2019 Tablas Creek Panoplie Rouge, California

Glass-staining ruby. A highly complex bouquet evokes red and blue fruit preserves, incense and baking spices, and a suave floral quality emerges with aeration. Sappy, sharply delineated Chambord, blueberry, fruitcake and candied violet flavors deliver a spicy jolt of cracked pepper. Shows outstanding depth as well as vivacity and finishes spicy and extremely long, with the blue fruit and floral notes emphatically repeating.

97 points Josh Raynolds vinous.com

Tablas Creek Panoplie Rouge is the flagship red from one of California’s most respected Rhône-style producers, and one of the most sought-after blends in Paso Robles. Produced only in exceptional vintages and in very limited quantities, Panoplie is a rich, powerful and age-worthy red made primarily from Mourvèdre, supported by Syrah and Grenache, all grown on the biodynamically farmed estate in the limestone-rich Adelaida District.

The wine is inspired by the great wines of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, particularly those that let Mourvèdre take the lead. Fermentation is done in small open-top fermenters with native yeasts, followed by ageing in large French oak foudres for around 18 months to integrate tannins and build texture without adding overt oak flavour. The result is a wine that offers depth and weight, but also freshness and clarity — a hallmark of Tablas Creek’s style.

In the glass, Panoplie opens with deep aromas of blackberry, black cherry, smoked meat, leather, bay leaf, dried herbs and earth. The palate is full bodied and muscular, yet polished, with dense dark fruit, savoury spice, crushed rock and a long, seamless finish. Tannins are ripe and firm, giving the wine structure and longevity without heaviness.

Food pairing: best with slow-roasted lamb, braised short ribs, duck with wild mushrooms, or grilled portobello and lentil stew. Also excellent with aged cheeses like Comté, aged gouda or blue cheese.

Cellar potential: built to evolve over 15 to 25 years. Will develop truffle, game and savoury depth with time while retaining fruit core and minerality.