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Jason Haas

Proprietor at Tablas Creek Vineyard

Stepping out of Beaucastel's Shadow

It is time. After a decade of Esprit de Beaucastel, our flagship wines will bear a new name. Please welcome Esprit de Tablas, to debut this fall with the release of the 2011 vintage. In early 2002, when we made the decision to put the Beaucastel name on our reserve-

We check in on the vineyard's progress at the end of May

The end of May marks the end of our danger of frost and the end of any chance of spring rain. As such, it is a good time to assess where we are. Short version: things look good, and we're on track for a solid harvest at a

Off with Their Heads: We Graft our Chardonnay to Counoise and Mourvedre

By Levi Glenn We have been accused of being part of the ABC (Anything But Chardonnay) contingent, but that wasn’t true... until now. Since 2000, we've harvested our two-acre Chardonnay block -- originally used to produce vine material for our grapevine nursery -- and used it to make

Tablas Creek is a finalist for 2013 Best Winery Blog!

We are proud to have been named a finalist for "Best Winery Blog" at the 2013 Wine Blog Awards. This is the sixth consecutive year we've been honored as a finalist, and we've taken home the trophy twice, in 2008 and 2011. We'

When Terroir Was a Dirty Word

By Robert Haas Take a look at this picture of the half-bottle of 2010 Meursault from Thierry and Pascale Matrot that my wife, Barbara and I opened for lunch on our little back patio yesterday. We enjoyed lunch outdoors because the temperature at noon was 68 degrees, 20 degrees

Lyricism and the Power of a Great Wine Review

The wine review is a bit of a hoary tradition, much ridiculed among the new generation of wine writers. And I get some of that. Describing which red fruit (Is it raspberry? Currant? Huckleberry?) or what herb (Thyme? Savory? Chervil?) is most evident in a wine can get esoteric, arbitrary,

Can I get an ice bucket for my red?

If I'm in a restaurant and ask for an ice bucket, you're much more likely to see a bottle of red on the table (and a surprised server) than you are to see a white. And I'm likely to wave away the proffered ice

The Beauty of Frost Protection

By Chelsea Franchi The beginning of last week brought some low temperatures to the vineyard and Executive Winemaker/Vineyard Manager Neil Collins and Viticulturist Levi Glenn were forced to work through the night to ensure that the 2013 harvest didn't get fried by frost. When freezing temperatures are

The High Costs of State Alcohol Franchise Laws

The power to take your business elsewhere is fundamental to capitalism. This power of choice keeps prices reasonable, incentivizes efficiency and customer service, and keeps the business environment healthy by forcing companies to innovate and winnowing out those that don't keep up. Remove the ability to choose another

Budbreak 2013

With the last two weeks of warm weather, the vineyard has sprung out of dormancy. Starting with Viognier, Grenache and Grenache Blanc, budbreak proceeds through Syrah, Marsanne and Picpoul, and eventually finishes with Roussanne and Mourvedre. The photo below, of a Grenache vine from last week, is typical: With budbreak