2011 Patelin de Tablas

Tablas Creek did not have an easy go of things in 2011. The spring frost took with it a whopping 40% of the year's production, including 50% of the Grenache crop and 40% of the Syrah. Thankfully, Mourvedre was largely spared as the shoots were still not out when the frost hit. I tasted slightly fewer wines than normal this year as most of the single-variety reds weren't made in 2011 because production was so severely impacted by bad weather. General Manager Jason Haas describes 2012 as a much warmer year than 2011, but without any heat spikes. Tablas Creek will bottle some of their single-variety wines, although I did not taste them during my visit. The estate has also decided to regraft their Chardonnay parcel with Counoise, so there will be no more Chardonnay. As always, Jason Haas and his team led by long-time winemaker Neil Collins have done an outstanding job with a range of wines that spans from inexpensive bottlings all the way up to the flagships. One of the major developments at Tablas Creek is the estate's decision to remove references to Chateau de Beaucastel, their Rhone partner, from wine names and labels. This move is significant for many reasons. First, Tablas Creek's wines have stood on their own for years. But I believe there is a broader context, intentional or not. And that is that Paso Robles as a region has to make wines that can succeed on their merits rather than being California versions of Rhone wines. Personally, I think that is a great message.

Beginning with the 2011 vintage there will be no more references to Beaucastel on any of the Tablas Creek labels as the Perrins and the Haas family, the two partners in this venture, believe that the winery can and should stand on its own merit and that the Beaucastel association was no longer a necessity. Winemaker Neil Collins, who is a former chef, told me that he continues to be excited by working with counoise, which is now a component of four of the five blended red wines here, "because it has a softening and civilizing effect and tones down the bullies, like having a woman working in a restaurant kitchen. It keeps things in line."

As always, my tasting at Tablas Creek was a bit of a marathon session covering several dozen wines, but that is just a testament to a world-class winery that excels at so many things. This year I tasted with proprietor Jason Haas, winemaker Ryan Hebert and assistant winemaker Chelsea Magnusson. Haas describes 2011 as a difficult year. A devastating spring frost reduced yields by as much as 40% in some places. Vintage 2010 was characterized by a long growing season, but without the huge heat spikes that were seen elsewhere. It was also much more plentiful, which gave the winery the quality and ability to bottle its four main red Rhône varieties separately.