Issue link: http://winesandvines.uberflip.com/i/975273
May 2018 WINES&VINES 19 WINE INDUSTRY NEWS Cabernet & Merlot . The Prestige Selection oak is sourced from unique terroirs found in Haute Futaie managed forests. Paired with our CLL & CL toasts Prestige generates an exceptionally refined palate. These lower toasts are a natural fit to have a very precise effect on the fruit and builds a long, fresh palate ensuring the purest reflection of your vineyards. Prestige CLL Michael Weyna Tonnellerie de Mercurey USA, Inc m.weyna@tonnellerie-de-mercurey.com 707.246.1708 Corey Guinnee, OREGON Tonnellerie de Mercurey, Oregon corey@enologygroup.com 971.237.5071 www.tonnellerie-de-mercurey.com P a s o R o b l e s , Calif.—Robert Haas leaves a lasting legacy as a vintner and pioneer a n d a d v o c a t e f o r Rhône Valley variet- ies in California and the wider U.S. wine industry. One of the Central Coast's first entrepre- neurs and vintners, Haas, died March 18 surrounded by family at his home in Temple- ton, Calif. He was 90 years old. "Many of us here who grow Rhônes are really indebted to Robert and the Haas family for bringing some of that great clonal material here," said Steve Lohr, CEO of J. Lohr Wines. "That's part of the reason we succeed with Rhônes here." Born in Brooklyn, Haas graduated from Yale and served in the U.S. Navy during WWII before follow- ing in the footsteps of his father, wine mer- chant and owner of M. Lehmann in New York City. As a wine retailer, Haas trav- eled to France to forge connections with Burgundy producers such as Domaine Gouges, Mongeard- Mugneret, Domaine Ponsot, and Dauvissat; and to establish a fu- tures program for Bordeaux. During the course of his trav- els, Haas visited Châteauneuf-du- Pape and met Jacques Perrin of Chateau de Beaucastel, for whose wine he gained exclusive rights to import. After representing Cha- teau de Beaucastel and the wines of the Rhône together for several years, Robert Haas and Perrin — along with their families —devel- oped a friendship that would eventually set the stage for a transatlantic partnership that opened doors for the growth in production of wines produced with Rhône varieties on the Cen- tral Coast, throughout California and beyond. By 1985, Jean-Pierre and Fran- cois, the sons of Jacques Perrin, partnered with Haas to scout Cali- fornia for a new world perpetua- tion of Châteauneuf-du-Pape's distinctive style, varieties and lin- eage. A deeply rogue brand from its inception, Tablas Creek Vine- yard launched in 1989 as a col- laboration between the Perrin and Haas families, settling in the still as-yet largely untested region of Paso Robles, growing varieties and vinifying blends highly unfamiliar to American palates. In addition to producing Rhône-variety wines, Tablas Creek served as a nursery for imported, clean vines and rootstock from France, which the winery propa- gated and sold throughout the region. "More than 600 vineyards and wineries around the United States use Tablas Creek cuttings, and my dad was always con- vinced that our decision to bring in vines spurred the reversal of a long-standing policy by ENTAV (the French national nursery ser- vice) against partnering with out- of-country nurseries," Jason Haas said. "This policy change has led to the import of hundreds of new varieties and clones, and a new flowering of diversity in Ameri- can grapegrowing, Rhône and otherwise." Until very recently, Haas re- mained active in winery opera- tions and community events, hosting winemaker dinners well into his 80s. The winery will now be managed by Jason Haas, gen- eral manager since 2003, and l o n g t i m e w i n e m a k e r N e i l Collins. – Jaime Lewis Haas Leaves Lasting Legacy on Paso Robles, U.S. Wine Robert Haas