tables creek tasting all varieties

7/29/2019 Tables Creek Tasting All Varieties

1/24

Tasting the Wines in the Fall 2011 VINsider Wine Club Shipment

Every six months, we send out a six-bottle shipment of wines to the members of ourVINsider WineClub. The fall shipment is the showcase for our signature wines, and is typically centered around

both ourEsprit de Beaucasteland ourEsprit de Beaucastel Blanc. Beyond that, though, we get to

choose more eclectic wines that we're excited about, often including single varietal renditions ofgrapes our fans know better from our blends, or small-production blends that we think expresssomething interesting about Tablas Creek. This year, we chose to include the beautiful 2010

Marsanne, our first-ever rendition of Hermitage's signature grape, the 2010Picpoul Blanc, with itsinterplay of bright and lush, intensely reminiscent of pina colada, and the 2009En Gobelet, anunusual (perhaps unique) blend of Mourvedre, Tannat and Grenache exclusively from head-pruned,dry-farmed vineyard blocks. Note that there are only five wines because club members get two

bottles of the 2009Esprit de Beaucastel.

We opened the shipment's wines today to draft the tasting and production notes that will beincluded in the shipment (which will leave the winery the week of September 19th). I thought that

readers of the blog might enjoy a preview. Click on any wine for more detailed technicalinformation.

2010 MARSANNE

Production Notes: The 2010 Tablas Creek VineyardMarsanne is our first varietal bottlingof Marsanne, the noble white grape of France'sHermitage appellation. We use most of our
http://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/2011/08/tasting-the-wines-in-the-fall-2011-vinsider-wine-club-shipment.htmlhttp://www.tablascreek.com/wineclub.htmlhttp://www.tablascreek.com/wineclub.htmlhttp://www.tablascreek.com/wineclub.htmlhttp://www.tablascreek.com/marsanne10.shtmlhttp://tablascreek.typepad.com/.a/6a00d8341c830853ef014e8aad0365970d-popuphttp://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/2011/08/tasting-the-wines-in-the-fall-2011-vinsider-wine-club-shipment.htmlhttp://www.tablascreek.com/wineclub.htmlhttp://www.tablascreek.com/wineclub.htmlhttp://www.tablascreek.com/marsanne10.shtml


2/24

Marsanne in ourCotes de Tablas Blanc each year. However, in 2010 we felt that theMarsanne was so complete and compelling, and so representative of theMarsanne grape,that we selected out several lots for a single-varietal bottling. These were fermented instainless steel to emphasize their freshness. Just 13.0% alcohol.

Tasting notes: a minty, spicy, citrus blossom and honeyed nose, with flavors of saline,nectarine and mineral, a creamy mid-weight texture and a long, clean, limestone-enriched

finish. Should be a sublime pairing with baked scallops or mussels marinieres. Drink overthe next five years. Production: 525 cases List Price: $30 VINsider Price: $24

2010 PICPOUL BLANC

Production Notes: Tablas Creek's fourth bottling of this traditional Southern Rhone varietal,used in Chteauneuf du Pape as a blending component, and best known from the crisp lightgreen wines of the Pinet Region in the Coteaux de Languedoc. Literally translating to "lipstinger", in France the grape is known for its bright acidity, its minerality, and a clean

lemony flavor. We have found that in California, it maintains its bright acidity, but alsodevelops an appealing tropical lushness. Fermented in stainless steel to emphasize freshness,and like the 2010Marsanne just 13.0% alcohol.

Tasting notes: powerful aromas of pineapple, white flowers, grilled citrus and caramel. Inthe mouth it is brightly acidic with flavors of pina colada broadened by a hint of toast, a lushtexture surprising for those who only know Picpoul from France, then reverting to

brightness on a lemony, mineral-laced finish. Would be a great pairing with a creamychicken pasta. Drink in the next two to three years.

Production: 500 cases List Price: $27 VINsider Price: $21.60

2010 ESPRIT DE BEAUCASTEL BLANC

Production Notes: Like all our 2010 whites, a powerfully expressive wine, not at all sweet,at low alcohol, that should age very well. Roussanne (60%) as usual forms the core of thehoney and mineral flavors, but we used our highest-ever percentage of Grenache Blanc(35%) for breadth, anise and citrus notes and just 5% Picpoul Blanc as the wine already hadexcellent acidity. The wine was blended in May, aged in foudre and demi-muid, and bottledin August 2011.

Tasting notes: Higher-toned than most vintages ofEsprit Blanc, showing on the nose moreyellow sweet/tart fruit like passion fruit, pineapple and mango. A hint of lychee comes out

as the wine warms, enriching classic Roussanne flavors of white tea, honey and spice. Themouthfeel is extraordinary: rich but with great structure, very clean and pure. We think thisis the most ageworthyEsprit Blanc we've made. It should drink well for two decades.

Quantity Produced: 2100 cases List Price: $40 VINsider Price: $32

2009 EN GOBELET

Production Notes: Our second-everEn Gobelet, a unique blend (we think perhaps the onlyone in the world) of Mourvedre, Tannat and Grenache selected from head-pruned, dry-farmed sections of the vineyard. Mourvedre (56%) provides dark red fruit, earth, spice and

mid-palate richness while Tannat (23%) adds dark color, smoky, spicy flavors and firmtannins and Grenache (21%) brightens everything with forward fruit, approachability and
http://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/2010/08/grapes-of-the-rhone-valley-marsanne.htmlhttp://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/2010/08/grapes-of-the-rhone-valley-marsanne.htmlhttp://www.tablascreek.com/picpoul10.shtmlhttp://www.tablascreek.com/espritblanc10.shtmlhttp://www.tablascreek.com/engobelet09.shtmlhttp://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/2010/08/grapes-of-the-rhone-valley-marsanne.htmlhttp://www.tablascreek.com/picpoul10.shtmlhttp://www.tablascreek.com/espritblanc10.shtmlhttp://www.tablascreek.com/engobelet09.shtml


3/24

lushness. The head-pruned blocks all also share a characteristic elegance that we have oftenremarked on as noteworthy.

Tasting notes: a spicy nose of black olive, dark chocolate, menthol and blue fruits. Themouth is powerfully structured showing flavors of fig, briary fruit, pepper spice and asurprisingly creamy texture with fine, chalky tannins. The finish shows Tannat'scharacteristic firmness leavened by bright acids and a pretty floral note from Grenache. For

now, pair with substantial food like wild boar ragu or pasta puttanesca, or you could lay itdown for a decade or more. Production: 600 cases List Price: $45 VINsider Price: $36

2009 ESPRIT DE BEAUCASTEL

Production Notes: Like all the 2009 reds, scarce in quantity due to drought and frost, butremarkable in intensity while still maintaining balance through terrific tannins. It is as usual

based on the red fruit, earth and mocha of Mourvdre (40%), while Syrah (28%) providesblack fruit and mineral and Grenache (27%) brings rich mouthfeel, glycerin and a refreshing

acidity. 6% Counoise adds vibrancy and brambly fruit. The wine was blended in August2010, aged in foudre and bottled in July 2011.

Tasting notes: a deep, spicy nose of crushed rock, tobacco and dark fruit (particularlycurrants). The palate shows great balance between savory and sweet notes, with milkchocolate, herbes de provence, an iron-like mineral note and massive structure that,combined with the power of the ripe but substantial tannins suggest that it will benefit fromshort- to mid-term cellaring, and drink well for two decades or more.


August 15, 2011 in VINsider Wine Club | Permalink| Comments (2)

A Tasting of the Wines in the Spring 2011 VINsider Wine Club Shipment

Every six months, we send out a six-bottle shipment of wines to the members of ourVINsider WineClub. The fall shipment is in many ways the showcase for our signature wines, and typicallyincludes both ourEsprit de Beaucasteland ourEsprit de Beaucastel Blanc. The spring shipment ismore eclectic, but typically highlighted by the next vintage ofPanoplie, our elite wine made in theimage of Beaucastel's iconicHommage Jacques Perrin. We also typically try to send out our

Ros each spring as a preview of this wonderful summertime wine, and the 2010 is a beauty, crispand spicy, rich yet clean. Beyond that we choose whichever wines we're particularly excited about.

This year, we chose the beautiful newly-bottled 2010 Vermentino, crisp and classic in this coolvintage, the 2009 Grenache Blanc, remarkably lush yet still focused from the concentrated 2009vintage, and two single-varietal reds from 2008: the bright yet surprisingly deep 2008 Grenache andthe structured, mineral-laced 2008 Syrah.

My dad and I opened the shipment's wines this Friday to draft the tasting and production notes thatwill accompany them in the shipment. These shipments will leave the winery the week of March21st, so we'd waited to write the notes until the last possible moment. I thought that readers of the

blog might enjoy a preview.

2010 VERMENTINO

Production Notes: The 2010 Vermentino is our ninth bottling of this traditionalMediterranean varietal, known principally in Sardinia, Corsica, and Northern Italy. It is also
http://www.tablascreek.com/esprit09.shtmlhttp://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/vinsider_wine_club/http://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/2011/08/tasting-the-wines-in-the-fall-2011-vinsider-wine-club-shipment.htmlhttp://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/2011/08/tasting-the-wines-in-the-fall-2011-vinsider-wine-club-shipment.html#commentshttp://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/2011/03/a-tasting-of-the-wines-in-the-spring-2011-vinsider-wine-club-shipment.htmlhttp://www.tablascreek.com/wineclub.htmlhttp://www.tablascreek.com/wineclub.htmlhttp://www.tablascreek.com/wineclub.htmlhttp://www.tablascreek.com/esprit09.shtmlhttp://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/vinsider_wine_club/http://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/2011/08/tasting-the-wines-in-the-fall-2011-vinsider-wine-club-shipment.htmlhttp://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/2011/08/tasting-the-wines-in-the-fall-2011-vinsider-wine-club-shipment.html#commentshttp://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/2011/03/a-tasting-of-the-wines-in-the-spring-2011-vinsider-wine-club-shipment.htmlhttp://www.tablascreek.com/wineclub.htmlhttp://www.tablascreek.com/wineclub.html


4/24

grown in the Rhne Valley (particularly Ctes de Provence) where it is known as Rolle. TheVermentino grape produces wines that are bright, clean, and crisp, with distinctive citruscharacter and refreshing acidity.

Tasting notes: A classic nose of mineral, citrus leaf, and lime zest. In the mouth, an initialimpression of sweet citrus quickly turns crisp, with great acids, just a hint of tropical fruit,and a long, clean rocky finish. Pair it with rich oysters or as an aperitif. Enjoy now or over

the next two to three years. Production: 1235 cases List Price: $27 VINsider Price: $21.60

2009 GRENACHE BLANC

Production Notes: Grenache Blanc continues to shine on Californias Central Coast. Most ofour production goes into our Esprit de Beaucastel Blanc each year, but in 2009 we reserveda small lot for our wine club. It had a very long fermentation in a mix of stainless steel andfoudre that didnt finish until nearly a year after harvest. It was bottled in June 2010.

Tasting notes: A smooth nose of buttered toast, preserved lemon and caramel, with a mouth-

filling richness on the palate. The finish at first is bright and lemony, and then turns softerwith lingering creamy, mineral notes. Drink in the next two to three years.


2010 ROS

Production Notes: After a tiny crop in 2009, production was back up in 2010, and thecomposition of our Ros reflects that, with our traditional blend of 59% Mourvdre, 30%Grenache and 11% Counoise. We left the grapes on their skins for just under two days

before drawing off the juice and completing the fermentation in stainless steel. The winewas bottled in February 2011.

Tasting notes: Cranberry in color, with an explosive nose of red chile jam, watermelon,plum, mineral and spice. The mouth is bright with flavors of watermelon and tart cherry.The sweetness of the fruit is chased quickly by bright acids and a long, deep finish withechoes of lime and tangerine. Drink now through the end of 2012.


2008 GRENACHE

Production Notes: The 2008 Grenache, like the 2008 vintage, is exceptionally elegant yetwith sneaky power and remarkable complexity for such a young wine. The Grenache washarvested in excellent conditions in early October, fermented in individual lots in closedstainless steel fermenters, blended in June 2009 and aged in foudre until its bottling in April2010. Unlike in previous vintages (into which we blended 10% Syrah) the wine is 100%Grenache, as we found it to be exquisitely balanced on its own.

Tasting notes: Bright medium red, with a classic Grenache nose of currant, red plum, andcherry. Fresh and pure on the palate with flavors of red fruit and milk chocolate, nice chalkytannins that provide firmness and a touch of saline minerality on the long finish. Drink nowor over the next six to eight years.

Production: 480 cases

List Price: $40 VINsider Price: $32

2008 SYRAH


5/24

Production Notes: The cool 2008 vintage was an excellent one for Syrah. Harvested largelyin the middle two weeks of September and fermented in both open-top stainless steelfermenters and upright 1500-gallon oak casks, we blended the wine in June 2009 and aged it

primarily in 1200-gallon foudres but also in two new 60-gallon barrels to provide a touch ofoak. As with the Grenache, we chose to keep the wine 100% Syrah due to theexpressiveness of the varietal in the 2008 vintage. The wine was bottled in April 2010.

Tasting notes: Translucent blue-black in color, with a nose of sweet oak, black fruit andmint. The flavors are consistent with the nose, with surprising acidity that should give thewine a long, graceful evolution. Think tart blackberries, with an appealing bramblycomponent. The finish turns creamier, the hint of oak returning. Hold for 6 months or more,and then drink for another fifteen.

Production: 476 cases List Price: $40 VINsider Price: $32

2008 PANOPLIE

Production Notes: The 2008 Panoplie marries the vintages characteristic elegance with an

incredible array of flavors. As always, Panoplie is selected from lots in the cellar chosen fortheir balance, richness and concentration. The composition (54% Mourvdre, 29% Grenacheand 17% Syrah) reflects the quality of the Syrah in this cooler vintage, but is still based onthe structure and meatiness of Mourvdre. The wine was blended in July 2009 and aged infoudre for a year before being bottled in July 2010.

Tasting notes: Dark brick red in color, with a dark, meaty nose showing aromas ofraspberry, chocolate, leather and baking spices. The mouth is rich but with a current ofmineral-driven coolness running through it, showing flavors of plum, chocolate, loam, red

bramble fruits, just a touch of oak and fine, ripe tannins. The very long finish is minty,fruity and earthy all at once. Although it's drinking beautifully now, we expect it to tightenup in the next few years, then reopen around 2016 and drink well for two decades.

Production: 500 cases List Price: $95 VINsider Price: $76

More details on the shipment are online for anyone interested:http://www.tablascreek.com/wineclub_news.html

March 06, 2011 inVINsider Wine Club| Permalink|Comments (0)

A first in-depth look at the 2009 Tablas Creek red wines

2009 was a challenging vintage, with very low yields from three years of drought and somesignificant April frosts. It was further complicated by a record-breaking October rainstorm thatdropped a foot of rain on the vineyard and stopped harvest for three weeks while everything driedout. The net result was a vintage with the lowest yields per producing acre we've ever seen: 1.85tons per acre of reds.

As the grapes were fermenting, we noted the lushness of the fruit and the power of the wines, bothunsurprising in such a low-yielding vintage. We also noted relatively high pH levels, which gavethe wines a softness at early stages that worried us a little. It's only as the wines have had sometime in barrel to settle down that we've come to recognize the beautiful tannins that firm up thewines and give them balance. The emergence of these tannins in barrel has changed our opinion of

the harvest from one that was impressive but perhaps overly lush to one that we're exceptionallyhopeful will be a great one.
http://www.tablascreek.com/wineclub_news.htmlhttp://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/vinsider_wine_club/http://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/vinsider_wine_club/http://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/vinsider_wine_club/http://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/2011/03/a-tasting-of-the-wines-in-the-spring-2011-vinsider-wine-club-shipment.htmlhttp://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/2011/03/a-tasting-of-the-wines-in-the-spring-2011-vinsider-wine-club-shipment.html#commentshttp://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/2011/03/a-tasting-of-the-wines-in-the-spring-2011-vinsider-wine-club-shipment.html#commentshttp://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/2010/10/a-first-in-depth-look-at-the-2009-tablas-creek-red-wines.htmlhttp://www.tablascreek.com/wineclub_news.htmlhttp://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/vinsider_wine_club/http://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/2011/03/a-tasting-of-the-wines-in-the-spring-2011-vinsider-wine-club-shipment.htmlhttp://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/2011/03/a-tasting-of-the-wines-in-the-spring-2011-vinsider-wine-club-shipment.html#commentshttp://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/2010/10/a-first-in-depth-look-at-the-2009-tablas-creek-red-wines.html


6/24

We will be showing the 2009 Esprit de Beaucastel and 2009 Panoplie for the first time in Decemberat our annualfutures tasting and en primeuroffering. Offering wine en primeuris a time-honoredFrench tradition most often associated with first-growth Bordeaux estates. In outstanding vintages,valued customers are offered the opportunity to secure a limited quantity of sought-after wines at aspecial price in advance of bottling and subsequent general release. We've done an en primeuroffering to VINsider Wine Club members on our two top red wines each year since 2003, and it's

become an event we all look forward to as it's our first opportunity to show, in effect, what's next toour biggest fans.

We are in the process of putting together an invitation that will go out in November to our clubmembers, and so needed tasting notes on the two wines that will go into the offer. I thought itwould be an appropriate opportunity to take a look at all of the 2009 reds together, and wanted toshare what we found. It's worth noting that the tiny yields meant that in order to protect ourflagship wines we had to sacrifice some wines (including the Mourvedre, which we've made eachyear since 2003, and the Syrah, which we've made each year since 2002) that have been a regular

part of our portfolio. Still, we did make the decision to make our second-ever En Gobelet, as wellas the Cotes, Esprit, Grenache and Panoplie. The wines are all sitting in foudre, and will remain

there for the next 9 months or so until they're bottled.

The tasting notes:

2009 Cotes de Tablas (43% Grenache, 24% Syrah, 16% Counoise, 15% Mourvedre): AGrenachey, spicy nose that resonates between black and red fruit, showing red licorice,sweet spices, and dried strawberry. In the mouth, it's notably rich for a Cotes de Tablas,showing candied red fruit, sweet spices like cinnamon and nutmeg, and a long finish thatturns darker and is firmed by fine tannins and an almost iron-like minerality. Veryimpressive, I thought.

2009 Grenache: A nose brighter than the Cotes red, very fruity, showing watermelon, redcherry, raspberry and blueberry. The mouth continues the flavors suggested by the nose,with cherry cola and an appealing creaminess to the texture. The finish is the mostinteresting part to the wine for me, with nice acids framing the fruit and then showing achalky minerality before ending with a sweet spice that might be sarsparilla.

2009 En Gobelet (56% Mourvedre, 23% Tannat, 21% Grenache): A darker nose, showingthe menthol, black cherry and mineral notes that are characteristic of Tannat. The mouth isstill relatively tannic, with bittersweet chocolate, leather, mesquite, cherry liqueur and a

bloody, beefy character that is often characteristic of young Mourvedre. The tanninsactually soften on the finish, leaving mineral and a garrigue-like herbiness (thyme? sage?) as

the last impressions. 2009 Esprit de Beaucastel (40% Mourvedre, 28% Syrah, 27% Grenache, 5% Counoise):

Showing more red than black fruit at the moment, with a nose of red plum and currant, and a
http://www.tablascreek.com/upcomingevents.htmlhttp://www.tablascreek.com/upcomingevents.htmlhttp://www.tablascreek.com/upcomingevents.htmlhttp://www.tablascreek.com/upcomingevents.htmlhttp://www.tablascreek.com/wineclub.htmlhttp://tablascreek.typepad.com/.a/6a00d8341c830853ef0133f4c6fe8b970b-popuphttp://www.tablascreek.com/upcomingevents.htmlhttp://www.tablascreek.com/wineclub.html


7/24

little Mourvedre-driven meatiness and gaminess lurking behind the fruit. In the mouth,cassis, cherry, and mineral shows the Syrah component, as does achalky/mineral/meaty/bone marrow character that my wife once described as "butter in a

butcher shop". The finish shows the wine's youth, with a primary grapiness that shouldevolve into something more complex.

2009 Panoplie (65% Mourvedre, 26% Grenache, 9% Syrah): Oh, boy. An explosive nose

of pepper, grilled meat, boysenberry, currant and blackberry. It's the most polished andresolved on the nose of any of the wines. In the mouth, it's hugely mouth-filling, with sweetfruit but big tannins that give definition. On the finish, it shows a saline minerality thathighlights the roasted meat flavors and the dark red and black fruits. Absolutely gorgeous.

October 01, 2010 in Events,Harvest 2009, VINsider Wine Club,Winery & Winemaking |Permalink|Comments (0)

Tasting the Fall 2010 "Collector's Edition" Wines

Last fall, we debuted the VINsider Wine Club Collector's Edition. Members of this wine club get

three bottles of older vintages of Esprit de Beaucastel and Esprit de Beaucastel Blanc each fall (aswell as a few more bottles of the newest Esprit and Esprit Blanc) in addition to their club shipment.They also have the opportunity to buy a little more. The club has been a great success from the

beginning, and we've maxed our our capacity each of the last two years. Our membership is nowup to about 450 people.

Collector's Edition members will receive the2004 Esprit de Beaucastel and the2006 Esprit deBeaucastel Blanc this fall. These wines were ones that showed beautifully in recent verticaltastings, both at stages where some of the primary flavors of youth had matured into deeper, morecomplex tones, but which should still provide another decade or more of good drinking. I thought itwould be fun to share the tasting notes from our recent tastings.

ESPRIT DE BEAUCASTEL BLANC 2006

Production Notes: Above-average winter rains and a cool spring got 2006 off to a wet andlate start. A moderate summer followed, and the resulting harvest was delayed butunhurried, with beautiful weather persisting into November. Wines showed notableelegance, pure flavors, medium body and comparatively lower alcohol levels. The 2006Esprit de Beaucastel Blanc featured 65% Roussanne, primarily from neutral barrels, at itscore. 30% Grenache Blanc provides roundness and distinctive anise aromatics, and 5%Picpoul Blanc adds bright acids that emphasize the wine's mineral and saline characteristics.The wine was blended in April 2007 and bottled in June 2007.

2010 Tasting Notes: The color at age four is youthful: a clear pale gold with a hint of green.The nose shows more savory than fruity, with notes of mineral, saline, honey and menthol.
http://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/events/http://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/harvest-2009/http://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/harvest-2009/http://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/vinsider_wine_club/http://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/winery_winemaking/http://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/winery_winemaking/http://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/2010/10/a-first-in-depth-look-at-the-2009-tablas-creek-red-wines.htmlhttp://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/2010/10/a-first-in-depth-look-at-the-2009-tablas-creek-red-wines.html#commentshttp://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/2010/10/a-first-in-depth-look-at-the-2009-tablas-creek-red-wines.html#commentshttp://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/2010/09/tasting-the-fall-2010-collectors-edition-wines.htmlhttp://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/2009/07/introducing-the-vinsider-wine-club-collectors-edition.htmlhttp://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/2009/07/introducing-the-vinsider-wine-club-collectors-edition.htmlhttp://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/2009/07/introducing-the-vinsider-wine-club-collectors-edition.htmlhttp://www.tablascreek.com/esprit04.shtmlhttp://www.tablascreek.com/esprit04.shtmlhttp://www.tablascreek.com/espritblanc06.shtmlhttp://www.tablascreek.com/espritblanc06.shtmlhttp://www.tablascreek.com/espritblanc06.shtmlhttp://tablascreek.typepad.com/.a/6a00d8341c830853ef013486cb844b970c-popuphttp://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/events/http://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/harvest-2009/http://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/vinsider_wine_club/http://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/winery_winemaking/http://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/2010/10/a-first-in-depth-look-at-the-2009-tablas-creek-red-wines.htmlhttp://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/2010/10/a-first-in-depth-look-at-the-2009-tablas-creek-red-wines.html#commentshttp://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/2010/09/tasting-the-fall-2010-collectors-edition-wines.htmlhttp://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/2009/07/introducing-the-vinsider-wine-club-collectors-edition.htmlhttp://www.tablascreek.com/esprit04.shtmlhttp://www.tablascreek.com/espritblanc06.shtmlhttp://www.tablascreek.com/espritblanc06.shtml


8/24

The mouth is rich and warm, with flavors of lanolin, rose petal, new boards and sweetspices. It feels both seamless and despite its intensity weightless. On the lingering finish,the wine has both brighter lemon and darker butterscotch flavors. It would love rich foodlike crab, lobster, or ginger pork, and should drink well for at least the next three years andlikely much longer.

Quantity Produced: 1800 cases

Library Price: $45 VINsider Price: $36

ESPRIT DE BEAUCASTEL 2004

Production Notes: 2004 was our third consecutive drought year, marked by low yields, awarm spring and very early flowering. A fairly mild summer morphed into a late-Augustheat wave, with much of the harvest completed by mid-September. The fall weather cooleddown, and we waited a long time for Mourvdre, suspending harvest for two weeks after a

mid-October rainstorm. For the 2004 Esprit de Beaucastel, we balanced the relatively highproportion (50%) of Mourvdre with 27% Syrah for color, black fruit, and mineral, 17%Grenache for freshness, warmth, and sweet spice, and 6% Counoise for openness. The winewas blended in August 2005, aged in foudre and bottled in July 2006.

2010 Tasting Notes: The first impression is decidedly Old World, with a deep, dark nose oflaquered wood, rosemary, spiced plum and cloves. As it sits in the glass, more fruit emergeswith cherry, black raspberry and gingerbread spice. The palate shows beautiful balance, withflavors of roasted meat, mineral, fig, pomegranate, black cherry and crushed rock. Its a very

pure and self-assured wine; Francoise Perrin called it a vin carr: literally a square wine.It has a long finish of plum, herbs and mineral. The wine is at the beginning of what should

be a wonderful decade-long maturity. Try it with a rack of lamb. Quantity Produced: 3250 cases Library Price: $60 VINsider Price: $48

The Collector's Edition is full for 2010, but anyone who is interested can read moreon our Website, and can get onto the waiting list for 2011. We expect to be able to add another 150 or somembers next year, and we'll take them off the waiting list in the order in which we receive theirrequests.

Finally, anyone who missed the notes on the other wines in the fall 2010 wine club shipment canfind them here.

September 03, 2010 inLibrary Wines, VINsider Wine Club |Permalink| Comments (0)

A tasting of the wines in the fall 2010 wine club shipment

Each spring and fall, we send out six wines to the members of ourVINsider Wine Club. With eachshipment we include a letter from our wine club director, an order form, and production and tastingnotes for the wines in the club shipment. As these wines are typically unreleased, most of them donot yet have a Web page, and for me it's often one of my first opportunities to taste these wines after

bottling. It's always exciting, and the rest of the staff typically joins me as we take a look at thefuture. This tasting was particularly fun for me because it was my first serious look at the 2008 reds

and my first comprehensive look at any of the 2009 whites since bottling. It will be fun toshowcase wines from two such different -- but strong -- vintages.
http://www.tablascreek.com/wineclub_collectors.htmlhttp://www.tablascreek.com/wineclub_collectors.htmlhttp://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/2010/08/a-tasting-of-the-wines-in-the-fall-2010-wine-club-shipment.htmlhttp://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/library_wines/http://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/library_wines/http://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/vinsider_wine_club/http://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/2010/09/tasting-the-fall-2010-collectors-edition-wines.htmlhttp://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/2010/09/tasting-the-fall-2010-collectors-edition-wines.htmlhttp://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/2010/09/tasting-the-fall-2010-collectors-edition-wines.html#commentshttp://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/2010/08/a-tasting-of-the-wines-in-the-fall-2010-wine-club-shipment.htmlhttp://www.tablascreek.com/wineclub.htmlhttp://www.tablascreek.com/wineclub.htmlhttp://tablascreek.typepad.com/.a/6a00d8341c830853ef013486cb89f0970c-popuphttp://www.tablascreek.com/wineclub_collectors.htmlhttp://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/2010/08/a-tasting-of-the-wines-in-the-fall-2010-wine-club-shipment.htmlhttp://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/library_wines/http://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/vinsider_wine_club/http://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/2010/09/tasting-the-fall-2010-collectors-edition-wines.htmlhttp://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/2010/09/tasting-the-fall-2010-collectors-edition-wines.html#commentshttp://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/2010/08/a-tasting-of-the-wines-in-the-fall-2010-wine-club-shipment.htmlhttp://www.tablascreek.com/wineclub.html


9/24

Incidentally, if you're wondering why there are only five wines pictured (and described) in what isalways a six-bottle shipment, it's because the shipment will include two bottles of the 2008 Esprit deBeaucastel.

In the order in which we'll be pouring them at ourSeptember 18th club shipment tasting event:

VERMENTINO 2009

Production notes: Vermentino is best known in Corsica, Sardinia, and northern Italy, butalso found in the Rhne Valley, Ctes de Provence and Languedoc under the name Rolle.Our 2009 edition shows the noteworthy intensity of this low-yield vintage. Our two blockswere picked on September 22nd and October 8th and averaged 22.4 Brix and a 3.45 pH.The wine was vinified in stainless steel, and we stopped malolactic fermentation toemphasize the varietals brightness and freshness. It was bottled in screwcap in March 2010.

Tasting notes: Inviting meyer lemon, mineral and kiwi aromas are followed by a creamylushness surprising for Vermentino, and a rich, long, spicy finish. Drink now or for the nextfew years.

Quantity Produced: 420 cases List Price: $30 VINsider Price: $24.00

BERGERON 2009

Production notes: This is our fifth bottling of our Bergeron-style Roussanne (in the coolSavoie region of Alps, Roussanne is known as Bergeron). To make our Bergeron, we chosesome Roussanne from one of the coolest spots of the vineyard, and fermented it in stainlesssteel to preserve its freshness and acidity.

Tasting notes: A nose of green apple, mineral, herbs and preserved lemon. In the mouth,very mineral and notably saline, quite rich for a Bergeron, almost buttery. The finish shows

notes of caramel apple and the wine cries out for shellfish. Drink for the next five years. Quantity Produced: 480 cases List Price: $30 VINsider Price: $24.00
http://www.tablascreek.com/wineclub_news.htmlhttp://www.tablascreek.com/wineclub_news.htmlhttp://tablascreek.typepad.com/.a/6a00d8341c830853ef013486091606970c-popuphttp://www.tablascreek.com/wineclub_news.html


10/24

ESPRIT DE BEAUCASTEL BLANC 2009

Production notes: Roussanne, with its wonderful balance of richness, minerality, and acidity,as usual forms the core of our 2009 Esprit de Beaucastel Blanc. 2009 was our thirdconsecutive drought year, and yields were further reduced by serious April frosts. The blendfor 2009 includes 62% Roussanne, 26% Grenache Blanc (for roundness and distinctive

green apple and anise flavors), and 12% Picpoul Blanc, our highest-ever percentage, foracids and minerality in this lush vintage. The wine was blended in May and bottled in July2010.

Tasting notes: Similar in many ways to the blockbuster 2007, though with the appealingsoftness and breadth to the texture that distinguish the 2009 whites. The wine shows a rich,lifted nose, very spicy, with aromas of ginger, tangerine, asian pear, beeswax and herbs. Themouth shows rich Roussanne flavors of honey and spice and a long, dry finish with toffeeand pear notes. A slight tannic bite suggest that this wine will benefit from short-termcellaring, and drink well from mid-2011 through the end of the decade.


MOURVDRE 2008

Production notes: Mourvdre has an (undeserved, in our opinion) reputation for toughnessand rusticity. In fact, if it gets ripe and is handled cleanly in the cellar, we find it the Rhonevarietal most reminiscent of Pinot Noir: with good intensity of flavor, medium body, goodacidity and an ageability that is belied by its initial approachability. This 2008 Mourvdrewas picked late (between October 10th and November 3rd), fermented in open-topfermenters, and then moved to foudre for aging. It was blended in August 2009, aged oneadditional year in foudre, and bottled in June 2010.

Tasting notes: A garnet color. Spicy nose of red cherry, plum and pepper. The mouth isconsistent with the nose, with a little meatiness lurking under the bright fruit. The tanninsfirm up on the long, coffee-laced finish and suggest a good life ahead. Drink now and for thenext decade.


ESPRIT DE BEAUCASTEL 2008

Production notes: Our signature red wine showcases the spiciness and impeccable balance ofthe remarkable 2008 vintage. It is as usual based on the red fruit, earth and mocha of

Mourvdre (38%), while Grenache (30%) brings rich mouthfeel, glycerin and a refreshingacidity. Syrah (26%) plays its largest role since 2002, providing black fruit and mineral and6% Counoise adds vibrancy and brambly fruit. The wine was blended in August 2009, agedin foudre and bottled in July 2010.

Tasting notes: A deep, spicy nose with waves of fruit alternating between red and blackraspberry and cherry, grilled meat, balsamic, and licorice. The palate is highlighted by

beautiful acidity, an appealing mintiness, and substantial but fine-grained tannins. The wineis tasting just great now, and we think it will only get better. Enjoy over the next twodecades.


More details on the shipment are available online for anyone interested:http://www.tablascreek.com/wineclub_news.html. A few final thoughts are below.
http://www.tablascreek.com/wineclub_news.htmlhttp://www.tablascreek.com/wineclub_news.html


11/24

First, these 2008's show just an amazing degree of complexity and intensity of flavor withabsolutely no sense of weight. This is in dramatic contrast to the impressively structured 2007vintage, whose primary impression is one of power and density. The 2008 reds have well-delineated varietal character, a distinctive spiciness, wonderful acidity, and should both drink wellyoung and age gracefully. Do I think that they'll age as long as the 2007's? Probably not. Butthey'll give enormous pleasure while they're young, and their balance suggests that medium-term

aging will only increase their complexity.

The 2009 vintage seems to me to be a softer version of 2007: equally lush, but perhaps a touch lessstructured. The viscosity of the wines combines with their overt minerality and relatively lowacidity to make wines whose richness is balanced by a saline mineral character more than byacidity. In this sense, it's a vintage whose wines would be absolutely at home in the Rhone Valley,where the white wines are typically rich and softer than those from Paso Robles. These wines oftensurprise with their ageability, and I'm particularly excited to see where the 2009 Esprit Blanc goesover time.

August 09, 2010 in Harvest 2008, Harvest 2009,VINsider Wine Club| Permalink|Comments (0)

Changes at the 2010 Paso Robles Wine Festival

We just finished the Paso Robles Wine Festival for 2010. As usual, it was a whirlwind of activity,with a delicious dinner Friday night at the Cass House Inn in Cayucos, pourings with thePasoRobles Wine Country Alliance on Friday and Saturday evenings downtown in Paso Robles, and ourannual salmon brunch and Ros launch on Sunday morning out at the winery.

The weather was wonderful, cool and crisp, and the park was busy with enthusiastic tasters asattendance rose slightly compared to 2009. The Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance has made aconcerted effort to make the event classier and more comprehensive over the last five years. Ticket

prices have gone up moderately, weeding out some party-goers. Additional events such as aVIP/trade hour, the Friday evening Reserve tasting, and educational seminars now allow attendeeswho are interested in closer contact with local winemakers this access. The salmon brunch wasdelicious; Chef Jeff Scott continues to do an amazing job. A couple of photos of the nextgeneration of Haases (Eli, on left, and Sebastian on right) enjoying the event:
http://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/harvest_2008/http://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/harvest-2009/http://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/harvest-2009/http://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/vinsider_wine_club/http://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/vinsider_wine_club/http://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/2010/08/a-tasting-of-the-wines-in-the-fall-2010-wine-club-shipment.htmlhttp://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/2010/08/a-tasting-of-the-wines-in-the-fall-2010-wine-club-shipment.html#commentshttp://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/2010/08/a-tasting-of-the-wines-in-the-fall-2010-wine-club-shipment.html#commentshttp://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/2010/05/changes-at-the-2010-paso-robles-wine-festival-.htmlhttp://www.casshouseinn.com/http://www.pasowine.com/events/winefestival.phphttp://www.pasowine.com/events/winefestival.phphttp://www.pasowine.com/events/winefestival.phphttp://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/2009/05/paso-robles-wine-festival-2009.htmlhttp://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/harvest_2008/http://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/harvest-2009/http://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/vinsider_wine_club/http://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/2010/08/a-tasting-of-the-wines-in-the-fall-2010-wine-club-shipment.htmlhttp://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/2010/08/a-tasting-of-the-wines-in-the-fall-2010-wine-club-shipment.html#commentshttp://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/2010/05/changes-at-the-2010-paso-robles-wine-festival-.htmlhttp://www.casshouseinn.com/http://www.pasowine.com/events/winefestival.phphttp://www.pasowine.com/events/winefestival.phphttp://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/2009/05/paso-robles-wine-festival-2009.html


12/24

And one of me with Nikki Getty, who runs our wine club, hospitality and events:
http://tablascreek.typepad.com/.a/6a00d8341c830853ef013482667462970c-popuphttp://tablascreek.typepad.com/.a/6a00d8341c830853ef013482666931970c-popup


13/24

This year, the PRWCA added a joint winemaker dinner and auction that raised over $100,000 forthe Alliance's charity efforts. Also new this year, they moved the Saturday Grand Tasting later inthe day from 1pm-5pm to 3pm-7pm. That was supposed to have two effects: to help get the eventout of the heat of the day and to help open the day up for event attendees to visit the winery tastingrooms. And we did get more traffic on Saturday: we saw 260 tasters this year, up from an averageof 175 the past three years. Even though sales per customer were down nearly 20% it was still agood day, better than recent Wine Festival Saturdays if not measurably better than a normalSaturday in the busy spring season.

But Sunday was a different story. Both traffic and sales were down dramatically, with traffic down42% from an average of 268 people to this year's 156 and sales per customer no better than theaverages we saw the past three years. Perhaps most dramatically, we went from signing up anaverage of 13 new wine club members on Wine Festival Sunday to signing up just 2 this year.

Summing up the results between the two days, the improvement on Saturday did not make up forthe decline on Sunday. For the weekend our sales were down 15% and our wine club signups down53% compared to the average of our results of the last three years.

I would typically suspect that a decline in our numbers like this were due to something lackingabout the tasting room experience. But I don't think that is the case here. The tasting room has

been on a great run recently, putting up some of its best numbers ever. We have a terrific,experienced tasting room crew, and we staffed up so heavily for Wine Festival this year that we hadtasting room attendants practically competing with each other to have the privilege of serving eachnew guest. My second suspicion was that it was something we'd changed in our events for theweekend. And we did add a charge to attend the salmon brunch in 2010 that we hadn't had in past

years. We did this because we found that the event, which was free to wine club members and freewith a tasting fee to non-members, was attracting people who would leave without even entering thetasting room. Our average sales to the people who came to the salmon tasting in 2009 was roughly
http://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/2009/05/paso-robles-wine-festival-2009.htmlhttp://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/2009/05/paso-robles-wine-festival-2009.htmlhttp://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/2009/05/paso-robles-wine-festival-2009.htmlhttp://tablascreek.typepad.com/.a/6a00d8341c830853ef0133ef38346e970b-popuphttp://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/2009/05/paso-robles-wine-festival-2009.htmlhttp://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/2009/05/paso-robles-wine-festival-2009.htmlhttp://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/2009/05/paso-robles-wine-festival-2009.html


14/24

half that of our other visitors that day. Given that the salmon tasting itself was costing us roughly$20 a head, about the level of the average salmon-tasting-attendee purchase, that didn't make a lotof sense. Plus, the crowds that entered the tasting room all at once after the event endedoverwhelmed the tasting room's capabilities, meaning that neither the event's attendees nor the othercustomers got the experience we wanted. This year, though the attendance at the salmon brunchwas down significantly (from about 150 to about 50) the 50 attendees bought nearly as much wine

as the 150 had done last year.

No, it was the rest of the day that was the culprit. It was so slow in the afternoon that our tastingroom manager sent half his staff home. And we've heard that other wineries and tasting rooms weresimilarly disappointed in Sunday's sales and traffic.

I have some speculations as to why the changes made to Wine Festival might have had the impactthat they did. First, moving the grand tasting later made it easier to taste for a partial day onSaturday (stopping in time to get to the event by 3pm) rather than a full day on Sunday. Second, thelater end to the event and the fact that many people had begun their day with wine tasting may havemeant that people were wined out by the time that they had to make the decision of whether or not

to go tasting on Sunday. I can imagine, after wine tasting most of the day and finishing with a four-hour wine festival, that I'd choose to go to the beach or to Hearst Castle rather than heading backout to more wineries. And finally, I'd think that this burnout would be most applicable to theattendees of the gala dinner and auction, who didn't finish their Saturday until after 10pm and whoalso shelled out $500 per couple to attend. Between the cost and the fatigue, I would guess that itwas these attendees who made the largest difference in our end results.

Our tasting room, like most retail establishments, lives by the 80/20 rule, where 20% of thecustomers provide 80% of the business. The majority of our tasting room customers buy just a

bottle or two, or even just pay the tasting fee. But it's the minority who get really excited aboutwhat they find that keep our average sales (and our wine club signup numbers) strong. So, if even asmall percentage of the best buyers are eliminated, it can have a dramatic impact on total sales. The400 attendees of the wine dinner and auction represented about 10% of the total attendees of thewine festival. But I'd think that they represented some of the best buyers, and that the lateness andthe expense of the event likely discouraged many of them from heading out to tasting rooms thenext day. If I'm right, this could be the major factor in the decline in Sunday's sales and thedramatic falloff in wine club signups.

The key, for me, is to remember that Wine Festival is not an end in itself. It is the creation of theorganization that the local wineries task with marketing and promoting the area and its wineries. Ifthe event is successful at the expense of the wineries' results, it is actually not achieving what it

needs to achieve.I'm curious to know, from any readers who attended Wine Festival this year, what you thought. Didyou enjoy the event? Did the changes in the event change your behavior the rest of the weekend?I'll be meeting with the marketing committee of the PRWCA next week, and it will be at the top ofour agenda.

May 28, 2010 in Events, Food & Wine, Paso Robles, People,Tasting Room, VINsider Wine Club |Permalink|Comments (3)

Grapes of the Rhone Valley: Grenache Blanc

This article is the first in what will be an ongoing exploration of the principal varietals of the RhoneValley. A version of this article first appeared in the Tablas Creek newsletter.
http://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/events/http://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/food_wine/http://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/paso_robles/http://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/people/http://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/tasting_room/http://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/tasting_room/http://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/vinsider_wine_club/http://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/2010/05/changes-at-the-2010-paso-robles-wine-festival-.htmlhttp://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/2010/05/changes-at-the-2010-paso-robles-wine-festival-.html#commentshttp://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/2010/05/changes-at-the-2010-paso-robles-wine-festival-.html#commentshttp://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/2010/02/grapes-of-the-rhone-valley-grenache-blanc.htmlhttp://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/events/http://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/food_wine/http://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/paso_robles/http://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/people/http://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/tasting_room/http://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/vinsider_wine_club/http://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/2010/05/changes-at-the-2010-paso-robles-wine-festival-.htmlhttp://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/2010/05/changes-at-the-2010-paso-robles-wine-festival-.html#commentshttp://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/2010/02/grapes-of-the-rhone-valley-grenache-blanc.html


15/24

Overview

Grenache Blanc is the fourth most widely planted white grape in France. It produces rich, full wineswith bright flavors and crisp acidity and is a key element in our flagship white wine, the Esprit deBeaucastel Blanc. It is also growing in popularity as a single-varietal wine, particularly inCalifornias Central Coast. As the name suggests, it is related to the more widely known Grenache

Noir. Many grape varietals have both red and white variants; the best known is Pinot, which hasPinot Noir, Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris variations. Grenache Blanc, like Grenache Noir, is drought-resistant, vigorous, easy to graft and ripens fairly early in the cycle, after Viognier and Marsanne,

but before Roussanne.

Since we brought Grenache Blanc into our nursery, we have sold budwood and grafted vines to anumber of other Rhne-producing vineyards in California. The California climate of hot days and

cool nights seems to be perfect for the varietal and encourages its two prime qualities: richness withcrisp acids.

Early HistoryGrenache Blanc originated in Spain, and still plays a role in the wines of Rioja and Navarre. FromSpain, it spread to France, and has thrived in the vineyards of the Rhne valley and Chteauneuf-du-Pape. In Chteauneuf-du-Pape, the crisp acidity of Grenache Blanc is used to balance thehoneyed richness of Roussanne, and white Chteau de Beaucastel is roughly 80% Roussanne and20% Grenache Blanc.

Grenache Blanc at Tablas CreekWe imported cuttings of Grenache Blanc from Beaucastel in 1992, and the vines spent three yearsin quarantine at the USDA station in Geneva, New York. In 1995, the cuttings were declared virusfree and released to Tablas Creek Vineyard. These vines were received into our nursery and the firstgrafted vines went into the ground in 1996 . Our first significant harvest of the varietal was 1999.For the next three years (up to and including the 2001 Esprit de Beaucastel Blanc), we could onlyrefer to the varietal as Grenache on our label because Grenache Blanc was not yet recognized by theBureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. Not surprisingly, many people found this confusing andwe were regularly asked why we added a red varietal into our white blend. In 2002 we petitionedthe BATF to recognize Grenache Blanc as a separate varietal.

Grenache Blanc in CaliforniaEven as plantings of other white Rhone varietals have plateaued, the planting of Grenache Blanchas increased; almost 40% of the 159 acres planted in California were planted since 2005. To date,almost one third of all Grenache Blanc in California is planted in San Luis Obispo county, and mostof the single varietal Grenache Blancs released in California have come from the Central Coast.

Aromas and FlavorsGrenache Blanc is straw-colored and produces wines that are high in alcohol, with crisp acids. Thenose has bright green apple and mandarin orange aromas, with clean flavors of more apple, mineraland a touch of peach. It typically has a lingering finish with a hint of licorice. Although it can standconfidently on its own (as most recently in our 2008 Grenache Blanc, which will be sent out to our

wine club members as a part of ourspring 2010 wine club shipment), its crispness and long finishmake it a tremendous blending component. The crispness of Grenache Blanc shows well at lowtemperatures, whereas many white Rhne varietals shut down when served too cold. In our Esprit
http://www.tablascreek.com/espritblanc08.shtmlhttp://www.tablascreek.com/espritblanc08.shtmlhttp://www.tablascreek.com/espritblanc01.shtmlhttp://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/2010/02/a-tasting-of-the-wines-in-the-spring-2010-wine-club-shipment.htmlhttp://tablascreek.typepad.com/.a/6a00d8341c830853ef0120a8da01b7970b-popuphttp://www.tablascreek.com/espritblanc08.shtmlhttp://www.tablascreek.com/espritblanc08.shtmlhttp://www.tablascreek.com/espritblanc01.shtmlhttp://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/2010/02/a-tasting-of-the-wines-in-the-spring-2010-wine-club-shipment.html


16/24

de Beaucastel Blanc, the Grenache Blanc allows the wine to show well, even highly chilled (asmany restaurants often serve all white wines). As the wine warms up in the glass, the other varietalsunfold, and the full richness of the wine is displayed. Anyone interested in learning more aboutGrenache Blanc and Grenache is encouraged to attend theRhone Rangers tasting in San Francisco(March 27-28, 2010), where one seminar will be devoted to the grape.

February 26, 2010 inGrapes (mostly) of the Rhone Valley, Vineyard,VINsider Wine Club,Winery& Winemaking |Permalink| Comments (1)

Tasting the wines in the spring 2010 wine club shipment

Each spring and fall, we send out six wines to the members of ourVINsider Wine Club. With eachshipment we include a little update from our wine club director, an order form, and, of course,

production and tasting notes for the six wines in the club shipment. As these wines are typicallyunreleased, most of them do not yet have a Web page, and for me it's often one of my firstopportunities to taste these wines after bottling. It's always exciting, and the rest of the stafftypically joins me as we see, in effect, what's next. I thought it would be fun to share what I found.

In the order in which we'll be pouring them at ourMarch 6th club shipment tasting event:

GRENACHE BLANC 2008

Production notes: Grenache Blanc continues shine in Californias Central Coast. Most of ourproduction goes into our Esprit de Beaucastel Blanc each year, but in 2008 we reserved asmall (565 case) lot for our wine club. It had a very long fermentation (in a mix of stainlesssteel and foudre) that didnt finish until nearly a year after harvest. It was bottled inSeptember 2009.

Tasting notes: A clean nose of mineral, green apple, grapefruit and pear, with flavors thatbegin bright with lemon and lime, then broaden in the mid-palate before re-tightening on thefinish with a lingering character of green apple skin and wet rocks. Drink in the next two tothree years.

Press:Tanzer's I.W.C. 89 points(11/09) Quantity Produced: 565 cases List Price: $27 VINsider Price: $21.60
http://www.rhonerangers.org/calendar/sf_grand_tasting.phphttp://www.rhonerangers.org/calendar/sf_grand_tasting.phphttp://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/grapes-of-the-rhone-valley/http://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/grapes-of-the-rhone-valley/http://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/vineyard/http://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/vinsider_wine_club/http://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/vinsider_wine_club/http://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/winery_winemaking/http://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/winery_winemaking/http://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/winery_winemaking/http://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/2010/02/grapes-of-the-rhone-valley-grenache-blanc.htmlhttp://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/2010/02/grapes-of-the-rhone-valley-grenache-blanc.htmlhttp://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/2010/02/grapes-of-the-rhone-valley-grenache-blanc.html#commentshttp://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/2010/02/grapes-of-the-rhone-valley-grenache-blanc.html#commentshttp://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/2010/02/a-tasting-of-the-wines-in-the-spring-2010-wine-club-shipment.htmlhttp://www.tablascreek.com/wineclub.htmlhttp://www.tablascreek.com/wineclub.htmlhttp://www.tablascreek.com/wineclub_news.htmlhttp://www.tablascreek.com/wineclub_news.htmlhttp://www.tablascreek.com/pdf/Tanzer_Nov_2009.pdfhttp://www.tablascreek.com/pdf/Tanzer_Nov_2009.pdfhttp://www.tablascreek.com/pdf/Tanzer_Nov_2009.pdfhttp://tablascreek.typepad.com/.a/6a00d8341c830853ef01287796d4db970c-popuphttp://www.rhonerangers.org/calendar/sf_grand_tasting.phphttp://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/grapes-of-the-rhone-valley/http://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/vineyard/http://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/vinsider_wine_club/http://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/winery_winemaking/http://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/winery_winemaking/http://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/2010/02/grapes-of-the-rhone-valley-grenache-blanc.htmlhttp://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/2010/02/grapes-of-the-rhone-valley-grenache-blanc.html#commentshttp://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/2010/02/a-tasting-of-the-wines-in-the-spring-2010-wine-club-shipment.htmlhttp://www.tablascreek.com/wineclub.htmlhttp://www.tablascreek.com/wineclub_news.htmlhttp://www.tablascreek.com/pdf/Tanzer_Nov_2009.pdf


17/24

More athttp://www.tablascreek.com/grenacheblanc08.shtml

ROUSSANNE 2008

Production notes: 2008s relatively cool growing season produced wines of medium body,tremendous elegance, and expressive varietal character. The 2008 Roussanne was fermented

40% in oak (mostly old, neutral barrels), 20% in foudre, and 40% in stainless steel. Thewine was blended in July and bottled in September 2009. Tasting notes: An expressive nose of beeswax, lacquered wood, and white flowers, with a

powerful spiciness emerging with air. The mouth is juicy yet still restrained, with flavors ofpeaches and cream. The finish is more mineral, very clean, with almond, pear, honey andchamomile notes. Enjoy now or over the next 4-6 years.

Press:Parker 90-92 (8/09); Tanzer's IWC 90 (11/09) Quantity Produced: 720 cases List Price: $27 VINsider Price: $21.60 More athttp://www.tablascreek.com/roussanne08.shtml

ROS 2009

Production notes: The 2009 Ros reflects the generally tiny crop in 2009, and the particularshortage of Mourvdre. We were worried that given the extreme concentration of theMourvdre, using as much as we typically do (60% in most vintages) would produce a winetoo dark and structured. So, we reduced the Mourvdre to 46% and increased Grenache(39%) and Counoise (15%). We left the grapes on their skins for just under two days beforedrawing off the juice and completing the fermentation in stainless steel. The wine was

bottled in January 2010. Tasting notes: Cranberry in color, with an explosive nose of sour cherry, cranberry,

Christmas spices and orange zest. The mouth is incredibly juicy with flavors of maraschinocherry, sour strawberry and apple. Mouth-watering acidity on the long, dry finish cleans upthe wine's richness. Drink now through the end of 2011.

Quantity Produced: 640 cases List Price: $27.00 VINsider Price: $21.60 More athttp://www.tablascreek.com/rose09.shtml

GRENACHE 2007

Production notes: The 2007 Grenache, like the 2007 vintage, is big yet balanced, withpowerful aromas and flavors, and should benefit from short-term cellaring. The wine was

blended in June 2008, aged in foudre, and bottled in March 2009. 10% Syrah gives the winefirmness and a touch of mineral on the finish. Tasting notes: A powerful nose of mint, boysenberry, and licorice. Vibrantly fruity on the

palate with unusually dark tones for Grenache: black cherry, blueberry and black raspberry,followed by a long finish with some chalky tannins that cut the wines richness. We suggestyou hold this wine for 1-2 years and drink for the next decade.

Press:Parker 92 (8/09), Wine Spectator 92 (12/09) Quantity Produced: 750 cases List Price: $35 VINsider Price: $28 More athttp://www.tablascreek.com/grenache07.shtml

SYRAH 2007
http://www.tablascreek.com/grenacheblanc08.shtmlhttp://www.tablascreek.com/grenacheblanc08.shtmlhttp://www.tablascreek.com/pdf/Wine_Advocate_Aug09.pdfhttp://www.tablascreek.com/pdf/Wine_Advocate_Aug09.pdfhttp://www.tablascreek.com/pdf/Tanzer_Nov_2009.pdfhttp://www.tablascreek.com/roussanne08.shtmlhttp://www.tablascreek.com/roussanne08.shtmlhttp://www.tablascreek.com/rose09.shtmlhttp://www.tablascreek.com/rose09.shtmlhttp://www.tablascreek.com/pdf/Wine_Advocate_Aug09.pdfhttp://www.tablascreek.com/pdf/Wine_Advocate_Aug09.pdfhttp://www.tablascreek.com/pdf/WineSpectator_Insider_12-9-09.pdfhttp://www.tablascreek.com/grenache07.shtmlhttp://www.tablascreek.com/grenache07.shtmlhttp://www.tablascreek.com/grenacheblanc08.shtmlhttp://www.tablascreek.com/pdf/Wine_Advocate_Aug09.pdfhttp://www.tablascreek.com/pdf/Tanzer_Nov_2009.pdfhttp://www.tablascreek.com/roussanne08.shtmlhttp://www.tablascreek.com/rose09.shtmlhttp://www.tablascreek.com/pdf/Wine_Advocate_Aug09.pdfhttp://www.tablascreek.com/pdf/WineSpectator_Insider_12-9-09.pdfhttp://www.tablascreek.com/grenache07.shtml


18/24

Production notes: The powerful 2007 vintage produced our most intense Syrah ever. Agedin a combination of 1200-gallon foudres and small new Dargaud & Jaegle 60-gallon pieces,we blend our Syrah for a balance of fruit, mineral, and spice, and add 10% Grenache for itssignature acidity and openness. The wine was blended in August 2008, aged in a singlefoudre and bottled in March 2009.

Tasting notes: A deep, dark nose of ink, soy and iodine, with a little oak and black fruit

sneaking through. The mouth shows mineral, blackberry, iron and spice, with beautifultannins and length. This is a wine for the long term; hold for 3-5 years, and then drink foranother fifteen.

Press:Parker 92 (8/09); Tanzers IWC 91 (11/09) Quantity Produced: 685 cases List Price: $35 VINsider Price: $28 More athttp://www.tablascreek.com/syrah07.shtml

PANOPLIE 2007

Production notes: The 2007 Panoplie is a wine of incredible lushness and power. As always,

Panoplie is selected from lots in the cellar chosen for their balance, richness, andconcentration. The components (60% Mourvdre, 30% Grenache, and 10% Syrah) were

blended in July 2008 and aged in foudre before bottling in July of 2009. Tasting notes: Dense purple-red in color. A dark, meaty nose with aromas of sweet earth,

plums and nutmeg. Explosive in the mouth, with flavors of currant, plum, cocoa powder andred licorice, finishing drier and powerfully tannic. Hold, if possible, until 2015, and drinkfor two decades after that.

Press:Parker 96-98 (8/09); Tanzer's IWC 95 (11/09) Quantity Produced: 540 cases List Price: $95 VINsider Price: $76 More athttp://www.tablascreek.com/panoplie07.shtml

More details on the shipment are available online for anyone interested:http://www.tablascreek.com/wineclub_news.html. A few final thoughts are below.

First, these 2007's are built for the long haul. I wouldn't touch the Syrah for several years, and theGrenache seems to me to be likely to benefit from a year or two of aging. Surprisingly, it was thePanoplie, of the three, that was the most giving right now. That's one of the things that we loveabout Mourvedre: it has loads of chewy tannin and can be aged beautifully, but doesn't have thehardness when young that most similarly-structured varietals have.

Second, I'm really coming to love the elegance of the 2008's. The 2008 whites show medium body,sparkling acidities, very pretty fruit flavors and spot-on varietal character. I think that the wines arealready showing beautifully, even with varieties like Roussanne that are typically structure-bound atthis age. I'm not sure I'd recommend laying these whites down (though their exquisite balancesuggests they could be) but for drinking right now I'm not sure we've ever made a more appealingvintage.

February 12, 2010 inEvents, Harvest 2007,Harvest 2008,Reviews & Press,VINsider Wine Club |Permalink|Comments (2)

Panoplie 2000-2008: A Vertical Wine Tasting Fit for the Holidays

There are certain wines in our portfolio I drink fairly often, and others that I hardly ever drink. Theones I drink a lot are probably predictable: I tend to have the current vintages of Cotes de Tablas
http://www.tablascreek.com/pdf/Wine_Advocate_Aug09.pdfhttp://www.tablascreek.com/pdf/Wine_Advocate_Aug09.pdfhttp://www.tablascreek.com/pdf/Tanzer_Nov_2009.pdfhttp://www.tablascreek.com/syrah07.shtmlhttp://www.tablascreek.com/syrah07.shtmlhttp://www.tablascreek.com/pdf/Wine_Advocate_Aug09.pdfhttp://www.tablascreek.com/pdf/Wine_Advocate_Aug09.pdfhttp://www.tablascreek.com/pdf/Tanzer_Nov_2009.pdfhttp://www.tablascreek.com/panoplie07.shtmlhttp://www.tablascreek.com/panoplie07.shtmlhttp://www.tablascreek.com/wineclub_news.htmlhttp://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/events/http://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/events/http://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/harvest_2007/http://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/harvest_2007/http://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/harvest_2008/http://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/reviews_press/http://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/reviews_press/http://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/vinsider_wine_club/http://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/vinsider_wine_club/http://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/2010/02/a-tasting-of-the-wines-in-the-spring-2010-wine-club-shipment.htmlhttp://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/2010/02/a-tasting-of-the-wines-in-the-spring-2010-wine-club-shipment.html#commentshttp://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/2010/02/a-tasting-of-the-wines-in-the-spring-2010-wine-club-shipment.html#commentshttp://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/2009/12/panoplie-2000-2008-a-vertical-wine-tasting-fit-for-the-holidays.htmlhttp://www.tablascreek.com/pdf/Wine_Advocate_Aug09.pdfhttp://www.tablascreek.com/pdf/Tanzer_Nov_2009.pdfhttp://www.tablascreek.com/syrah07.shtmlhttp://www.tablascreek.com/pdf/Wine_Advocate_Aug09.pdfhttp://www.tablascreek.com/pdf/Tanzer_Nov_2009.pdfhttp://www.tablascreek.com/panoplie07.shtmlhttp://www.tablascreek.com/wineclub_news.htmlhttp://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/events/http://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/harvest_2007/http://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/harvest_2008/http://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/reviews_press/http://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/vinsider_wine_club/http://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/2010/02/a-tasting-of-the-wines-in-the-spring-2010-wine-club-shipment.htmlhttp://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/2010/02/a-tasting-of-the-wines-in-the-spring-2010-wine-club-shipment.html#commentshttp://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/2009/12/panoplie-2000-2008-a-vertical-wine-tasting-fit-for-the-holidays.html


19/24

and Esprit de Beaucastel with good frequency, both tasting with guests at the winery and workingout in the market. I'm a fan of Mourvedre and Roussanne, and my wife is a fan of Vermentino andRose, so we have those regularly at our house. And, because their cellar life is longer, becausethey're our most widely distributed wines, and because we keep a healthy library at the winery, Irarely go too long without tasting most of our vintages of Esprit de Beaucastel or Esprit deBeaucastel Blanc.

But I have gotten several questions recently on how different vintages of our Panoplie have beentasting. I realized that I honestly didn't know, and didn't have the knowledge to accurately updatethevintage chart we maintain. For the unfamiliar, Panoplie is our top red wine, made only in topvintages, and in the model of Beaucastel'sHommage a Jacques Perrin. Like theHommage, it isalways heavy on Mourvedre, and tends to be light on Syrah. We choose Mourvedre lots that arestructured enough to stand without Syrah (which lends structure, but also tends to dominate a blendand make it too monolithic). We blend Panoplie unapologetically to age. So, we're expecting allthese wines to last two decades or more. But our first vintage of Panoplie is now nearly a decadeold, and (understandably) some of the lucky customers who got some of those 67 cases have beenasking whether it's drinking well now. I honestly couldn't tell them.

So, I decided it was time to open up a vertical of Panoplie, ranging from 2000 to the not-yet-bottled2008, to get a sense of where in their evolutions the wines were, and what we might expect goingforward. I also wanted to get a big-picture overview of how our thinking about this wine hadevolved over the last decade. I was joined for the tasting by my dad, as well as winemaker NeilCollins and assistant winemaker Chelsea Magnusson. We chose the afternoon of the Wednesday

before Christmas as an appropriate day: for most of us the last work day before the holidayweekend. We were feeling festive, and vertical tastings like this are one of the most fun rewards weget to give ourselves. The tasting notes (note that we didn't make a Panoplie in 2001):

2000 Panoplie (55% Mourvedre, 30% Syrah, 15% Grenache): a minty, menthol but dark,gamy nose. In the mouth, grippy tannins and very dark fruit. Very Syrah-dominant. It hasnice length and good acids to balance the structure, but it's not very giving right now. Thiswas the only wine in the group that was starting to show some secondary meaty, leatheryflavors, but until the tannins calm down a little more I'd recommend that people still give it alittle more time.

2002 Panoplie (80% Mourvedre, 13% Grenache, 7% Counoise): a really pretty nose withred licorice and berries. Sweet-smelling, but totally dry on the palate. Still has good tannicgrip but is rounder than the 2000, with some flavors of bittersweet chocolate and grilledsteak joining the brambly berry fruit. Neil commented that you could taste the Counoise inthe brambliness. Delicious, and still youthful. My favorite of the tasting for drinking now.

2003 Panoplie (69% Mourvedre, 21% Grenache, 7% Syrah, 3% Counoise; the onlyPanoplie where we used all four of our principal red varietals): a figgy, plummy, slightlyporty nose with a hint of oxidation. In the mouth, sweet flavors of plum jam and mintchocolate. Juiciness builds on the palate, which shows more freshness than the nose. Thefinish turns darker and is still quite tannic. The wine doesn't seem fully resolved right nowwith the nose and palate not really in sync. I'd suggest people wait a little while and tryagain.

2004 Panoplie (69% Mourvedre, 21% Grenache, 10% Syrah): beautiful nose of cassis,raspberry, soy, and mint, fresh but layered and deep. The mouth is full of sweet fruit,

particularly blueberry and currant, and the texture is seamless. You feel the tannins on thefinish, but they're cloaked in fruit. At this stage, the palate seemed a little overtly sweet, but

the wine is delicious. Chelsea commented that this was the wine she'd take home for herparents.
http://www.tablascreek.com/pdf/vintage_chart.pdfhttp://www.tablascreek.com/pdf/vintage_chart.pdfhttp://www.tablascreek.com/panoplie00.shtmlhttp://www.tablascreek.com/panoplie02.shtmlhttp://www.tablascreek.com/panoplie03.shtmlhttp://www.tablascreek.com/panoplie04.shtmlhttp://www.tablascreek.com/pdf/vintage_chart.pdfhttp://www.tablascreek.com/panoplie00.shtmlhttp://www.tablascreek.com/panoplie02.shtmlhttp://www.tablascreek.com/panoplie03.shtmlhttp://www.tablascreek.com/panoplie04.shtml


20/24

2005 Panoplie (70% Mourvedre, 25% Grenache, 5% Syrah): nose is a little more closedthan the 2004; smells tight and extracted, with a eucalyptus and some dark fruit coming outwith time. On the palate, the wine (like many of our 2005's) is still tannic, though it has a

promising savory, tangy note that comes out on the finish. Neil called it "chunky" rightnow, which I thought was right on. Definitely wait on this one, probably at least anotherfew years.

2006 Panoplie (68% Mourvedre, 27% Grenache, 5% Syrah): Smells young, with a littlealcohol joining the brambly fruit on the nose. With a little time in the glass, this wineblossomed, with licorice, herbs and more fruit coming out on the nose. In the mouth, it'snice and juicy with the characteristic tangy acids of the 2006 vintage. Neil thought it tasted"a little wound up" but that it showed beautiful balance and promise. That said, it's a lotmore approachable than the 2005, but anyone giving it a try should definitely decant. I'dsuspect that it will shut down in another year or two, and then reopen a few years later anddrink well for a long time. My dad's and Chelsea's favorite wine of the tasting.

2007 Panoplie (60% Mourvedre, 30% Grenache, 10% Syrah): The nose is dense andextracted, and just exudes power. It tastes very rich, at least as dense as it smells, andvibrates with flavors of red and black licorice. There is an appealing brushy, herby

character that suggests that when it calms down a bit, and develops some secondary flavors,it will be a remarkably complex wine. The tannins are powerful all the way through to thefinish, and tend to block the finish a bit. Definitely wait... but expect to be rewardedhandsomely for your patience.

2008 Panoplie (54% Mourvedre, 29% Grenache, 17% Syrah; tasted from foudre; will bebottled summer 2010 and released spring 2011): A nice roasted coffee note on the nose, withan inkiness that appears to come from the higher Syrah content (the cool 2008 vintage was agreat one for Syrah). In the mouth, you taste flavors in sequence rather than all together,which isn't unusual at this stage of a wine's life: first some nice sweet oak, then black fruit,then tannin. There is a nice lift and clarity on the finish that is totally characteristic of the2008 vintage. It's a little disjointed now, but will be very classic and classy. Neil's favoritewine of the tasting. This wine will go out in the spring 2011 VINsider Wine Club shipment.

In the big picture, we've refined our model a bit. As with the Esprit, our percentage of Grenachehas risen gradually as the vines have aged and we're liking it more. We also went through a coupleof vintages (2003 and 2004) where the wines were a little sweeter, and have moved back to a drierstyle. We took advantage of the vintage character of 2008 to add more Syrah than we have in anyPanoplie since 2000 (and will likely do so again in 2009). But what struck us more than thedifferences were the similarities. All these wines were more than half Mourvedre, and thecharacteristic Mourvedre flavors of plum, currant, mocha and roasted meat was a commondenominator in all eight wines. And they all shared the chewy structure that ripe, concentrated

Mourvedre brings and which gives longevity to wines. The vintages brought variations incharacter, and the denser, more tannic vintages like 2000, 2005, and 2007 all show even morestructure than their corresponding Esprits. Right now, the relatively more elegant vintages of 2002,2004, 2006 and 2008 gave more pleasure... but I don't have any doubt that even the biggest of thesewines has the balance to age for decades.

It will be a pleasure to find out if I'm right.

December 25, 2009 inLibrary Wines, VINsider Wine Club |Permalink| Comments (3)
http://www.tablascreek.com/panoplie05.shtmlhttp://www.tablascreek.com/panoplie06.shtmlhttp://www.tablascreek.com/panoplie07.shtmlhttp://www.tablascreek.com/panoplie08.shtmlhttp://www.tablascreek.com/wineclub_shipments.htmlhttp://www.tablascreek.com/wineclub_shipments.htmlhttp://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/library_wines/http://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/library_wines/http://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/vinsider_wine_club/http://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/2009/12/panoplie-2000-2008-a-vertical-wine-tasting-fit-for-the-holidays.htmlhttp://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/2009/12/panoplie-2000-2008-a-vertical-wine-tasting-fit-for-the-holidays.htmlhttp://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/2009/12/panoplie-2000-2008-a-vertical-wine-tasting-fit-for-the-holidays.html#commentshttp://www.tablascreek.com/panoplie05.shtmlhttp://www.tablascreek.com/panoplie06.shtmlhttp://www.tablascreek.com/panoplie07.shtmlhttp://www.tablascreek.com/panoplie08.shtmlhttp://www.tablascreek.com/wineclub_shipments.htmlhttp://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/library_wines/http://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/vinsider_wine_club/http://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/2009/12/panoplie-2000-2008-a-vertical-wine-tasting-fit-for-the-holidays.htmlhttp://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/2009/12/panoplie-2000-2008-a-vertical-wine-tasting-fit-for-the-holidays.html#comments


21/24

The importance of multi-channel marketing (AKA yes, print will be seen bymore eyes than email)

This month, we launched the VINsider Wine Club Collectors Edition, which gives its membersaccess to library vintages of Esprit de Beaucastel and Esprit de Beaucastel Blanc that weve aged inour cellars. As we have held back only a limited quantity of our older wines, we announced an

initial limit on numbers for 2009 to 250. With about 3600 wine club members, I was fairlyconfident that wed get to our maximum, and in fact we have. Weve reached our 250 and will becutting off any further registrations at the end of this week.

What has been interesting to me was the relative effectiveness of the different effort we've used topromote this new club. We have let our club members know four different times about thisopportunity.

1. July 28th: a mention as a part of our regular end-of-month email for July2. August 9th: a paper letter which we sent out on letterhead3. August 17th: a column in our fall newsletter4. August 25th: a prominent mention in the end-of-month email for August

I was expecting the greatest response to be from the first email mention, but this was not the case.In the five days after we sent out the email (about the limit, in my opinion, of the impact of a pieceof email communication) we netted 27 registrations. It was the paper letter that had the mostimpact. On August 10th, the first day anyone could have received it (realistically, just SouthernCalifornia) we received 29 registrations. The next day brought in 49. In total, in the week after wesent out the letter, we received 147 responses. The column in the newsletter produced 37 in thenext week. And this last email, which went out not even 36 hours ago, has netted another 44registrations so far, with more coming in.

I plotted the registrations by day on a graph, with the different marketing events noted:

Our experience launching this program has been for me a salient lesson in multi-channelmarketing. If you send out a regular email (as I think any winery, or really any business with directcustomers, should) you should expect that a significant percentage of its recipients are going toignore or skim the letter. Of course, some people may just toss a printed letter too, but these days, a

physical mailing, if its nicely done, is unusual enough that I think it commands more attention. Ofcourse, a print mailing is more expensive to produce and send out than an email by a factor ofsomething more than 100. But if what you are promoting is sufficiently valuable, its important toremember that it will see a lot more eyes than an email.
http://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/2009/08/the-importance-of-multichannel-marketing-aka-yes-print-will-be-seen-by-more-eyes-than-email.htmlhttp://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/2009/08/the-importance-of-multichannel-marketing-aka-yes-print-will-be-seen-by-more-eyes-than-email.htmlhttp://www.tablascreek.com/wineclub_collectors.htmlhttp://www.tablascreek.com/wineclub_collectors.htmlhttp://www.tablascreek.com/wineclub_collectors.htmlhttp://tablascreek.typepad.com/.a/6a00d8341c830853ef0120a57a3e89970c-popuphttp://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/2009/08/the-importance-of-multichannel-marketing-aka-yes-print-will-be-seen-by-more-eyes-than-email.htmlhttp://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/2009/08/the-importance-of-multichannel-marketing-aka-yes-print-will-be-seen-by-more-eyes-than-email.htmlhttp://www.tablascreek.com/wineclub_collectors.html


22/24

As for emails, we saw very different response rates between the initial email that announced theCollectors Edition program, which saw only a small bump in registrations, and the one that wentout yesterday, which produced more response in the first day than the earlier email did in a week. Ithink there are three factors at play here.

1. Position within an email matters. In the initial email, we soft-played the section

promoting the Collectors Edition. I didnt want to steal the thunder of the letter that wascoming soon, and so we put the mention toward the end of the email. We do organize ourmonthly emails consistently, with -- in essence -- a table of contents at the beginning, socustomers can scan the email quickly, but I still think that many people dont make it pastthe first or second point in an email. In the recent email, the announcement about theCollectors Edition was the first section.

2. An announcement at the end of a limited time promotion tends to see more responsethan one at the beginning. We feature a wine each month, and typically see more orders atthe end of this monthly feature than at the beginning, even though we often sell out of thefeatured wine before the end of the month. Of course, communicating urgency -- in thiscase that there were only 25 spots left in the program -- helps. At the same time, its

important not to underestimate your customers, and save urgency for when its real.3. There is a cumulative effect to repeat marketing by different channels. Each mention,

as long as it feels natural and unforced, raises peoples curiosity and makes it more likelythat they will investigate further. By the end of the month-long program, Id hope thatnearly all our wine club members would have at least heard about and considered briefly ournew program.

None of this should be a revelation to marketers. Still, I spend more of my time working onmarketing than I do on any of the many other pieces of my weekly job, and I was taken by surpriseat some of our results. A few general lessons for any winery doing this sort of promotion:

Think about print as a complement to email marketing for anything special If youre going to use email marketing, make sure that your most important items are in the

beginning of your email. Better yet (if you can do it without overwhelming your customerswith too much mail) make it the sole focus of an email.

Dont be afraid, if you can do so within your established patterns, to mention an importantprogram in more than one email. A customer who may be distracted or buried when onemention comes in may have time to read the next one a few weeks later.

Expect to receive most of the results of an email within 48 hours. Marketing the same program through multiple channels can have a cumulative effect.

Oh, and as to the immediate item at hand? We have enough wine allow a slightly largermembership in the Collectors Edition club, and felt that doing so was fairer than cutting it offarbitrarily less than a day after our last call announcement. So, were going to accept anyadditional registrations through the end of this week. Anyone who misses that cutoff will be putonto a waiting list for 2010, when we expect to be able to expand the program a little more. Ifyou're interested in this year's shipment, which I think is exceptionally cool, act soon.

August 26, 2009 in Library Wines,VINsider Wine Club,Wine Marketing| Permalink|Comments(0)

Next
http://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/library_wines/http://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/vinsider_wine_club/http://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/vinsider_wine_club/http://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/vinsider_wine_club/http://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/wine_marketing/http://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/wine_marketing/http://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/2009/08/the-importance-of-multichannel-marketing-aka-yes-print-will-be-seen-by-more-eyes-than-email.htmlhttp://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/2009/08/the-importance-of-multichannel-marketing-aka-yes-print-will-be-seen-by-more-eyes-than-email.html#commentshttp://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/2009/08/the-importance-of-multichannel-marketing-aka-yes-print-will-be-seen-by-more-eyes-than-email.html#commentshttp://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/2009/08/the-importance-of-multichannel-marketing-aka-yes-print-will-be-seen-by-more-eyes-than-email.html#commentshttp://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/vinsider_wine_club/page/2/http://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/library_wines/http://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/vinsider_wine_club/http://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/wine_marketing/http://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/2009/08/the-importance-of-multichannel-marketing-aka-yes-print-will-be-seen-by-more-eyes-than-email.htmlhttp://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/2009/08/the-importance-of-multichannel-marketing-aka-yes-print-will-be-seen-by-more-eyes-than-email.html#commentshttp://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/2009/08/the-importance-of-multichannel-marketing-aka-yes-print-will-be-seen-by-more-eyes-than-email.html#commentshttp://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/vinsider_wine_club/page/2/


23/24

About the Tablas Creek blog

Links

Tablas Creek Web site Perrin et Fils Blog Beaucastel's Web Site Vineyard Brands Tablas Creek VINsider Wine Club Tablas Creek on Facebook

Get blog updates via email

Enter your Email

Powered by FeedBlitz

Follow on Twitter

@TablasCreek

Subscribe to this blog's feed

A (completely subjective) list of favorite posts

A paean to rain (and a phone call to Mabel) A Symposium on Roussanne (AKA three days spent with an infuriating, unpredictable,

enticing, lovely grape)

An Independence Day look at progress in direct shipping since Granholm v Heald Corks and Screwcaps: Not an open and shut case Earth Day thoughts on sustainability in the world of wine Getting "Personal" With Tablas Creek Wines Learning how to Blog: a few year-end reflections on two years of blogging Organic Vineyards... and Organic Wines Succeeding in a poor economy: it's all about the fundamentals Sulfites in Wine - What's Causing my Headache? Ten Years of Vintage Grades: Paso Robles Report Card 1999-2008 United States wine consumption and production changes (and what they mean for California

wineries) Wine markups at the wholesale, restaurant and retail level

Blog powered byTypePad
http://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/about-the-tablas-creek-blog.htmlhttp://www.tablascreek.com/http://www.perrin-et-fils.com/beaucastel/http://www.beaucastel.com/http://www.vineyardbrands.com/http://www.tablascreek.com/wineclub.htmlhttp://www.facebook.com/TablasCreekhttp://www.feedblitz.com/http://www.twitter.com/TablasCreekhttp://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/atom.xmlhttp://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/2009/12/a-paean-to-rain-and-a-phone-call-to-mabel.htmlhttp://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/2008/09/a-symposium-on.htmlhttp://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/2008/09/a-symposium-on.htmlhttp://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/2008/09/a-symposium-on.htmlhttp://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/2008/07/an-independence.htmlhttp://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/2007/07/corks-and-screw.htmlhttp://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/2008/04/earth-day-thoug.htmlhttp://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/2011/06/by-chelsea-magnusson-the-last-time-we-sat-down-to-go-through-the-2010-reds-in-the-cellar-winemaker-ryan-hebert-commented-th.htmlhttp://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/2007/12/learning-how-to.htmlhttp://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/2006/05/organic_vineyar.htmlhttp://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/2009/02/succeeding-in-a-poor-economy-its-all-about-the-fundamentals.htm

tables creek tasting all varieties

Documents