News & Press

Vinous: “Beyond Expectations: Twenty-Three Years of Tablas Creek’s Esprit de Tablas”

We were thrilled to be featured in Vinous this week in an expansive retrospective by Eric Guido, who shared notes on eighteen vintages of our flagship red blend, Esprit de Tablas. The article traces the wine’s evolution since its 2000 debut, and leads Eric to conclude, "The Esprit de Tablas proves time and time again that it can mature positively for two decades or more." Along the way, Eric shares the history of Tablas Creek, highlights key vintage milestones, and celebrates the ongoing influence of the Haas and Perrin families’ original vision. From his conclusion:

“If there’s one U.S. Rhône blend that unfailingly embodies purity, complexity and age-worthiness, it’s the Tablas Creek Esprit de Tablas.”

In total, he reviewed 18 vintages of Esprit de Tablas, with scores ranging from 91 to 96+ points. Among the top-rated wines:

• 2004 Esprit de Beaucastel – 96 points: “Pure elegance … beautifully balanced and well-constructed.”

• 2015 Esprit de Tablas – 96 points: “keeps the mouth watering for more.”

• 2019 Esprit de Tablas – 96 points: “seamlessly silky in feel ... built for the cellar”

• 2021 Esprit de Tablas – 96+ points: “Dramatically long and structured … There’s so much potential here.”

It was great also to see Eric highlight something that we have long believed: that Esprit is a great value among category-leading wines:

In the broader context of fine wine, the Esprit de Tablas remains a remarkable value in the market. Even older vintages remain available to wine club members at fair prices for wines with age.

The Buyer: How California’s Paso Robles region is closing the gap with Napa

We were happy to see ourselves included in Victor Smart’s deep dive into the evolution of Paso Robles, highlighting how the region’s unique soils, dramatic temperature swings, and bold winemaking compete on the world stage. The article profiles six boutique producers, Tablas Creek among them, who recently poured their wines at 67 Pall Mall in London for an audience of UK wine buyers.

Back in 1987 the Tablas Creek winery was created as a joint venture between Château de Beaucastel in Châteauneuf-du-Pape and its US importer. One of a group soon dubbed the Rhône Rangers, the winery imported vines from all 13 varietals from the famed French Rhône château… Neil Collins, Tablas’s director of winemaking, describes that initiative as ‘complete insanity’. They decided to comply with all the appropriate red tape, and the US agricultural authorities spent 13 long years approving the varietals’ establishment. Still, the bold move worked.

Vinetur: Alcohol Sales Surge Ahead of Fourth of July as Rosé and Summer Wines Drive Demand

We were pleased to see our 2024 Patelin de Tablas Rosé highlighted among the top-performing wines in this nationwide roundup of summer sales trends. The article reports strong demand across categories, particularly rosé, Sauvignon Blanc, and RTD cocktails, as retailers gear up for Fourth of July festivities.

The release of the 2024 vintage rosés has generated interest, with top sellers including Tablas Creek Patelin de Tablas Paso Robles Rosé, Love by Léoube Côtes de Provence Rosé, and Miraval Côtes de Provence Rosé

The Drinks Business: Winemakers think outside the box to protect their flock

We were happy to see ourselves included in Kathleen Willcox’s piece, which explores how vintners are using animals to reduce their carbon footprint and protect their regenerative flocks. The article highlights how sheep are replacing herbicides in vineyards and the creative ways wineries are keeping them safe from predators. From the article:

At Tablas Creek in Paso Robles, where regenerative agriculture has long been the name of the game, a combination of sheep and guardian dogs is deployed. ‘Our team of dogs protects our flock of around 250 sheep year-round,’ [Winemaker Neil] Collins says. ‘We used to have a llama, but the dogs are better suited to handle the real dangers from coyotes and mountain lions.’

Business of Drinks Business Podcast: Leading with Purpose – Jason Haas on Scaling Tablas Creek Without Compromise

We were excited to be featured on the Business of Drinks podcast, where proprietor Jason Haas sat down to discuss how Tablas Creek has scaled with intention without compromising values. The conversation covers everything from regenerative farming and DTC growth to the creative process behind some of our most successful launches. Jason shares insights on what it takes to build a winery rooted in integrity and sustainability, including:

• How Tablas Creek pioneered Rhône varieties in Paso Robles
• The marketing shift that led to a 20% jump in DTC sales
• Why white wines are driving growth
• How a single blog post sparked a boxed rosé launch that sold out in four hours
• Lessons in team culture, export success, and long-term brand building

You can listen to the podcast on Spotify here or watch the YouTube video here.

A New Era of Wine Clubs: Introducing a First-of-Its-Kind Nationwide Wine Club Benefit “Wine Atlas Collective”

Wine Industry Advisor announced the creation of a new collective we are excited to introduce: The Wine Atlas Collective!

Tablas Creek is joining forces with seven other family-owned and sustainably-minded wineries from great regions around the country to bring even more value to our club memberships. Starting July 1st, if you're a member at Tablas Creek (or any of the wineries in the collective), you'll be treated as a member at all of them. Think of this as your passport to the best of American wine, from Napa Valley to Virginia, Washington State to New York’s Finger Lakes, and in between. When you visit, you’ll get free or discounted tastings, member-exclusive wines, and special hospitality.

With this, we hope to make your membership with Tablas Creek even more valuable, and your experience exploring the wines of America that much more seamless.

The Wine Atlas Collective is:

• Blenheim Vineyards – Virginia
• Brooks – Oregon
• Frog’s Leap – Napa Valley
• L’Ecole № 41 – Washington
• Red Tail Ridge – New York (Finger Lakes)
• Ridge Vineyards – Sonoma & Santa Cruz Mountains
• William Chris Vineyards – Texas Hill Country
• Tablas Creek Vineyard – Paso Robles

New Release: 2024 Grenache Blanc

Dave McIntyre's WineLine: Small wineries unite!

We're proud to be a part of Dave McIntyre's excellent article announcing the Wine Atlas Collective! His explanation of the collective is one of the best we've seen:

This collaboration can help small wineries squeezed by increasing consolidation among wholesalers, a drop in winery tourism and a broader market downturn. They will help increase awareness of their wines and give members of other participating wineries an incentive to visit when traveling in their own regions.

As of July 1, any member of one of these wineries’ clubs who visits another participating winery will be treated as if they were members there.