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Wine Details
Price:
$15.00 per bottle
Description:
Carignane as a varietal wine? First of all, it's hard to pronounce (care-in-yawn) and secondly it's used primarily for blending with other red varieties. However our Old Vines Carignane does indeed show varietal character and uncommon drinkability. The vines producing these grapes were planted in the 50's at La Ribera Vineyards along the Russian River and are still producing juicy clusters of aromatic berries; albeit at 2 tons per acre, compared to their heyday 30 years ago when 15 tons per acre was normal. The resulting wine has a beautiful violet color and aromas of fresh berries and spice. The flavors show ripe raspberries and blackberries with a smoky vanilla finish.
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Varietal Definition
Carignane:
Carignane is one of the world’s most prolific wine varieties. Thriving in warm climates, Carignane was until the late 1970s, the most widely-planted red variety in California. Hailing from Aragon, Spain, this grape is capable of deeply-colored, extracted and tannic wines of considerable alcohol. It is a late-budder and does not ripen until late in the season. Highly prone to mildew disease, it requires long, dry growing conditions. It is often used as a blending component with other, more anemic, hot-climate varieties, like Grenache and Cinsault, which typically lack the deep pigment and extract which Carignane brings to the blend.
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