1999 Petite Cuveé

Petite Cuvée: The Beginning

In the early years of Tablas Creek, we produced just one red wine and one white wine, and called these Rouge and Blanc.  Beginning in 1999, we separated our red production into two wines: the Reserve Cuvée (which the next year we would rename Esprit de Beaucastel) and the Petite Cuvée (which would become the Cotes de Tablas).

Like the Cotes de Tablas, the Petite Cuvée is a selection from our friendliest, most open lots, based on the warmth and sunny fruit of Grenache.

Production Notes

The Tablas Creek Vineyard Petite Cuvée 1999 is a blend of three estate-grown varietals, propagated from budwood cuttings from the Château de Beaucastel estate. The wine is based on the bright fruit and spice of Grenache, with additions of Syrah for mineral, aromatics, and back-palate tannins, and Mourvèdre, for dark red fruit, earth and structure.

The grapes for our Petite Cuvée were grown on our 120-acre certified organic estate vineyard.

In blending the dense, ageable 1999 Reserve Cuvée, we set aside brighter, fruitier lots that we thought would be best appreciated younger.  These lots became the Petite Cuvée, and our first Grenache-based wine.  The 1999 harvest took place starting in September under ideal conditions and continued through October.  Production levels were low and grapes were concentrated.  The lots were fermented separately with native yeasts, then blended in the spring of 2000 and aged in 1200-gallon foudres until the wine's bottling in July of 2001.

Tasting Notes

The 1999 Petite Cuvée is a delightfully and exuberantly fruity, with flavors of blue fruits and spice held in check by ripe mid-palate tannins.  Drink in the first 4-6 years.

Updated tasting notes from a September 2011 tasting can be found on the Tablas Creek blog.

Reviews

Petite Cuvee

Not Available for Purchase

Blend

  • 65 % Grenache
  • 25% Syrah
  • 10% Mourvèdre

Technical Notes

  • 15.2% alcohol by volume
  • 260 cases produced

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