One of the great things about being so close to so many wine regions is that there is always a chance you will run into truly exceptional wines from a producer who’s anime has never... Read More

One of the great things about being so close to so many wine regions is that there is always a chance you will run into truly exceptional wines from a producer who’s anime has never crossed your path. This is exactly what happened when I first tried a bottle from Tabeaux cellars. Located high up in Amador county, they make incredibly honest and delicious wines from what has become one our favorite spots in all California, the foothills of the Sierra Nevadas.

Marcus and Laura Boggs moved to California in 1989 with the idea of building a farm despite their inexperience with such things. After finding a promising spot in Amador County, nearly two decades were dedicated to establishing the Boggs Market Farm, an organic and sustainably-powered fruit farm perched above the shining waters of Lake Tableau.

Wine became part of the mix in 2016 when with the help of their two daughters, Julianna and Lydia, they established Tableaux cellars. Since then they have produced tiny amounts of single-origin wines that are true to the unique terroir of the foothills.

The farm and winery (colloquially referred to as “the farmery”) overlooks the historic location of French Garden Ranch, one of the earliest wineries in California. In the 1870’s the ranch was presided over by one of the state’s first female winemakers, Jeanne Marie Suize, more widely known as Madame Pantaloons for her habit of wearing pants as she went about her work. The Boggs are committed to carrying on her legacy and traditions of one of the state’s oldest wine growing areas.

Now joined by winemaker Addam Regan, the wines are a throwback to an era before the advent of a richer, more processed driven style. That means that the wines are allowed to display their terroir more transparently and when you are talking about the Sierra Foothills that means that wine, no matter the variety, that retains energy and vivacity with acidity and minerality punching through perfectly ripened fruit.

Addam is one of the main instigators in what has become a booming natural wine scene in Sacramento. The brains behind the seminal wine bar Ro Sham Beaux, he harnesses his powerful intellect, boundless energy and knowledge of low intervention wine the world over to craft wines that are helping to shine a spotlight on this once overlooked region. Essentially he is making wine that combines California’s ability to produce wine with delectably fruits with the more restrained qualities of Alpine wines.

While they purchase most of their fruit, every grower they work with has similar values to their own. The majority of their wines are made with certified organic and Lodi Rules sustainably grown grapes. For those conventional vineyards they work with, they provide consultation and assistance to farmers to convert to organic and biodynamic practices. During the winemaking process they use only minimally effective sulfites and utilize natural yeast fermentations. The winery facility itself is built from home-milled timber and reclaimed materials, and is 100% solar powered.

Whether it’s the ridiculously easy drinking, low abv piquette fermented with estate grown peaches or the seductive and complex barber, each one is a pleasure to drink and a testament to the immense potential of the granite hills of eastern California.