2007 Vin de Paille Sacrérouge (375 ml)

Production Notes

The 2007 Tablas Creek Vineyard Vin de Paille Sacrérouge is Tablas Creek’s fourth bottling of this non-traditional application (to red grapes) of an ancient Mediterranean technique for producing dessert wines. Ripe grape bunches are carefully laid down on straw-covered benches in our greenhouses, and allowed to dehydrate in the sun. When the grapes reach the desired concentration (usually in about 3 weeks) they are crushed by foot and fermented in small open-top fermenters using only native yeasts. When they reach their desired level of extraction, we press them and move the juice to oak barrels to continue fermenting until it reaches an alcohol level where the sweetness of the wine is in balance with its acids, tannins, and mineral characteristics.

The grapes for our Vin de Paille were grown on our 120-acre certified organic estate vineyard.

The 2007 Vin de Paille Sacrérouge is made from 100% Mourvèdre grapes.

The 2007 vintage was the best vintage we’ve yet seen at Tablas Creek. Yields were very low (down between 15% and 30%, depending on variety) due to a cold and very dry winter, which produced small berries and small clusters. A moderate summer without any significant heat spikes followed, allowing gradual ripening, and producing red wines with tremendous intensity, excellent freshness and a lushness to the fruit which cloaks tannins that should allow the wines to age gracefully. The Mourvèdre was harvested throughout October and completed the vintage on October 30th. The grapes for the Sacrérouge were among our last harvested, and spent much of the month of November in our greenhouses.

The wine, after pressing, was aged in four new French oak barrels for 20 months before being bottled in May of 2009.

Tasting Notes

The 2007 Vin de Paille Sacrérouge has a sweet nose of dates, plums, and figs, with dark cherries, black plum, cassis and chocolate in the mouth. The finish is long with lingering fig, chocolate, and mineral notes.

Reviews

• 92 points: Tanzer’s IWC (Nov. 2009)

[...more recent Tablas Creek press]

Food Pairings

• Semi-sweet chocolate desserts
• Prochiutto-wrapped figs
• Red berry tarts
• Aged cheeses

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