Carignan

Carignan Wine & Grape Variety Characteristics

Carignan (also known as Mazuelo and Cariñena) is a black, red wine grape variety that is grown throughout the world, but is often used as a blending grape variety in noteworthy Spanish wine regions like DOCa Rioja and DOQ Priorat.  Carignan is believed to be native to Aragon, Spain.  However, it wasn't until it gained notoriety in Algeria hat it began to be exported in bulk to France.  Ultimately, French winemakers in Southern France began to plant their own vineyard plots widely with this variety where it still today thrives.

[caption id="attachment_2836" align="aligncenter" width="400"] Carignan wine grape clusters on the vine. Image courtesy Gourmandbreaks.com.[/caption]

While Carignan vines are known to produce very large yields, it's somewhat of a vulnerable wine grape variety in that it can be easily harmed by mildew and rot.  Carignan must be grown in warmer climates for it to mature properly, where it often both buds late and ripens late.  It is a common belief that old vine Carignan tastes much better than young Carignan wine.  Priorat in particular grows and vinifies very fine Carignan from vines that now exceed 80 years of age.

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In the modern day wine world. the Carignan (Mazuelo) grape doesn't get nearly the amount of attention it deserves, but is used extensively in a multitude of red wine blends, especially from regions like Languedoc-Roussillon.

Carignan Wine Taste and Characteristics

Characteristically, Carignan wine in the glass, as it exists in single varietal form (which is somewhat rare), is a richly colored, acidic and tannic wine that some have criticized as being too bitter and rustic.  Because of these known generalities, you'll be able to find Carignan, Mazuelo and Cariñena more frequently as a blended variety rather than a single varietal wine.  In the glass, carignan is a deep and dark colored wine, with a deep purple hue and often crimson rustic attributes around the edges.  This is especially true for old vine Carignan.

[caption id="attachment_2837" align="aligncenter" width="400"] While I was recently in DOQ Priorat, Catalunia, Spain, I was offered the opportunity to sample 80 year old vine Carignan from this beautiful region. As you can see from this photo, Carignan in Priorat grows in slate and schist based soil, which really forces the Carignan grape to work for its nutriment in this terroir. Thus, Carignan here is flavor packed and very complex.[/caption]

Carignan wine is almost always dry and tends to pack a bigger flavoric punch on the opening palate than on the close.  It tends to have bright acid, gritty tannins, bitter spice and dry herb notes over red and black fruit.  Because of its tannic content, expect to get a nice astringent mouth-feel with this grape.  It works well in central and Northeastern Spain, where warm climates alongside shale and limestone based soil compositions add fine tuned minerality to Carignan varietal wines and blends.  You can expect medium to lengthy finishes, backed by leather saddle, olive, dry forest floor, tobacco and burnt smokey brown sugar notes.

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Additional sources and images courtesy: Drync, Gourmandbreaks.com, Forgottengrapes.com, Telegraph.co.uk, Wineaccess.com and Seriouseats.com.