Animals in the Vineyard - Tablas Creek Patelin de Tablas

Tablas Creek is a winery I have seen much written about in very positive terms over the years but I have never had the opportunity to try any of their wines. They are one of the so-called "Rhone Rangers" of California, producing wines from grapes that are common in the Rhone Valley of southern France. Tablas Creek was started as a joint venture between the Perrin family of Chateauneuf du Pape super star Chateau de Beaucastel and Robert Haas, the owner of Vineyard Brands, which imports the famous winery. Tablas Creek is a winery I don't see much here in New Jersey, probably because most consumers do not step outside of their Cabernet, Merlot, Pinot Noir comfort zone very often - and usually not until someone puts something unusual in their hands. This makes wines like this a tough sell where there isn't knowledgeable staff on hand to promote it.

What led me to Tablas Creek though wasn't the burning desire to sample their wines, for in truth, they've never been at the forefront of my wine consciousness due to their lack of exposure. What got me on this kick was a tweet that someone in my feed put out there with a link to Tablas Creek's blog and a post mentioning Cline Cellars' use of Donkeys in their vineyard. A little investigation revealed that Tablas Creek also had a vineyard herd. We're animal friendly here in the rural western central part of Jersey and in fact we have a few of our own so this was fascinating to me. I emailed one of the viticulturists at Tablas Creek, Levi Glenn, and he was kind enough to answer a few questions for me.

A few years ago Tablas Creek began farming parts of their vineyards biodynamically, which strives to create a balanced farm ecosystem and thus generate health and fertility in the soil. The use of animals in the vineyard is part of that equation. As the herd eats the grass and weeds between the vines they fertilize the soil and help produce a natural balance that let's Tablas Creek keep their vineyards free of herbicides and pesticides. The herd consists of 60 sheep, a ram, 2 donkeys, 4 alpacas, and 1 llama. They also have two mobile chicken coops, each with 15-20 hens. The hens not only fertilize the soil but they eat bugs as well. The donkeys, alpacas and llama are there partly as protection for the sheep and chickens. Because they are an unfamiliar part of the local, natural environment, they keep the coyotes away. The Tablas Creek herd is in the vineyards from November through March and kept out during the growing season. They are outside 95% of the time and only brought in for events or when the ewes have given birth and the weather is foul.

Photograph courtesy of Tablas Creek Winery

I ordered one of each of Tablas Creek's entry level wines from my local store - the Patelin de Tablas 2011 and the Patelin de Tablas Blanc 2012. They are both produced with a blend of Rhone varietals from the Tablas Creek vineyards and from purchased fruit. The red is produced with Syrah, Grenache and Mourvedre and the white with Grenache Blanc, Viognier, Roussanne and Marsanne. I really wanted to love these wines but I have to be honest, I was a bit disappointed. They're not bad, they're just okay - and I was expecting more. The white's somewhat stunted aromatics offered some white peach notes. There was good texture in the mouth but I kept wishing that there was more fruit. The red was better with nice light red berry aromatics and soft cherry and raspberry flavors but not much in the way of secondary elements. Tablas Creek deserves kudos for their environmentally sound farming practices and I'm sure that their upper echelon wines deserve all the great reviews that they receive. I'd just like to see them do more with their entry level red and white. Cheers.

The Sun and the Soil - Tessellae Cotes de Roussillon Old Vines 2011

2011 is a better vintage in Southern France than most people thought it would be. But really, on the heels of the stellar '09s and '10s, pretty much any kind of 2011 vintage would suffer in comparison. Despite a very cool summer, the weather turned warmer in September and the change allowed producers to let the fruit hang long enough to ripen fully.

The 2011 Tessellae Old Vines is a joint venture of Domaine Lafage and Eric Solomon's European Cellars, one of my favorite importers. This wonderful Cotes du Roussillon blend consists of 50% Grenache, 40% Syrah and 10% Mourvedre. The Grenache is from 60 year old vines. This rustic, rocky region inhabits the extreme southern end of France, right on the Mediterranean. It's warm here and the soils frequently lend a distinct mineral edge to the wines. My favorite wines from southern France usually have a higher percentage of Grenache in them but this beauty delivers a lot of enjoyment for the $11.99 I paid for it. The Syrah lends this blend a dark, dense color and it's plummy fruit, with supporting notes of black cherry, coffee and spices. There's a definite dusty minerality in the aromas also. It's fairly large scaled in the mouth with the darker fruits dominating. It finishes long with some licorice notes and and some drying tannins. We recently tried a $30 Syrah from one of California's hot young winemakers, and I have to say that it was good but at the same time it was completely underwhelming. I'd much rather drink the Tessellae - especially considering the price. Cheers.

99 Degrees - Rose to the Rescue Domaine Houchart Cotes de Provence 2011

Now I'm not one to totally turn my back on red wines during the summer months, but last week's temperatures found me taking a pass on the reds. I love dry roses this time of year - cold, fruity and refreshing. They go well with just about anything and I think they are a must have for the kitchen rack during grilling season. Years ago the choices for dry roses in the marketplace were not nearly as diverse as they are now and you can pretty much find these beautiful pink wines from every country in almost every varietal. Yet for some reason, consumers are still wary of these wines. I'm not sure if they think that they're sweet but there is clearly some reticence on the part of many buyers.

The beautiful 2011 Cotes de Provence rose from Domaine Houchart is one I could drink all day long. A blend of Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault, Cabernet Sauvignon and Mourvedre from 40 year old vines, the light salmon pink color leads to typical light red berry aromas of strawberry and raspberry. There's also floral notes and a touch of stony minerals. It's got beautiful texture, excellent medium bodied, red berry flavors, good balancing acidity and a long, creamy finish. Try this with grilled chicken, salmon or shrimp, a white pizza with clams or even sushi. Repped by David Milligan Selections, this $11.99 rose is a sure winner. Bottoms up!

Domaine du Pesquier Cotes du Rhone 2009

I've previously stated my love for these wines for everyday use and here is another great example from the fantastic '09 vintage. There is something special about the Grenache grape from this part of the world. In this version, the blend is 70% Grenache, 20% Mourvedre and 10% split between Carignan and Cinsault. This beauty features prominent aromatics of dark berries, licorice and pepper. It's bold, very ripe and fruity in the mouth, with coffee and earthy notes. It finishes long and lightly tannic, though in this case the fruit balances the tannins out. At Pesquier, the destemmed grapes are fermented in cement tanks that provide excellent temperature control and are then racked into large wooden tanks called "foudres". There's no new wood on these wines whatsoever. They also use a technique called "delestage", which removes the seeds from the fermenting process. Seed tannins are generally thought of as being harsher and greener than skin tannins, so this process will theoretically produce a softer, more approachable wine. Imported by VOS Selections, this tasty wine cost me $12.99. Cheers.

Domaine Boisson Cotes du Rhone '09

Yes, I sometimes sound like a broken record (you remember vinyl don't you?) but I can't help it. Cotes du Rhones are hands down my favorite everyday reds. For me, no other wines give as much complexity and pleasure in the low end category. 2009 was a fantastic vintage in the Rhone Valley and the CDR from Domaine Boisson is an absolute steal at the $9.99 my local shop is charging for it. This beauty is a blend made up of 60% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 10% Carignan, and 5% each Cinsault and Mourvedre. It's got all the stuff I love; big aromatics of bing cherry, pepper and Provencal spice and a big bold mouthful of dark berry fruit. It has excellent structure and finishes lightly tannic with note of minerality. I could easily go through a case of this over the next month. We sampled this beauty last night with some southwest style venison burgers with chipotle mayo. Imported by the wonderful small importer Alain Junguenet and his company, Wines of France, this is a portfolio to seek out. Cheers!

Clos du Mont Olivet "Font de Blanche" Cotes du Rhone '07

   I still love Cotes du Rhones. There are very few wines that serve up such complex aromas and flavors at their price point and are so versatile in terms of what you can pair them with. We've had CDR's many times with salmon, shrimp or tuna as well as just about any meat preparation. '07 was a great vintage in France's Rhone Valley as is the case with '09. But the '07's are special and now that they have had the benefit of resting for a year or two, they have smoothed out a bit and they are drinking really well. I am thrilled every time I walk into my primary wine shop and see that the owner still has the '07 Mont Olivet on the shelf. He either bought a ton of it or I'm the only one drinking it, which would be a shame. These wines are blends that are usually based on the Grenache grape with other grapes like Syrah, Mouverdre, Cinsault and Carignan filling out the blend. This particular beauty serves up quintessential Grenache aromas of cherry, raspberry, pepper and garrigue, which is kind of an amalgam all those Provencal herbs like lavender, rosemary and marjoram. This wine is sweet and smooth with bright cherryish fruit and a finishing note of licorice. An import of Michael Skurnick, this house favorite cost me $12.99. Cheers!

Another Great Spanish Value - Panarroz '09

   Here is another $7.99 Spanish bargain that I have to rave about - Panarroz. A three grape blend of Monastrell, Grenache and Syrah grown in the Jumilla DO, this great little wine serves up aromas of cherry, blueberry and a distinct earthy note. It's aromas are quite large and complex for a wine at this price point. In the mouth, it delivers bold berryish fruit, medium-bodied textures and a finishing note of pepper. A private label product of the fine importer Hand Picked Selections, this great value can be found almost everywhere. Year after year, Panarroz is one of the finest values on the market.

....and while I'm here, I have to give some props to our local artisanal pizza place since one of their pies is what I enjoyed the Panarroz with. Nomad Pizza in Hopewell, NJ is without a doubt the best pizza I have had in a long time - maybe ever. Owners Thomas Grim and Stalin Bedon had their wood-fired oven built in and then imported from Italy. Below is a pic of their Margherita with shitake mushrooms. They use as much local and organic ingredients as possible and their thin crust pies remind me of the individual pizzas you get in Rome. The salads are also great and it's a BYO but beware... they do not take reservations so if you are going on a warm summer night on the weekend, there will probably be a wait. I suggest going early, late or during the week. No matter when you go though, this place is definitely worth the trip!!