For one of the most widely grown red grapes in the world, carignan is perhaps among the least known and most misunderstood.
Most likely it originated in Spain, where it is known as both mazuelo and cariñena, but carignan is far more common in France, particularly in the south, where it has been grown in high volume and used primarily as a blending grape in inexpensive plonk.
When produced mainly for quantity, carignan can produce wines that are screechy, tannic and high in alcohol. Such wines formed the general impression of carignan and earned the grape a fair amount of contempt.
But when farmed and vinified carefully, carignan can produce wines that can be intriguing and delicious, particularly when the grapes come from old, low-yielding vines. At the high end, excellent carignan-based reds have come from Priorat and Sardinia, and I’ve had carignans from Languedoc that have been quite good.
Carignan has also been an essential component to old field-blend wines from California (where it is sometimes spelled carignane), along with zinfandel, cinsault, petite sirah, grenache and others.
In recent years, a small number of winemakers, particularly those without vineyards or resources to buy higher-end grapes, have been seeking out old-vine carignan in California and turning it into very good wines. At the same time, established producers like Ridge, Ravenswood and Cline have regularly made small amounts of carignan.
This month we will explore California carignan in an effort to get to know the grape and to understand what some producers are doing with it. The three wines I recommend are:
LIOCO MENDOCINO CARIGNAN SATIVA 2015 $30
PORTER CREEK MENDOCINO CARIGNANE OLD VINE 2015 $27
BROC CELLARS ALEXANDER VALLEY CARIGNAN OLD VINE 2016 $30
As is often the case, these wines are made in small quantities. Other fine producers well worth seeking out include Amplify, Vinca Minor, J. Brix, Hobo Wine, Calder, Las Jaras, Pax, Folk Machine, Sandlands, Ridge, Ravenswood, Cline and Ruth Lewandowski.
My guess is these wines will go well with meaty dishes, whether beef, lamb or pork, and since it is getting to be that time of the year, you might enjoy it with turkey as well.
You know the drill: Give these wines just enough of a chill to approximate the temperature of a cool cellar.
