Carignan

APPEARANCE

ON THE VINE: small, very hard-skinned, dark berries.

IN THE GLASS: the colour ranges from dense purple to dark ruby.

SMELL

Red fruits and spice.

 

TASTE

A wine that can have great intensity, flavour – lots of red berry fruits and allspice on the palate with firm tannins.

ORIGIN

From the town of Cariñena in the Aragon province of north-east Spain, this vine has also been cultivated in south-west France since the 12^th century, hence its Gallic name.

IN SOUTH AFRICA

Carignan was introduced to the country in the mid ’70s to boost the colour in red blends. Originally planted in areas where the soil and rainfall were good, the variety can also perform well in arid sites.

ELSEWHERE IN THE WORLD

Established in countries including Spain (Cariñena), Italy and Sardinia (Carignano), it has also taken root in California (where it's known as Carignane), Israel, Algeria and Chile. In France, it was used so extensively for blending purposes in the south during the 1960s that it became the country’s most-planted red grape variety. Though no wine in France is labelled as single varietal Carignan, a large amount of red vin de table wines are just that. An exceptionally productive vine, Carignan earned a bad rap for being high in acidity, tannins and bitterness – plantings of this workhorse variety declined in the ’80s and ’90s due to the EU's Vine Pull Scheme.

BEST EXAMPLES

Old, low-yielding Carignan vines on poor soils in Domaine d'Aupilhac in Montpeyroux and Château de Lastours in Corbières yield some good quality reds. In South Africa: Fairview Pegleg.

AGEING POTENTIAL

High in both tannin and acid, the wines can be cellared for five to seven years.

MATCHING WITH FOOD

Complements robust dishes such as Osso Bucco, braised lamb shanks or Chorizo sausages.

SERVING TEMPERATURE

Between 16º and 18° C.