2009 Grenache Blanc

Jason Haas and his Tablas Creek team continue methodically to expand their portfolio "as we keep exploring what the potential is here for pretty much any Mediterranean variety. We're still generations away from figuring out what's ideal for these soils, so we have to start somewhere," he added. Haas and winemaker Neil Collins are especially excited by the potential for their young field-blend vineyard, which is planted on original rootstock. The wine from these vines, called En Gobelet, is a blend of head-trained mourvedre, tannat and grenache that has thus far been made only in 2007 and 2009. (I scored the '07 92 points two years ago and a barrel sample of the 2009 I tasted in September looked extremely promising. In fact, it was one of the best young wines I tasted on my trip.) Collins believes that the '09 whites "have a fat, textural quality that's a lot like the southern Rhone; they'll drink well young but should live on their depth and concentration." As for the new set of red wines, he told me that he really likes 2008 "because it's a vintage where variety and site shine clearly, whereas 2007 was more about the heat of the vintage. The best 2008s have intensity without weight, which is sort of the ideal for a wine as far as we're concerned." Haas pointed out that in 2008 all the varietal wines are 100% made from the variety on the label.