The VINformer Vol. 7, No. 4 December 2008 Harvest Report Recent Press Despite late spring frosts, shatter during fl owering, weeks of smoky weather from Mon- Tablas Creek has been the recipient of terey County forest fi res, a heat spike in August, an unusual early October freeze, and quite a bit of positive press in the past rain at the end of October, we are encouraged by the wines in the cellar, and are surpris- few months. Robert Parker, in his annual ingly positive about the vintage’s prospects. Th e 2008 harvest, completed on October review of California Rhone wines in the 30, was more challenging than most. Our yields were well below average, but slightly June 2008 Wine Advocate, gave Tablas higher than in 2007, as higher yields on most white varietals balanced declines in most Creek great reviews: 92-94 for the 2007 red varietals. We brought in a total of 262 tons, 145 of which were red and 117 which Esprit de Beaucastel Blanc, 91-94 for the 2006 were white. Panoplie, and 91-93 for the 2006 Esprit de Beaucastel. Parker also named the “excep- Harvest began with Viognier, as usual, on September 3 and ended with Mourvèdre tional” 2005 Cotes de Tablas (91 points, in on October 30. After a hot stretch in late August and the fi rst few days of September Business Week) as one of the fi fteen best caused several varietals to race towards ripeness simultaneously, the beginning of har- California wines under $25, hailing its vest saw more moderate temperatures and a slower harvest pace. In the fi rst few weeks, “beautiful purity, fruit, and depth”. we brought in most of our Viognier, as well as all of the Vermentino and Chardonnay. Both were aff ected by the frosts this spring, and came in light in yield – just under two More recently, we received another excel- tons of Chardonnay and about 2.75 tons of Vermentino. lent review in the November 2008 issue of Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cool temperatures in mid-September allowed us to pause harvesting, as we watched Cellar, with fourteen wines receiving the grapes gradually accumulate sugars. By the end of September, though, much of the scores of 90 or higher from this notori- vineyard was ready to be picked: the Grenache Blanc, the Picpoul Blanc, most of the ously tough reviewer, including a 94 for Syrah, a good chunk of Grenache Noir, and our fi rst Mourvèdre, Counoise, Marsanne the 2006 Panoplie, a 93 for the 2006 Esprit and Roussanne. By October 10th we had completed about half our harvest. de Beaucastel, and a 92 for the 2007 Esprit See HARVEST, page 3 de Beaucastel Blanc. Some of our small- production wine club wines came in for praise from Tanzer as well, including our 2006 Vin de Paille Quintessence (94 points), our 2006 Grenache (91 points), and our 2006 Mourvèdre (91 points). We were also thrilled to have the 2006 Es- prit de Beaucastel Blanc named as one of the top 100 wines of 2008 by Wine & Spirits magazine (Winter 2008) and one of the 10 best wines of 2008 by 7x7 Magazine (September 2008). And the December 2008 issue of Gourmet picked the 2006 See PRESS, page 3 Featured Wine: 2006 VIN DE PAILLE Details on page 6 Focus Varietal: Marsanne of loosely clustered berries, and arsanne is one of the is one of the leading producers. As require a secondary fruit pruning classic white Rhône va- of 2005, there were 69 acres planted (of green or unpollinated clusters) Mrietals, and it produces in California. six to eight weeks after the initial wines with distinct melon and min- pruning. This practice, coupled eral fl avors, and rich mouthfeel. Marsanne at Tablas Creek with conscientious leaf pulling, When blended, its rich melon char- encourages uniform ripening. Mar- acteristics complement more aro- There are approximately three acres sanne ripens right in the middle matic varietals like Viognier. It com- of Marsanne planted at of the picking season – later than prises about one third of our Côtes Tablas Creek, Viognier, but not as late as Rous- de Tablas Blanc. sanne or Mourvèdre – and its ber- ries are golden and medium-sized Early History when ripe. The varietal has a proclivity for absorbing the Marsanne is believed to have origi- mineral fl avors of the soils nated in the town of Marsanne, in which it is grown, and we near Montélimar in the northern showcase these qualities by Rhône Valley. The white wines fermenting it in stainless of St-Joseph, Crozes-Hermitage, steel tanks. Hermitage, and St-Péray are made predominantly from Marsanne, Flavors and Aromas often blended with Roussanne. Al- though Marsanne is not permitted Marsanne is a light straw col- in the wines of Châteauneuf-du- or, almost green, with moderate Pape, it is one of the eight white acidity and excellent mid-palate grapes permitted in the Côtes du richness. Its mineral fl avors and Rhône appellation. As such, Mar- aromas make it an ideal blending sanne is a signifi cant component grape. The varietal has been his- (usually 30%) of the Coudoulet de torically blended with Roussanne, Beaucastel white blend. where it tones down the viscosity repre- of the Roussanne and provides a The grape arrived in Australia in the senting more complex fl avor. Although late 1860s, and has been grown suc- about 7% we do sometimes add Marsanne cessfully in the vineyards of Victoria of our white to our Roussanne-based Esprit de ever since. Australia has proved an Rhône produc- Beaucastel Blanc (as we did in 2001), even more hospitable home for the tion. The climate the varietal is truly given a chance varietal than its native France – 80% in Paso Robles is to shine in our Côtes de Tablas Blanc, of the world’s Marsanne is grown slightly hotter than where it contributes rich mouth- in Australia. It arrived in California Marsanne’s native north- e r n feel and melon and honeysuckle in the 1980s, and, although it is not Rhône Valley, and the varietal here is fl avors that balance the aromatics often seen bottled as a single vari- an aggressive producer with no sig- of the Viognier. u etal, it is becoming an increasingly nifi cant growing problems, though important component of white it is sensitive to water levels. Careful Rhône-style blends. Qupe Wine monitoring throughout the growing Cellars, which has been making a season is often necessary. Marsanne single-varietal Marsanne since 1987, vines produce a relatively heavy crop 2 HARVEST, from page 1 PRESS, from page 1 An Arctic air mass set- Esprit and the 2006 Côtes de Tablas as “per- tled over California the fect” wine gifts for the holidays. next few days and gave us three consecutive And fi nally, the Tablas Creek blog (tablas- nights below freezing creek.typepad.com) was the subject of on the nights of Oc- a very nice review by Linda Murphy on tober 11th, 12th and winereviewonline.com (“An Exemplary 13th. Frosts during Wine Blog”), in which she says it con- harvest are rarer than tains, “some of the most insightful blog- those during fl ower- ging on wine.” She concludes by calling ing, and are damag- Tablas Creek’s blog, “the most adept I’ve ing in diff erent ways. seen at addressing the most important Spring frosts typically wine issues of the day.” hit the earliest-sprout- ing varieties hardest A complete list of recent press can be and cause uneven rip- found at www.tablascreek.com/InThe- ening and low, erratic News.html u yields. Harvest frosts tend to aff ect the later- Cellar Assistant Chelsea Magnusson crushes Mourvèdre by foot. 2006 Esprit Released ripening varieties more and arrest an af- One impact of the October frost was to fected vine’s photosynthesis. After a fall produce completely lignifi ed stems in our We’re thrilled to announce the national frost, grapes only accumulate additional Mourvèdre. Lignifi cation occurs when release of our 2006 Esprit de Beaucastel. sugar through dehydration. Luckily, the stems turn from green to brown, and is This wine, our signature Mourvèdre- frosts only hit the coolest sections of the one sign of physiological ripeness. In Paso based red blend, is currently available in vineyard nearest Tablas Creek, mostly in Robles, grapes generally achieve ripeness most states, just in time for the holidays. areas where the grapes were ready to har- while the stems are still green. As a re- It is also available from the Tablas Creek vest anyway. Th e cold weather did slow sult, we de-stem our reds, because we feel online wine shop at www.tablascreek.com the ripening throughout the vineyard, but that fermenting in whole clusters is likely The wine receievd a 93 from Stephen Tanzer and a 91-93 from Robert Parker. temperatures warmed, and the last three to transfer some green-tasting tannins u weeks of October were perfect, with days from the stems into the wine. However, in the 80s and nights in the 40s. Over it is traditional in Bandol – the home this period, we brought in the rest of the of Mourvèdre in France – to ferment crop, including the remaining portion Mourvèdre in whole clusters. We’ve been of our Grenache Noir and most of our unwilling to do so until now, but decided Mourvèdre, Roussanne, and Counoise. that the unexpected lignifi cation would allow us to give it a try. We dumped the Despite the challenges, the 2008 vintage grapes into an open-top fermenter and has the potential to be great, and one have been crushing them by foot.