The perfect wine to have in a box? We review the Patelin de Tablas Blanc from Tablas Creek Vineyard.
A white wine blend blend of 40% Grenache Blanc, 29% Viognier, 10% Vermentino, 8% Roussanne, 7% Marsanne and 6% Picpoul Blanc from sixteen top Rhone vineyards in Paso Robles, California.
We love the box wine format here at Reverse Wine Snob. However, our biggest complaint has always been the quality of wine being put INTO the box.
Many wineries/labels see this as an opportunity to use the cheapest wine possible in order to keep prices incredibly low. This has, unfortunately, given box wine a bad rap in this country.
Today we’re delighted to check out another box wine (sample submitted for review) from Tablas Creek Vineyard in Paso Robles. We’re big fans of their wines, but they can get pricey – $30 for a 750ml bottle for this white blend, although honestly that’s a bargain given the quality! That makes this 3L bag-in-a-box format an even bigger bargain.
This 3L box, equivalent to four 750ml bottles, retails for $105, making the bottle equivalent price $26.25. That means you get a nice cost savings plus all the other benefits of box wine but also you really can’t have too much of this juicy, deep and absolutely compelling wine. This might just be the perfect wine to have in a box!
We also love the transparency from Tablas Creek on how they make the Patelin de Tablas Blanc and where they source it from. Just check out all of info and vineyard sources below. This is definitely not a common sight on a boxed wine!
From the winery:
The Tablas Creek Vineyard Patelin de Tablas Blanc is a blend of six white Rhône and Rhone-adjacent varieties: Grenache Blanc, Viognier, Roussanne, Marsanne, Vermentino, and Picpoul Blanc with fruit from sixteen top Rhone vineyards in Paso Robles, each vineyard selected for its quality. Like many white wines from the Southern Rhône, it is based on the crisp acids and rich mouthfeel of Grenache Blanc, with Viognier for floral, tropical aromatics and luscious stone fruit flavors, Roussanne and Marsanne for structure and spice, and additions of Vermentino and Picpoul Blanc for brightness and texture.
Why the box? Since the 2021 vintage we have packaged a small portion of our Patelin de Tablas wines in 3L bag-in-box. This package carries a significantly lower carbon footprint (84% less!) than glass bottles while also offering advantages in preservation, storage, and portability. Each full box weighs just 7 pounds (four glass bottles containing the same amount of wine weigh 11 pounds) and because the bag inside the box deflates as wine is poured out, it will stay fresh in your fridge for several weeks after you open it.
Tasting Notes: A high-toned nose with tropical fruit and spice at the fore, showing notes of camphor, lemongrass, mandarin, and pineapple. The mouth shows kiwi and fresh apricot fruit, then bright pithy acids and chalky minerals. Drink now and over the next five years.
The 2024 vintage began with a second consecutive wet winter, giving the vines good reserves for the growing season. After a normal budbreak and a cool first half of the summer, those reserves were tested by our warmest-ever July and above-average temperatures through October. That led to a compressed harvest that was largely done by the second week of October and yields roughly 20% below our long-term averages. The low yields and warm year combined to produce fruit with intense flavors and noteworthy vibrancy.
All varietals for the Patelin de Tablas Blanc were whole-cluster pressed, and fermented in stainless steel to emphasize the clean crisp flavors and preserve the aromatics. Only native yeasts were used. After fermentation, the wines were racked and blended, then boxed in May 2025.
Vineyard Sources:
• 20% Viognier from Shandon Valley (San Juan Creek District)
• 18% Grenache Blanc and Vermentino from Duas Terras (Geneseo District)
• 14% Grenache Blanc from Whale Rock (Templeton Gap District)
• 9% Marsanne and Viognier from Derby (Templeton Gap District)
• 6% Grenache Blanc from Summerwood (Templeton Gap District)
• 5% Picpoul Blanc from Rails Nap (Geneseo District)
• 4% Grenache Blanc from Beckwith (Adelaida District)
• 4% Roussanne from Adelaida (Adelaida District)
• 4% Grenache Blanc and Roussanne from Alta Colina (Adelaida District)
• 4% Grenache Blanc from Templeton Preserve (El Pomar District)
• 3% Viognier from Paso de Record (Estrella District)
• 2% Viognier from Triple W Ranch (Adelaida District)
• 2% Roussanne from Nevarez (Estrella District)
• 2% Grenache Blanc from New Creations (Templeton Gap District)
• 2% Picpoul Blanc from Vine Shepherd (Creston District)
• 1% Viognier from Tablas Creek Vineyard’s Regenerative Organic Certified™ estate1,026 3L Boxes Produced
13.5% Alcohol
The 2024 Patelin de Tablas Blanc opens with fresh aromas of tropical fruit, melon, green apple, floral notes, lemongrass and wild herbs plus a touch of minerality. It’s a nice start but the excitement really starts in the mouth.
The wine tastes really lovely just don’t drink it too cold. Juicy and with great depth this is very easy to drink yet still quite compelling with lots of little touches to discover. Add in a smooth, round mouthfeel with lively acidity and this is perfect wine to have in a box.
It ends crisp, dry and quite long on the lip-smacking, tangy finish. This is absolutely lovely!
Find more of the Best Box Wines here!
This one also makes a great choice for our list of the best wedding wines!
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