2006 Counoise

Production Notes

The 2006 Tablas Creek Vineyard Counoise is Tablas Creek’s third varietal bottling of this traditional blending grape from the Southern Rhone. The Counoise grape has an unusual combination of lush blue and purple fruit (blueberries and cranberries), sweet spice (nutmeg and cinnamon), light-to-medium body, bright acidity, ruby color, and soft tannin.

Our Counoise grapes were grown on our 120-acre certified organic estate vineyard.  We typically use all this Counoise in our Esprit de Beaucastel and Côtes de Tablas wines. However, in years when Counoise spends an unusually long time on the vine, it achieves enough concentration to balance its exuberant fruit, spice and acidity.

The 2006 vintage was a study of contrasts, with a cold, wet start, a very hot early summer, a cool late summer and a warm, beautiful fall. Ample rainfall in late winter gave the grapevines ample groundwater, and produced relatively generous crop sizes. The relatively cool late-season temperatures resulted in a delayed but unhurried harvest, wines with lower than normal alcohols, strong varietal character, and good acids. We began harvesting Counoise, late as usual, on October 24th and continued into early November.

The Counoise grapes were destemmed and fermented in closed-top stainless steel fermenters using only native yeasts. After two weeks, the grapes were is pressed and moved to small neutral French oak barrels, where the wine was aged until it was bottled in May 2008.

Tasting Notes

The 2006 Counoise is ruby-purple in color, with an aromatic nose of figs, boysenberry and spice. In the mouth, it is medium-bodied, with purple and red fruit flavors and refreshing acidity.  Drink this wine in the first 5 years or so to capture its freshness.

Recipe Suggestions

[...more recipes]

Food Pairings

  • Roast pork loin
  • Veal
  • Roasted Chicken
  • Spicy sausages
Counoise

Not Available for Purchase

Blend

  • 100% Counoise

Technical Notes

  • 14.5% Alcohol by Volume
  • 418 Cases Produced

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