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13 Varietals

01/21/03

Tablas Creek Announces Agreement with U.C. Davis to Create “Beaucastel Collection” of Châteauneuf du Pape Varietals

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Paso Robles) - Château de Beaucastel is renowned for using all thirteen permitted Châteauneuf du Pape varietals in their blends, and their wines are rated among the world's finest. Thanks to a recent agreement with the University of California at Davis, Tablas Creek Vineyard, the project co-founded by the Perrins of Château de Beaucastel and long-time importer Robert Haas, will have all thirteen grapes to work with as well.

There are thirteen varietals permitted in the Châteauneuf du Pape appellation in France's Rhone Valley (fourteen, if you count Grenache Noir and Grenache Blanc separately). Tablas Creek Vineyard brought in high quality clones of six of these varietals when they began their project in 1989. These were Grenache, Mourvèdre, Syrah, Counoise, Roussanne, and Grenache Blanc (they also brought in Viognier and Marsanne, which are traditional Côtes du Rhone varietals though not permitted in Châteauneuf du Pape). In 1998, Tablas Creek imported Piquepoul Blanc. [...more about the grape varieties grown at Tablas Creek]