The prodigious 2007 Esprit de Beaucastel is a blend of 44% Mourvedre, 29% Grenache, 21% Syrah, and the rest Counoise. A very great wine, very much in the mold of its French cousin, Chateau Beaucastel, the wine has a saturated ruby/purple color and a gorgeous nose of melted licorice, charcoal, blueberry, and blackberries intermixed with freshly sliced mushrooms, tree bark, and pepper. Spicy, dense, full-bodied, and extraordinarily complex, yet at the same time well-delineated and fresh, it should drink well for 10-15+ years. Robert Haas, the iconic French wine importer, who was one of the first to bring estate-bottled French wines into the United States, continues to go from strength to strength at Tablas Creek. His partner remains the Perrin family of Chateau Beaucastel in Chateauneuf du Pape. They have had three tiny vintages in a row, all producing very small yields, but the quality of their 2007s is the best in the history of the winery, and 2008 is certainly a strong vintage as well. These are wonderful, food-friendly wines with considerable complexity. While they do some varietal naming, the strength of Tablas Creek is their extraordinary Rhone Ranger blends, whether white or red. The 2009 vintage turned out to be an even smaller crop than 2008 and 2007 as a result of spring frost.Tel. (805) 237-1231; Fax (805) 237-1314

The prodigious 2007 Esprit de Beaucastel is a blend of 44% Mourvedre, 29% Grenache, 21% Syrah, and the rest Counoise. A very great wine, very much in the mold of its French cousin, Chateau Beaucastel, the wine has a saturated ruby/purple color and a gorgeous nose of melted licorice, charcoal, blueberry, and blackberries intermixed with freshly sliced mushrooms, tree bark, and pepper. Spicy, dense, full-bodied, and extraordinarily complex, yet at the same time well-delineated and fresh, it should drink well for 10-15+ years. Robert Haas, the iconic French wine importer, who was one of the first to bring estate-bottled French wines into the United States, continues to go from strength to strength at Tablas Creek. His partner remains the Perrin family of Chateau Beaucastel in Chateauneuf du Pape. They have had three tiny vintages in a row, all producing very small yields, but the quality of their 2007s is the best in the history of the winery, and 2008 is certainly a strong vintage as well. These are wonderful, food-friendly wines with considerable complexity. While they do some varietal naming, the strength of Tablas Creek is their extraordinary Rhone Ranger blends, whether white or red. The 2009 vintage turned out to be an even smaller crop than 2008 and 2007 as a result of spring frost. Tel. (805) 237-1231; Fax (805) 237-1314

This is one of the richer Rhone-style reds coming out of Paso Robles. It’s potent in blackberry and cherry pie filling, blueberry, anise, dark chocolate and smoky cedar flavors. The richness is balanced with fine, silky tannins. Best now–2013.——S.H.(10/1/2009)—— 90