This is what good wine from the Carignan grape tastes like

Carignan is a southern French grape variety that produces deep red wines with abundant tannins and acidity. It's a powerhouse that winemakers must tame to create a pleasant wine. But when they succeed, it boasts powerful red fruit aromas and a rich, deep flavor.

Check out our wines made from Carignan grapes

This taming begins with pruning. Carignan can produce an enormous yield per hectare, which is why it was France's most widely planted grape variety in the late 1980s. But high yields can make the wines unpleasantly rough. French winemakers therefore often blended it with other grapes. But in the 1990s, they had an even better idea: pruning. Many vineyards have since been planted with other grape varieties.

Dismissing Carginan as a worthless grape is far too simplistic. Because if the winemaker limits the yield, the wine can become pleasantly soft, with attractive red fruit on the nose. Blending with, for example, Grenache and Syrah remains a good idea nonetheless.

Carginan is mainly found in southern France, from the Languedoc to the Rhône Valley. Not further north, because it needs sun and heat to ripen properly. In northern Spain, it thrives and is called Mazuela, but in Catalonia, it's called Cariñena or Samsó. You'll also find it near Rome, in the Lazio wine region. Italians call it Caignano. In California, it also thrives as Carignane.

We currently have seven wines made from the Carignan grape in our range. You can view our Carignan wines here.