Tablas Creek is 100% Estate Grown and Bottled

The Perrin and Haas families, along with winemaker Neil Collins, believe that minimum human intervention in the winemaking process preserves the wine's link to its place of origin.

All the grapes that go into Tablas Creek wines are grown on the estate vineyard (learn more about our viticultural practices). All of the grapes are hand-harvested, and only native yeasts are used in fermentation. Native yeast fermentation gives a diversity of flavors, and a character more specific to the site.

Francois Perrin punches down Syrah at Tablas Creek

Each varietal is harvested when completely ripe and is fermented separately. White grapes are gently whole cluster pressed, and the juice is fermented in aged French oak barrels (for about half the Roussanne) and stainless steel (Marsanne, Viognier, Grenache Blanc, and the other half of the Roussanne). This balance gives a hint of the richness from oak fermentation, without heavy toasted oak flavors that overwhelm the fruit or mask character. Browse winemaking photos.

Red grapes (Mourvédre, Syrah, Grenache Noir, and Counoise) are sorted and destemmed after harvest, and the juice and whole berries moved to fermenters. During fermentation, the must is pumped over or punched down twice a day. After fermentation, the red wines are pressed, then blended and aged for one year in 1200-gallon French oak foudres.

As is traditional in Chateauneuf du Pape, we blend our Rhone varietals to produce wines that are more complex, better balanced, and richer than single varietal wines. Each component of the blend adds its own characteristics. Just as you wouldn't normally make a recipe with just one ingredient, we believe that having a multitude of flavors allows our wines to pair happily with a wide range of food, and to show appealing character at different ages.

Neil Collins, Winemaker and Vineyard Manager at Tablas Creek, was born and raised in Bristol, England. Trained as a chef, he moved into winemaking with stints with John Munch at Adelaida Cellars and Ken Volk at Wild Horse. At Adelaida, Neil met Robert Haas and the Perrins when Tablas Creek was in its infancy. Neil was so intrigued by the project that he offered his services, and spent a year working and learning at Chateau de Beaucastel.

Before the year was finished, Neil was offered the winemaker position at Tablas Creek, and he has overseen both the organic vineyard and the winery since 1998.

His philosophy is that great wines can only come from great grapes, and that the art of winemaking is founded on starting out with the very best grapes and bringing their juice through fermentation as naturally as possible.

If you are interested in ongoing updates of winemaking at Tablas Creek, visit the winery & winemaking index on the Tablas Creek blog.