2016 Esprit de Beaucastel Blanc

Moving to a small retrospective of the Esprit de Tablas Blanc cuvée, the 2016 Esprit de Tablas Blanc (75% Roussanne, 18% Grenache Blanc, and the rest Picpoul Blanc aged in foudre) offers a medium to full-bodied, concentrated, and textured style to go with youthful notes of ripe apple, buttered citrus, and some spicy, mineral nuances. It’s still a baby yet certainly offers pleasure. This was another terrific tasting with Jason Haas, and he and his team at Tablas Creek continue to make elegant, classic, balanced wines from their estate in the northwestern part of Paso Robles. It’s worth noting that since 2008 they’ve favored cooler temperatures during fermentation and this shows in their wines’ purity and freshness. However, in my opinion, the wines today lack some of the depth and intensity found in previous vintages. Nevertheless, these are beautiful wine that age incredibly well.

Pale straw-gold. Intense, mineral-accented Meyer lemon, nectarine and pear skin aromas are complemented by a deeper honey nuance. Tightly wound citrus and orchard fruit flavors unfurl slowly with air, picking up a suave floral character and a hint of chalky minerality. The impressively long, incisive finish shows outstanding clarity and leaves behind lively citrus zest and honeysuckle notes.

A blend of 75% Roussanne, 18% Grenache Blanc and 7% Picpoul Blanc, the 2016 Esprit Blanc de Tablas reveals aromas of honeyed citrus, fresh peaches and white flowers. On the palate, it's full-bodied, textural and layered, has good concentration and depth and is nicely balanced despite its rich, gourmand qualities. Haas feels that the estate's Roussanne was especially successful this year, thus the 2016 contains the largest percentage of that grape in this blend's history. Give it a few years in the cellar to unwind before following it for a decade or more.