2003 Tablas Creek Esprit de Beaucastel

This was a nice treat tonight that tom246 and DW brought to Under the Moon in Bordentown tonight, but what is really funny is the fact that I almost brought an '04 of this same wine. What are the odds? This too was popped and poured tonight as there was no time to decant, and again, this wine could definitely benefit from a 1-4 hour decant in my humble opinion. This dark color in the glass, and a great Chateaunuef-du-Pape like nose. Another floral nose, with some good earthy aspects and spice to it. The fruit profile consisted of plum and black cherry, with hints of black licorice, and a hint of pencil lead. On the palate, this wine still seemed pretty tight to me, but opened up over the course of an hour and a half to two hours. Nice dark fruits on the palate ranging from sour cherry to blackberry, with a nice spice and subtle hints of leather. The alcohol seemed to be integrated nicely, with a nice acidity. The finish still seemed tight, but that just proves that this wine has some years left in the bottle, and is only going to get better. Regardless, a nice bottle of wine that has unlimited potential, and leave it to Tablas Creek to bring a little taste of Rhone to the United States. I'd hold these another 1-3 years before revisiting, but in that time frame, I think it is going to evolve nicely! Huge thanks to tom246 and DW for bringing this wine from their cellar tonight! Cheers!