TN: Campesino, Tablas Creek

WINE TALK
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  • 2014 Campesino Alina La Prenda - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Valley (4/10/2017)
    First outside wine of the spring. I saw this and worried it might be getting old. Not to worry. This has actually improved a bit with age. Light golden in color. The nose has wax, honey and slight orange peel. On the palate, there is an almond note and also a slight orange peel note. Good minerality. Complex. Almost bitter, but not quite on the finish. Pop and pour, it kept improving. (92 pts.)
    2005 Tablas Creek Esprit de Beaucastel - USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles (4/10/2017)
    In a great place right now. Ruby/purple in color. Slightly flat/cloudy. The nose has cherries, black raspberries, plums, slight earthiness and a bit of spice. On the palate, a nice creamy texture. Fresh cherries with some plums. Deep and layers of fruit with some earth. Good balance. Goes down easy. Seems to be at or close to peak at this point, but no hurry. (92 pts.)

Posted from CellarTracker

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Thanks for the notes, Loren!!

I am still struggling with the fact that it’s now 2017, so a '14 white doesn’t seem old to me… :neutral_face:

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I have a couple of these left from a case. Quite the QPR back in the day. Not so much these days.

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I agree about the question of concerns about a 14 being too old, especially a roussanne/Marsanne blend. I would hope this will continue to improve for many more years - and hopefully it ‘sings’ at room temperature as well.

Cheers!

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Thanks for the note Loren.
I have been producing a Rhone white wine for several years now and intially thought that much like other whites they needed to be served and released right away. I don’t think that’s true of Rhone whites. They tend to need more time to develop and come into their own. I have changed my winemaking style to reflect that, giving them longer in barrel and a bit more bottle age.

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Thanks Macario. Would you say that is true for the Grenache Blanc as well?