Congratulations! Tablas Creek's Organically Grown Wines Win High Parker Praise

Robert Parker loves Tablas Creek. Probably it's from his long term love of all things Rhone - and his historical adoration of the Perrin family's Rhone wines.

(I'm not generally a Parker points person myself, but it doesn't hurt to bring it up.)

Click on the image to make the red wine scores appear and the image display larger

Parker's adoration has transferred to American soil, and the wines of Tablas Creek, perhaps the most outstanding winery in Paso Robles (and one of the very, very few in that area that has certified organic grapes). So hats' off to the fine scores Tablas Creek's wines have been raking in from the Wine Advocate of late, including the 6 Tablas Creek wines I am writing about in my app (the ones you can buy for $20 or less from retail outlets).

Whites

• Cotes de Tablas Blanc - 88 pts
• Esprit de Beaucastel Blanc - (1/2 bottle) - 90-92 pts
• Roussanne - 89-91 pts
• Vermentino - 90 pts

Reds

• Cotes de Tablas - 88 pts

Although the Patelin wines are also wonderful, they are sourced from a variety of vineyards including some that are not organic. I am sorry to see yet another organic brand source its affordable blends from non organic vineyards when hundreds of tons of organic grapes get blended into nonorganic wines. (Can't we figure out a better way to do this?) I hope Tablas Creek will look harder at sourcing Patelin with all organic neighbors.

(Other brands that drive me nuts about this - much more because they loudly proclaim their greeniness, whereas Tablas does not - are Benziger and King. If you're going to build a brand identity around organic or biodynamic, please don't dilute your brand by offering mostly nonorganic or nonbiodynamic wines. It may take awhile but people will notice. And, Note to Benziger - don't make us pay more for organic or biodynamic. Paul Dolan does this a bit too with his biodynamics.)

Kudos to Beckmen for putting only biodynamic estate fruit into its red Rhone blend - Cuvee le Bec - a continuing and now preferred alternative to Tablas' Patelin - that Parker also loves - and one that's priced under $20.