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115 Tablas Creek Vineyard PASO ROBLES When two notable international wine families combine forces to create a California-based operation, you know it's going to be great. Tablas Creek Vineyard, a key pioneer of California's Rhône movement, is a partnership between the Perrin family of Chateau de Beaucastel and the Haas family of Vineyard Brands. Groundbreaking importer Robert Haas first introduced the Perrins' famed Chateauneuf-du-Pape estate to America in the late 1960s. After two decades of traveling, exploring, and tasting together, Haas and the brothers Jean-Pierre and Francois Perrin agreed that the uniquely Mediterranean climate and limestone soils of Paso Robles would produce phenomenal Rhône varieties. And so Tablas Creek was born. Established in 1989, Tablas Creek Vineyard practices biodynamic farming on a 120-acre, organic estate just over 10 miles from the Pacific Coast. Planted with cuttings from Beaucastel—including Mourvèdre, Syrah, Grenache, Counoise, Roussanne, Marsanne, Grenache Blanc, Viognier, and Picpoul—the land is home to roaming sheep, alpacas, and two endearing guard donkeys. The vineyard is largely dry-farmed and produces wines of depth, power, and elegance. Today Tablas Creek is an established leader of the region and of California's Rhone movement. Run by the next generation of Haases and Perrins, as well as long-time winemaker Neil Collins, the estate's Rhone-style wines and blends balance Old World elegance with California purity of fruit. A visit to the vineyard can include one of the region's most educational tours, or a range of traditional and seated flight tastings that reach back into their extensive wine library, all from some of the most influential names in the wine industry. FACING PAGE: The Tablas Creek tasting room is located at the estate winery, in the heart of the beautiful Paso Robles Adelaida District. ABOVE LEFT: The tasting room looks into the working winery, unique for its use of large (1200-1500 gallon) neutral French oak casks called "foudres". ABOVE RIGHT: A flock of 200 plus sheep, alpacas, and guard animals is a key piece of Tablas Creek's organic and Biodynamic vineyard. Photographs by Jason Haas SAN LUIS OBSIPO COUNTY

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