“Patelin,” roughly translated, means a country neighborhood, and to me this wine comes across as the sort of youthful bistro wine one encounters in the French wine country. Made from Syrah, Grenache, and Mourvedre with a splash of Tannat and Counoise, it is aged in large oak uprights and bottled young. Medium red in color, it offers lively black raspberry, spicy cherry character in both its effusive aromas and juicy flavors. On the palate it is smooth, round and ever so lively. It finishes with a hint of earthiness and dusty tannin. But its primary appeal rides on the mid-palate juicy flavors. Best enjoyed over the next year or two.
Tablas Creek Vineyard, Paso Robles (Central Coast, California) 2020
By Norm Roby