesty, mineral-laced bottling of Sardinia's best-known white grape, perfect for summer; 90 Galloni)
  • We have complete tasting and production notes on all the shipment wines on the Tablas Creek blog.

*Curious about the change on our flagship wines from Esprit de Beaucastel to Esprit de Tablas? Read our blog post explaining the name change.

The Fall 2013 shipment shipped out Tuesday, September 17th. Will-call customers are now able to pick up their shipments at the winery. If you have received a notice from us that your information is out of date, you can update your information with our VINsider Update Form, via phone at 805.237.1231 x39, or via email at vinsider@tablascreek.com.

The shipment’s cost of $201.60, plus applicable shipping and taxes, reflects as always a 20% VINsider discount off the retail prices of the wines in the shipment. 

En Primeur Offering of 2012 Esprit and 2012 Panoplie

VINsiders are invited to join Tablas Creek's winemakers for the ninth annual barrel tasting and sale en primeur of Tablas Creek's remarkable red wines from the outstanding 2012 vintage. Offering wine en primeur is a time-honored French tradition most often associated with first-growth Bordeaux estates. In outstanding vintages, valued customers are offered the opportunity to secure a limited quantity of sought-after wines at a special price in advance of bottling and subsequent general release.

On December 7th, all VINsiders are invited to join Tablas Creek's winemakers at one of two sessions (11:00am or 1:30pm) to taste the 2012 Esprit de Beaucastel and 2012 Panoplie, to discuss the vintage, and to enjoy a seasonal dish created to pair with the wines. The $30 cost to attend the event is refundable on any en primeur purchase.

Whether or not they attend the tasting, VINsiders may order futures at the exclusive 30% discount off eventual release price. VINsiders should have received an invitation to the futures tasting and en primeur offering in the mail in early November.  If you missed yours, you can download one here. En primeur orders must be received by Monday, December 9th.

Spring 2014 VINsider Shipment Tasting Party Sunday, April 13th

One benefit of the VINsider Wine Club is the opportunity, after each semi-annual shipment to taste the wines in the shipment, learn what new projects we've been working on, and spend some unhurried time with the Tablas Creek winemakers and management. On Sunday, April 13th we closed the tasting room to the public and dedicated it to our wine club members. VINsiders reserved a specific time slot (10:30am, 12noon, 1:30pm or 3pm) and we took each group through the results of the 2013 harvest, our Biodynamic efforts, and a tasting through the wines in the fall VINsider shipment. We served a small dish to pair with the whites and another with the reds.

Attendees also received a day-of-the-event only extra 5% discount on additional purchases of the wines in the shipment. These shipment tastings are open to VINsider members only (complimentary) and their invited guests (up to 4 guests-$15/person).  Other upcoming events »

VINsider Wine Club Collector’s Edition Full for 2013

Collector’s Edition members have exclusive access to library vintages of Esprit de Beaucastel wines that we have aged in ideal conditions in our own cellars since the 2003 vintage. Members also receive an increased allocation of our newest Esprit wines. Collector's Edition details »

Collector's Edition membership for the 2013 shipment is full.  VINsiders interested in the Collector’s Edition for 2014 should upgrade their membership.  We hope to be able to add members in advance of the fall 2014 shipment, and members will be added to the Collector's Edition in the order in which their requests are received. 

Other Wine Club-Related Information:

Upcoming Events

Futures Tasting and En Primeur Offering
Saturday, December 7th, 2013
Offering wine en primeur is a time-honored French tradition where valued customers are offered the opportunity to secure a limited quantity of sought-after wines at a special price in advance of bottling and general release. On 12/7 VINsiders are invited to join Tablas Creek's winemakers to taste the 2012 Esprit de Tablas and 2012 Panoplie, and all VINsiders may order futures at the exclusive 30% en primeur discount off eventual release price. Event details » More events »

Tablas Creek News

Holiday Gift Packs (Shipping Included)

At Tablas Creek, we want to help you celebrate in style. We have several ways in which you can give the gift of Tablas Creek, including four special holiday gift packs (on which we include no-charge shipping), Tablas Creek gift cards, gift VINsider memberships and more.

On the Tablas Blog

Winterizing the vineyard as we wait and hope for rain

November 28, 2013
All the grapes have been fermented and the wines are resting comfortably in their respective vessels, yet one last series of tasks needs to be completed. We have come to call this winterization, and it has nothing to do with new wiper blades or antifreeze.  More »