2007 Tablas Creek En Gobelet (91 Points)

We opened this bottle this past weekend to enjoy with one of my all-time favorite homemade dishes: curried lamb shanks.  This is a fantastic red blend from one of the best wineries in California, consisting of 48% Mourvedre, 47% Grenache, and 5% Tannat.  If you enjoy rich, creamy, tannic California Cabernet Sauvignons but are looking for something a bit more interesting and a lot more different, this wine should be on your short list!

I was feeling slightly flu-ish this past Sunday and was a little bit stuffy, so I couldn't tell too much about the wine's bouquet.  What I COULD detect was red and black fruit (especially raspberries), along with some oak, earth, and spice.

There is the usual red and black fruits in the complex flavor profile (plums, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, and sour cherries), along with plenty of savory herbs and spices like black pepper, sage, and rosemary.  There is a deft amount of oak, along with an earthy, tannic follow-though.

The wine went fairly well with the curried lamb shanks but would have paired better with a nice ribeye smothered in Kosher salt and freshly-cracked black pepper.

Though a few years old, this is still a VERY vibrant, young, slightly taut red blend.  It's drinking well right this moment, but I believe it will continue to age gracefully for another 20 to 30 years.  If you already have this bottle, definitely decant it for at least an hour.

For a complete, more thorough review, please visit my wine blog at:  http://vino-pinionated.blogspot.com/