2008 appears to be a very good vintage for Tablas Creek's white wines, but the only bottled 2008 I tasted is the 2008 Vermentino, a light straw-colored effort with a greenish hue. Tart lemon zest notes are accompanied by herb and crushed rock undertones in this fresh, light to medium-bodied, crisp white. It is ideal for drinking over the next year. This Paso Robles outpost is owned by two Francophiles, Frenchman Francois Perrin (one of the owners of the Rhone Valley's Chateau Beaucastel) and Robert Haas (founder of the import company Vineyard Brands, and a pioneer importer of estate-bottled French wines). Seeking out steep limestone ridges near the Pacific Ocean, Tablas Creek was a work in progress for its first four to five years, but it has come on like gang-busters in the 21st century. The 2007s are unquestionably their finest wines to date, but readers should not overlook the excellent 2006s. Tel. (805) 237-1231; Fax (805) 237-1314