ABOVE LEFT & BOTTOM: Cakebread Cellars Dancing Bear Ranch on
Howell Mountain.
Photographs by Andy Katz
TOP: Dennis, Jack, Dolores, and Bruce Cakebread.
Photograph by Terrence McCarthy
AVA and just 10 miles from the Pacific Ocean. They knew that Rhône varietals,
especially mourvèdre and roussanne, would thrive in Paso Robles, with its
Mediterranean climate of hot summer days and cold nights. They bought the
120-acre property in 1989 and named it Tablas Creek Vineyard after a small
creek running through the estate. At the time, only 20 wineries were operating
in the region. Now there are nearly 200 wineries in the appellation, and Paso
Robles has made a sharp rise to prominence as one of the world's finest
regions for Rhône grapes.
The partners approached the sourcing of vines for the vineyard with the same
deliberation they had shown in selecting the site. Unconvinced of the quality of
locally available clones, they imported select French clones from the Château
de Beaucastel estate, including mourvèdre, grenache noir, syrah, roussanne,
viognier and grenache blanc, and waited through a three-year USDA
quarantine. The vines were released for propagation in the vineyard's on-site
nursery in 1992, and the first sections of vineyard were planted in 1994. 1997
was a milestone year and included the estate's first harvest and the hiring
of winemaker Neil Collins. Collins had previously worked with two pioneering
Paso Robles wineries and combined extensive experience in local terroir
