Written by Alan Boehmer July 31, 2010
Carignan (Fr)—Carignane (U.S.)—Carignano (It)—Cariñena (Sp). It’s the same grape and it has played an important role in southern France over the past century. In fact, it has been the most widely planted red grape variety in France, but for all the wrong reasons.
Carignan’s Profile
Carignan is noted more by its faults than by its positive characteristics. It’s high in acids, tannins, bitterness, and color, but lacks balance and finesse. UC Davis crossed Carignan with Cabernet Sauvignon to produce Ruby Cabernet, a variety designed for California‘s warmer growing regions. It’s rough in its youth but doesn’t have the necessary components for a graceful development. It’s hugely prolific, typically yielding up to 11 tons per acre on bush-pruned vines that disallow mechanical harvesting. (Typical “noble” varieties are usually held to 1-4 tons yield per acre.) It has historically produced cheap wine for Europe’s vin ordinaire and over the past decades it has been continually replaced by higher quality varieties at the behest of Europe’s Vine Pull Program. Total acreage in southern France has been reduced from 350,000 acres to 250,000, but it’s still the most widely grown variety, outpacing Grenache Noir by a significant margin. It grows mostly on 30+ year old vines and almost nobody introduces new plantings of Carignan.
The Carignan Revolution
So why the uptick in interest in this much maligned variety? Perhaps because there might be more about this variety than we thought. A few growers, particularly in California, grow old-vine Carignan as a serious variety, controlling its natural high yield to focus the variety’s characteristics into fewer clusters. Most notable is the Evangelho Vineyard in California’s Contra Costa County east of San Francisco. Bush-pruned vines here are 120 years old.
A few producers are offering quality California Carignans. And there’s a community of Carignan enthusiasts on Facebook. Carignan is now considered to be the third member of Chile’s 3 Cs: Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenere, Carignan. And a Carignan from Maule Valley’s Ordfjell Vineyards took the top prize in the 7th Annual Wines of Chile competition in the Other Reds category.
In the U.S. the variety has attracted the attention of a handful of California’s top winemakers and at least three old vine Carignan vineyards have been identified: the 120 year-old Evangelho vineyard in Contra Costa County; the 65 year-old Dante Dusi vineyard in San Luis Obispo County; and the 60 year-old Garzini Ranch in Mendocino County. These vineyards are planted in the old-world tradition with bush-pruned vines and yields are carefully controlled to achieve maximum expression.
Reviews
2006 Domaine de Nizas Carignan Vielles Vignes Vin de Pays de Caux; 13.5% alc., $18
Made from 50 year-old vines in France’s Languedoc-Roussillon département, Domaine de Nizas Carignan features a distinctive aroma reminiscent of sweet, dark cherries, hard candy, and tarragon. The sweet aromatics do not inform the flavor, which is quite dry. Carignan’s signature tannins are prominent, but not oppressive. Also in evidence is the variety’s characteristic bitter finish and bright acidity. Very full-bodied and thickly colored. This wine is a model example of French Carignan.
2008 Artezin Carignan Contra Costa County Evangelho Vineyard; 14.2% alc., $26
A product of Napa Valley’s Hess Family, the 08 Artezin Carignan shows bright aromatics with under-ripe blackberries dominating. Thick and rich on the palate, it displays good acid and moderately resolved tannins. The bitter component that characterizes this variety is well controlled and there’s a faint, pleasant sweetness on the finish. All-in-all, a fine example of a carefully crafted California Carignan. Recommended.
2008 J Dusi Carignane Paso Robles Dante Dusi Vineyard; 14.9% alc., $38
Lighter and elegant in style, the J Dusi Carignan has fine, clean aromatics suggestive of unripe cherries and white pepper. Delicious flavors delight the palate with none of the typical high acid and harsh tannins associated with this variety. A perfect wine for those desiring an alternative to the ubiquitous Cabernet/Merlot/Syrah offerings. If there could be a feminine-styled Carignan, this is it. Beautifully balanced, J Dusi Carignan is equally appropriate as a sipping wine or a dinner complement. Highly recommended.
2008 Toucan Wines Carignane Contra Costa County Evangelho Vineyard; 15.9% alc., $32
Dark, with strongly perfumed aromatics of Santa Rosa plums, orange zest, fennel, and white pepper. Assertive mouth-filling flavors follow the aroma. Toucan Carignan has many of the characteristics of Petite Sirah, but with livelier acids and greater complexity. No trace of Carignan’s typical bitterness. Tannins are well-controlled. A superb example of New World Carignane. Highly recommended.
http://newworldwine.suite101.com/article.cfm/the-carignan-revolution
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