2016 Tablas Creek Vineyard - Esprit de Tablas Blanc (91

2016 Tablas Creek Vineyard - Esprit de Tablas Blanc (91 pts) @tablascreek · 🙋‍♂️ What is your favorite White Rhone 🍇 variety❓· ℹ️ Tablas Creek is a partnership between the Perrin Family @familleperrin and the Haas Family @vineyardbrands . In 1989 they purchased a 120 acre former alfalfa farm in what is now the the Adelaida District of Paso Robles.They are essentially one of the pioneering wineries to bring Rhone 🍇 varieties to the region. The cuttings come from the Château de Beaucastel estate in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, which is in the Southern Rhone Valley, France. This is a blend of 75% Roussane, 18% Grenache Blanc, and 7% Picpoul Blanc with all 3 grape varieties being estate grown. Organically farmed, dry farmed, and practicing Biodynamic Viticulture since 2010. Only native yeast fermentations and only use neutral French oak barrels. All wines went through MLF· 👁 Pale gold color· 👃 Medium+ intensity on the nose. Aromas of floral, lily, nectarine, peach skin, guava, green papaya, lemon, grapefruit pith, and olive oil· 👄 The wine is dry, medium acidity, medium alcohol, and medium+ body. The texture is oily and some phenolic bitterness (that's a positive). A medium+ length finish of lemon zest and olive oil· 🔔 Château de Beaucastel Blanc Vieille Vignes is 💯 Roussane and one of my favorite white wines in the Rhone. Needless to say, expectations are always high when tasting something from the Perrin Family. While this is not quite that wine, it is a very well made American Rhone-style white wine. This has room to improve and will be fun to see this evolve with time in the cellar. They clearly pick earlier than a lot of their neighbors to produce a wine of 13% ABV in Paso Robles and retaining respectable acidity. This sells for around $40 and delivers in spades·