2010 Tablas Creek Syrah
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Tasting notes
Superb, the 2010 Syrah offers up classic Syrah dark fruits, spice box, roasted meat and hints of licorice to go with a medium to full-bodied feel on the palate. Showing the cooler nature of the vintage with its clean, focused feel, this outstanding effort has a solid kick of tannin that emerges on the finish. Give it another 2-3 years of bottle age and enjoy over the following 5-7 years. Drink 2015-2022. Certainly a reference point for Paso Robles, Tablas Creek continues to produce wines in a restrained, age-worthy and savory style that sets them apart. Both 2010 and 2011 are strong here, with the 2010s showing additional depth and concentration and the 2011s showing pretty, elegant profiles. I suspect the 2011s will be on faster evolutionary tracks, but given their balance, they could surprise in the cellar. In addition to their current releases, I was able to do short verticals of their Esprit de Beaucastel (which is now called Esprit de Tablas) and Panoplie. To say I came away impressed would be an understatement. Tel. (805) 237-1231; www.tablascreek.com
Critic scores
Average Score
Jeb Dunnuck
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
More reviews and scores
Glass-staining ruby. Intense, spice-accented aromas of cherry, cassis and pipe tobacco, with a floral nuance gaining strength with air. Juicy and focused on the palate, offering bitter cherry and dark berry preserve flavors and suggestions of candied violet and anise. Dusty tannins add grip to the impressively persistent finish, which leaves floral and cherry pit notes behind.
Dark plums, spices, black olives, violets and licorice all come to life in 2010 Syrah. The aromas and flavors literally jump out of the glass. There is a centerdeness and focus in the fruit that is immensely appealing. The 2010 Syrah was fermented in oak uprights and aged in foudre, with just a dollop of new oak.
The 2010 Tablas Creek Syrah, also tasted as a barrel sample, has a cool-climate feel in its meaty, peppery profile. More roasted herb, licorice, and violet qualities emerge from the glass, and this medium+ bodied Syrah is fresh, focused, and shows polished, elegant tannin on the length finish. It too should have upwards of a decade of prime drinking.