2011 Tablas Creek Vineyard Patelin de Tablas Blanc: Wine of the Week

Patelin is evidently French slang for "country neighborhood." It's also the name Tablas Creek Vineyard in Paso Robles gave to their newish line of Rhone style whites and reds sourced from their own and neighbors' grapes. Many of them have planted cuttings from Tablas Creek, which came originally from the famed Châteauneuf-du-Pape estate Château de Beaucastel. By blending their own grapes with their neighbors, Tablas Creek can produce this terrific Rhone-style white at a great price for the quality. This vintage, the second, is a blend of Grenache Blanc with Viognier, Roussanne and a touch of Marsanne. Fermented in stainless steel, the wine is crisp and aromatic, with aromas of white peach and honeysuckle. It's definitely not shy and has an appealing minerality that makes it ideal with shellfish, grilled shrimp or whole fish, seafood pasta and risotto.