Tablas Creek was founded in 1987 by the Perrin family of Château de Beaucastel, and the Haas family, owners of the US importer Vineyard Brands. After many years travelling across the United States together to promote the Perrin wines, Robert Haas and Jacques Perrin agreed that California’s climate was ideally suited to the Rhône’s native grape varieties and decided to establish their own winery.
In 1989, they purchased a 50-hectare parcel in west Paso Robles, where the shallow, rocky and limestone-rich soils are based on the same geologic origins as the Beaucastel vineyards. Located 12 miles from the Pacific Ocean, the Tablas Creek Vineyard is named after the small creek which flows through the estate. The vineyards are on average 450 metres above sea level, where hot and sunny days are tempered by cool nights, resulting in fully ripe grapes with fresh acidity. Tablas Creek took the decision to import cuttings from the Beaucastel estate and establish their own nursery, with grafting facilities, to propagate cuttings used to replant the estate vineyards. The estate is dry-famed and has been certified organic since 2003 and biodynamic since 2017. Reinforcing the estate’s commitment to sustainability, Tablas Creek became the first winery to attain Regenerative Organic Certification in 2020. Their intention is to ensure the purest vineyard and vintage expression.
Tablas Creek’s winemaking philosophy aims to produce wines of intensity and character. Juice is fermented using indigenous yeast in a combination of small and large French oak barrels, as well as stainless steel, depending on the grape variety. Following the tradition of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, the wines are blended in the spring after harvest. Aromatic whites are settled briefly in stainless steel tanks before bottling, while the Roussanne-based whites and the reds are aged for an additional year in 5,500-litre French oak foudres.
French slang for ‘neighbourhood’, the ‘Patelin de Tablas’ wines are accessible Rhône-style blends. The fruit is sourced from neighbouring sites they know and respect, all of which were planted with cuttings from the Tablas Creek nursery and are farmed sustainably. These different parcels experience the cool coastal breezes of the Templeton Gap and the high-elevation influence of El Palomar, as well as the warmer inland temperatures of the Estrella district. Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre and a small proportion of Counoise and Terret Noir make up the blend for the ‘Patelin de Tablas Rouge’. It has a Syrah-driven nose with aromas of black olive and liquorice, and a juicy core of spiced blackberry.
Grapes: Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre, Counoise, Terret Noir
Region: Paso Robles, CA
Country: USA
ABV: 13%
Vintage : 2022
