Budbreak gave us the first sign that we were going to see a later start to our growing season.  Flowering, which we saw first evidence of in mid-May but which is still widespread as we get into the second week of June, provided confirmation that we're roughly two weeks later than what we've come to be used to in recent years. 2018's more moderate spring appears to be something of a throwback, more like what we saw in the 2000's than the more extreme vintages in the 2010's. What does this all mean? Jason Haas explores on the blog. 

We have a treat for our monthly wine feature for June: the lively 2017 Vermentino.  This wine has a clean, spicy Vermentino nose of grapefruit pith, citrus leaf, white flowers and sea spray. The palate shows Vermentino's characteristic vibrant acids, with flavors of key lime, nectarine, and an ocean spray note that lingers on the long, clean, bright finish. Wine Advocate gave it 90 points and called it "glossy and pure" while Underground Wineletter called it "one of the greatest under the radar white wines in the world".

Until the end of the month, the wine (normally $27) is $24.50, and just $18.90 to VINsiders. Questions? Contact us at 805.237.1231 x236 or orders@tablascreek.com

Back in May we finally got a chance to taste all 12 red wines we'll be making from the 2017 vintage. Esprit and Panoplie were rich, lush, and intense, but with good structure and no sense of heaviness. The Mourvedre, Grenache, and Syrah were each powerfully evocative of what we love about each grape: Mourvedre meaty and chocolaty, Grenache juicy and vibrant, and Syrah smoky and spicy. Counoise was ridiculously electric, with masses of purple fruit that in most vintages it only hints at. And, equally important, thanks to the plentiful 2017 harvest, we'll be able to make solid amounts of all our wines. After five drought-impacted years, what a relief. [...continue reading on the Tablas Blog]

We’re excited to return to the Mediterranean in the summer of 2019 to host a cruise aboard the Oceania ship Sirena. Executive Winemaker Neil Collins will host this 14-day experience that begins June 15th, 2019 with a pre-cruise program in Avignon (including a behind-the-scenes visit to Chateau de Beaucastel and the Perrins' new properties in Gigondas, with a gourmet lunch prepared by Beaucastel’s Michelin-starred chef Laurent Deconick) before embarking in Monte Carlo on June 18th. The cruise will continue down the Italian coast, make stops in Corsica and Sardinia, cross the Mediterranean and proceed up the Spanish coast, disembarking in Barcelona on June 28th.

For details, including pricing, itinerary, and on-board program, visit our travel partner's Web site at foodandwinetrails.com/tablascreek2019. Robert Haas' account of our 2015 trip in this blog piece gives deeper insight of what a passenger can expect. We hope that you will join us!

Each year, we pick one wine to revisit, taste all our library vintages, and then share the highlights with the public. This year, we've decided to turn our focus to Tannat, the Basque grape famous for its dark color, powerful tannins, and tremendous ageworthiness. At this tasting, we will taste eight different vintages of Tannat, from our first-ever 2002 to the newly-bottled 2016, and discuss the wine's development. We'll conclude the event with lunch.

Seats at this unique opportunity are $85 for wine club members and $110 for guests, and the event will be limited to 75 people. We expect the event to sell out. For reservations or more information, please contact us at events@tablascreek.com or 805.237.1231 x236.