2005 Tablas Creek Esprit de Beaucastel
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Darkly floral and intense, the 2009 Esprit de Beaucastel bursts from the glass with a whiff of balsamic spice that gives way to sage, pine shavings and dried black cherries. This is cool-toned, fresh and remarkably balanced. Crisp red and black fruits ride a wave of tantalizing acidity as violet inner florals swirl throughout. Edgy tannins linger, offset by a solid core of primary concentration as the 2009 tapers off with exceptional length, slowly working its way to maturity. This is an exceptional wine from a difficult season. The 2009 vintage was the third straight drought year, with a severe heat spike in September and a deluge of ten inches of rain on October 13th. Multiple passes during harvest were necessary, and some fruit required drying on straw mats. Luckily, ideal weather followed until the end of harvest. (EG)
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The Wine Advocate
James Suckling
Altre recensioni e punteggi
The 2009 Esprit de Beaucastel is made up of 40% Mourvèdre, 28% Syrah, 27% Grenache and 5% Counoise. It has a medium ruby-garnet color and pretty nose of dried cherries, cranberries, dark chocolate, old leather and soy hints with dried herbs and coffee bean—this still has plenty of fruit and has just begun its ascent into tertiary character. The medium-bodied palate offers wonderful layers of savory fruits, with a firm frame of chalky tannins and good freshness, finishing very long. This still has plenty of time ahead but is drinking beautifully! (EB)
I loved the 2005 Esprit de Tablas, a rocking, pure, powerful beauty that has a level or richness and depth missing from too many of the more recent releases from this estate. A blend of 44% Mourvèdre, 26% Grenache, 25% Syrah, and the rest Counoise, it offers a mature Beaucastel-like bouquet of blackcurrants, ground herbs, pepper, and olive tapenade. Layered, full-bodied, pure, and seamless, it’s a rock star wine readers should be thrilled to have in the cellar. It’s fully mature but will keep for another decade. 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.
The 2005 Esprit de Beaucastel is in a beautiful place, wafting from the glass with a wild and stunningly complex bouquet of grilled meat, plummy fruit, Provence herbs, rich soil and an exotic top note of Egyptian musk. On the palate, it's full-bodied, layered and rich, with juicy acids, fine-grained but chalky tannins, excellent energy and immense savory complexity. Evoking a youthful version of Beaucastel's fabulous 1981 vintage, this superb wine still has more than a decade of life ahead of it.