Tablas Creek, Paso Robles (Central Coast, California) 2011

I’ve long believed that California Rhone-style blends should be easy to drink in the same way their kissing cousins from the Rhone Valley are. Cotes-du-Rhone rouge is one of life’s greatest simple pleasures and worthy of imitation. Tablas Creek manages just that with its Patelin de Tablas, a blend of more than 50 percent syrah with generous portions of grenache and mourvedre and a mere splash of counoise. This is a pretty wine that is well balanced, with good acidity and moderate tannins. It exhibits both red and black fruit aromas, with a tinge of spice. It’s fruity and easy and just what the doctor ordered for a summery day with savory grilled meats from the barbecue.