Why should you care? Widely considered among the finest producers in California’s Central Coast, Tablas Creek was one of the pioneering wineries of the west side of Paso Robles. This distinctive growing area marries the warm climate of Southern California with mineral-rich soils and cooling ocean breezes to produce wines that offer an uncanny combination of richness and vivacity. The entire range of wines from Tablas Creek is of consistently high quality, but the wines are not cheap, so beginning with the 2010 vintage the winery launched a high-value, high-production bottling called Patelin de Tablas, which is made from fruit sourced from trusted growers along with Tablas Creek’s own grapes.
What does it taste like? This blend of syrah, grenache, mourvedre and counoise shows plenty of Paso Robles fruit power but manages to come off as lively–even elegant. That’s no mean feat in this warm climate at any price, but at $20 it’s a gift. In fact, the Patelin represents one of my top California wine values of 2013. With its zesty redcurrant, strawberry and bitter cherry character and floral and spice accents, it has the depth and energy to work with a wide range of foods, hearty or light. My score: 91 points.
How much does it cost? $20.