Coates Wines was founded by Duane Coates, a Master of Wine, who makes small-batch wines from McLaren Vale and the Adelaide Hills in South Australia. La Petite Cuvee sparkling shiraz is built around Shiraz grown on McLaren Vale's warm, maritime-influenced sites, where deep and varied soils and ripe conditions give the dark fruit and structure a sparkling red needs. As a non-vintage wine, it is assembled from barrels set aside over several years rather than a single harvest, drawing on material of differing ages. The approach reflects Coates' minimalist, additive-light philosophy across the range, with fruit selected specifically for a rich, savoury sparkling style.

The base wine is predominantly Shiraz matured in French oak, with a small proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon up to five years old blended in to add complexity and depth of aroma and palate. Younger and older base wines are combined, and the wine is made in a minimalist style that excludes fining agents and additives such as enzymes, egg, fish or milk products, making it vegan-friendly. After the secondary fermentation the sparkling red is finished with a dosage of around 21 g/L residual sugar, giving an off-dry balance that carries the oak and dark-fruit character. The result is a full, savoury sparkling shiraz.