Tablas Creek Vineyard Esprit Blanc de Tablas 2018

“Pale yellow. A complex, mineral-accented bouquet evokes ripe citrus and orchard fruits, buttered toast and pungent flowers, and a fennel nuance emerges with air. Shows impressive depth and clarity, offering intense orange, pear nectar, sweet butter and chamomile flavors that tighten up slowly on the back half. Powerful yet graceful in style, displaying sharp focus and minerally lift on a long, penetrating finish that features lingering floral and orchard fruit notes. 66% Roussanne, 21% Grenache Blanc, 3% Picardan, 2% Clairette Blanche. Drinking window: 2022-2029. 94 points

The recently bottled, newly released 2019 white wines here are definitely promising but still tightly wound, so by all means give them some air if you’re planning on opening them any time over the coming months. On the heels of the mostly brawny 2017s, the red wines of 2018 show brighter fruit personalities and greater tension, with more graceful tannin profiles. I suspect that they will appeal to readers who favor a more elegant, call it Old World, Paso Robles style and that they’ll also be approachable on the young side. Regardless of vintage, Tablas Creek produces distinctly elegant wines that are deceptively age-worthy, so don’t bet against these 2018s drinking well way beyond my projected drinking windows.”

Josh Raynolds, Vinous (12/20)