Ambitious Paso Robles Weekend Part 7
THE STORY
Today marks the last day of our hot, hot weekend in Paso Robles. Did I mention hot? It had been over 100 degrees on our entire trip, but until now, we had been indoors. Today’s tasting was set in a lovely, terraced garden at Tablas Creek Vineyard. The outdoors tasting area was beautiful, with ample shade and even misters, if needed. We were there in the morning, so it was just lovely. We decided to share tastings to try both the summer and red flights. It was a lot!
We were provided a history of the vineyard and launched into the wines. They were delivered to our table with those handy wire carriers, which meant I did not get photos of the bottles.
You can read my only other post about Tablas Creek here: Tablas Creek: “Bringing the Rhône to Paso Robles”.
THE WINERY
“Tablas Creek is the realization of the combined efforts of two of the international wine community’s leading families: the Perrin family, proprietors of Château de Beaucastel, and the Haas family of Vineyard Brands. Equally owned and run by the two families, the partnership begun in 1987 remains today as ever, even as the next generation of Haas’ and Perrins have stepped into leadership roles over recent decades.”
You can read so much more here about Tablas Creek’s fascinating history and Robert Haas’ role as one of the visionaries and pioneers of bringing Rhône varietals to Paso Robles.
THE WINE
I have 11 wines (yikes!) to present to you today from Tablas Creek. Winery notes come from their website or tasting room, unless otherwise indicated. As a general rule, I do not correct typos on winery websites. Any errors are mine and mine alone.
2024 Tablas Creek Grenache Blanc, Adelaida District, Paso Robles, 13.5% ABV, $40 (#1640)
Winery Notes: “A pretty pithy nose, lightly tropical, with notes of cumquat and anise. The mouth is richly textured, but with great acids and flavors of caramel apple, salty minerals, and a little bite of green apple skin tannin on the finish. Classic Grenache Blanc, both charming and substantial.” 92 points – James Suckling
My Review: Medium yellow in color. Pear, grilled pineapple, and butter on the nose. Balance of acidity and minerality on the flavorful palate with a lingering finish. August 2025
2024 Tablas Creek Marsanne, Adelaida District, Paso Robles, 12.5% ABV, $45 (#1641)
Winery Notes: “A pretty nose of cantaloupe, ginger, lemon meringue pie, and bubblegum. The mouth is lovely and gentle, with flavors of vanilla custard, ripe pear, salty rocks and baked golden delicious apple. The finish is lightly minty, with lingering flavors of apricot and crushed rock.” 93 points – Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate
My Review: Medium golden in the glass. Viscous with Apricot and honeysuckle on the nose. Medium palate of banana, melon, and lemon acidity. August 2025
2022 Tablas Creek Esprit de Tablas Blanc, Adelaida District, Paso Robles AVA, 12.5% ABV, $60 (#1642)
Winery Notes: “A powerful nose of lanolin and honeycomb, lemongrass and orange blossom, like the world’s most luxurious antique furniture polish. The palate is lively, rich but still light on its feet, with flavors of vanilla custard, fresh apricot, citrus pith, marmalade, and green herbs. The finish leaves lingering notes of grilled pineapple and green herbs. Drink now to enjoy its freshness or let it age for up to two decades for deeper flavors of caramel and roasted nuts.” 95 points – James Suckling
My Review: Big nose of banana and melon and caramel. Tasty palate of banana and lemon custard finish. Mouth filling. Very soft and rich. Flavorful. My favorite of the whites. August 2025
2024 Tablas Creek Patelin de Tablas Rosé, Paso Robles, 13.5% ABV, $30 (#1643) 68% Grenache Noir, 28% Mourvèdre, 3% Vermentino, 1% Counoise
Winery Notes: “A pretty pale peach color. On the nose, expansive aromatics of peach, citrus blossom, crushed rock, and tarragon. The mouth is electric, with flavors of nectarine, watermelon rind, petrichor, and sweet spice. The wine has great tension, walking the line between an opulent nose and a fully dry palate with a vibrant line of acidity keeping your mouth watering through a long finish.” 93 points – Decanter
My Review: Pretty pale pink in the glass. Some sweetness balanced by lemon on the nose. Some jamminess on the palate wrapping with minerality and tannin to make this rose super interesting. August 2025
2023 Tablas Creek Counoise, Adelaida District, Paso Robles, 12.5% ABV, $40 (#1644)
Winery Notes: “A vibrant garnet color, a shade darker than recent years. The nose shows brambly raspberry fruit with additional notes of rose hips, red licorice, and cola. The mouth is classic, with flavors of cranberry, cocoa powder, and wild strawberry, complete with fruit, leaves, and flowers. The long finish showcases a little burst of dusty tannins and leaves impressions of red fruit and flinty minerality. Enjoy it lightly chilled any time in the next four to six years.” 92 points – Vinous
My Review: Pale garnet. Chill like a white and serve. Pepper on the nose. A medium palate with a tannic peppery finish. August 2025
2024 Tablas Creek Alouette Grenache, Adelaida District, Paso Robles, 14.5% ABV, $35 (#1645)
Winery Notes: “An appealingly juicy nose of wild strawberry and yellow roses, with a little minty lift. On the palate, like strawberry candy, but dry, with additional flavors of watermelon and sweet green herbs. Light-to-medium-bodied, with just a hint of tannin and refreshing acidity. It is delicious chilled.”
My Review: Pale translucent garnet, almost pink. Ripe strawberry on the nose, carrying over to the palate.
2023 Tablas Creek Grenache, Adelaida District, Paso Robles, 14.5% ABV, $45 (#1646)
Winery Notes: “A pretty nose of red licorice, coffee bean, berry cobbler, black pepper, and soy, quite a bit deeper (and darker) than our 2022. On the palate, flavors of black cherry, baker’s chocolate, plum skin, and bramble thicket. The finish shows mouth-coating texture and some fairly substantial Grenache front-palate tannins, with lingering notes of red fruit and licorice.” 94 points – Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate and James Suckling
My Review: Translucent tending toward pink in the glass. raspberry and peppermint the nose. A light style but tasty for a Grenache. August 2025
2023 Tablas Creek Côtes de Tablas, Adelaida District, Paso Robles, 13.5% ABV, $40 (#1647) 66% Grenache Noir, 18% Syrah, 8% Counoise, 8% Mourvèdre
Winery Notes: “An expressive nose with both red fruit and darker elements, like raspberries rolled in cocoa powder, with additional notes of fresh fig, herbes de Provence, and a floral violet note. The mouth is pretty and has an appealing wildness, like salted wild strawberries, complete with the leaves, mint chocolate, clove, and a little loamy earth. The finish is gentler than the varietal Grenache at this stage, with refined tannins and a long, elegant finish.” 94 points – James Suckling
My Review: Red to pink in the glass. A slightly sweet nose. Leaves a sour finish in my palate. August 2025
2023 Tablas Creek En Gobelet, Adelaida District, Paso Robles, 14.5% ABV, $52 (#1648) 49% Grenache Noir, 31% Mourvèdre, 14% Syrah, 3% Counoise, 3% Tannat
Winery Notes: “A vibrant nose of cherry fruit leather, flourless chocolate cake, black licorice, and rose petals. The palate is luscious, with flavors of cassis and dark chocolate, teriyaki and blackberry. The finish shows chalky tannins, graphite-like minerality, and a lingering impression of salted plum skin.” 95 points – Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate
My Review: Rich, nice nose. A drinkable, smooth red. Sorry for the skimpy notes. I liked this wine. August 2025
2022 Tablas Creek Esprit de Tablas, Adelaida District, Paso Robles, 13.5% ABV, $70 (#1649) 40% Mourvèdre, 28% Grenache Noir, 22% Syrah, 4% Vaccarese, 3% Counoise, 3% Cinsault
Winery Notes: “A serious nose of pipe tobacco, both red and black currant, licorice, and a little minty lift. The mouth is on point with flavors of black raspberry, mint chocolate, meat drippings, and loamy earth. Deep and full but structured as well, with fine-grained tannins and a finish of sweet spice and dark red fruit.” 95 points – Wine Enthusiast
My Review: Raspberry and black cherry on the nose. Dark cherry on the smooth palate. Quite drinkable and delicious. Now we are getting to the style of wines I prefer. August 2025
2017 Tablas Creek Esprit de Tablas, Adelaida District, Paso Robles, 14.5% ABV, $85 (#1650) 40% Mourvèdre, 35% Grenache Noir, 20% Syrah, 5% Counoise
Winery Notes: “A cool wintergreen minty note sets off deeper smoked meat, redcurrant, mocha, and juniper aromas. The mouth shows Grenache’s sweet fruit and licorice on that attack, then deepens into notes of black cherry, chocolate, and a chorizo-like meatiness, all with tremendous mouth-coating texture. The long finish, with lingering flavors of wood smoke, roasted meat, plum skin and crushed rock, hints at more rewards to come with cellar aging.” 95 points – Vinous
My Review: Garnet in the glass. Richer and darker than the rest. Shows the potential of the tastiness. I took one home. Clearly, my favorite wine of the tasting. August 2025
THE TASTING ROOM
“We are pleased to offer seated flight tastings for all our guests. Whether you choose a private table outside or a seat at one of our tasting bars inside, you will have a choice of flights and your own dedicated space for the duration of your tasting. General tastings are $25 per person, free for wine club members, and each fee is waived per 2-bottle purchase…” Get all the info and make a reservation here!
If you make it there, tell them Decanting Monterey sent you!
© Decanting Monterey 2025
*FOLLOW ME ON Instagram, Facebook, and CELLAR TRACKER: Central Coast Sharon
Recent Comments