2017 Esprit de Tablas Rouge, Tablas Creek

• Style: Southern Rhône Red Blend
• Taste: Smoke, black cherry, violet, cassis, liquorice, peppery red fruit
• Food: Stews & Braises; BBQ & Grilled Dishes; Roast Dinners; Beef & Steak; Game & Venison
• Occasion: Date Night; Gifting; Cellar Worthy
• Serve: 14–16°C, decant 30 mins, drink now through 2024

In the Glass — Tasting Notes

This 2017 vintage opens with wood smoke and wild violet, drawing you into black cherry and cassis depth. The Grenache core delivers peppery red-fruit generosity typical of southern Rhône style, before darker layers of liquorice and chocolate emerge. Mouthcoating tannins and meaty umami give the wine backbone, while bright acidity—tempered by Pacific cooling twelve miles westward—keeps everything graceful. Serious structure without heaviness; powerful yet balanced.

The Winery — Tablas Creek

Tablas Creek was founded in 1987 by the Perrin family, whose Château de Beaucastel anchors French Rhône tradition, alongside the Haas family of Vineyard Brands. Recognising that Paso Robles' Mediterranean climate suited Rhône varieties perfectly, they planted cuttings imported directly from Beaucastel's own vineyard in 1989. The estate has been certified organic since 2003 and biodynamic since 2017—then became the first winery to achieve Regenerative Organic Certification in 2020. The 2017 vintage proved exceptional: after drought years, early, deep rains triggered a healthy canopy the vineyard hadn't seen in years. Summer heat accelerated ripening while bright acidity remained—concentration married to freshness. Hand-harvested in multiple passes, fermented with native yeasts, and aged in large French oak foudres for a year before bottling, this blend lets fruit speak without oak dominance.

At Your Table — Food Pairing & Serving

This blend's savory depth and tannin weight make it the thinking drinker's choice for roasted duck, braised short ribs and proper beef stew with mushrooms. It shines alongside grilled lamb, charcuterie and strongly flavoured cheeses, while the meaty character catches spiced or chile-forward dishes beautifully. Drink now through 2024, though the wine will reward patience in the glass. Serve at 14–16°C with a 30-minute decant. Exploring our broader Mourvèdre selection and Paso Robles region reveals how this estate leads California's classical takes on Rhône blending. Among the finest examples in our United States collection.