Tablas Creek "Esprit de Beaucastel" Paso Robles 2004

Deep red.

I'd be very hard-pressed to identify this as CA wine - seamless nose of clay/earth, cherry jam, toasted nut, licorice. Interesting, deep and not at all fruit-driven. No suggestion of alcohol.

Round, mouth-filling - surprisingly fresh flavors of red raspberry, spice and just a hint of earth. Acid-driven tannin clamps down pretty strongly in the finish, but red fruit flavor sails through. Almost saline finish, with a slightly baked fruit character emerging.

Day 3 - Deep, fresh aromas of raspberry and mint, with Bandol-like earth/licorice underneath. Then iron .. Very interesting, effortless, complexity. Nice depth in the mouth, with a grainy impression. Round, well-concentrated, nothing out of balance.
Love to see this again in 6-8 years.

A great contrast in style to other "West-Side" Paso wineries.

$40 (50% Mourvedre, 27% Syrah, 17% Grenache, 6% Counoise, 14.5% Alcohol listed)