Carignan
The
most widely-planted red wine grape in France is Carignan (sometimes
spelled Carignane in the US, a.k.a. Carginano
in Italy and Cariñena or Mazeulo in
Spain). Planting became widespread in France during the 1960s,
when Algeria gained its independence and was no longer an
inexpensive source of ripe grapes. Most Carignan is confined
to the Languedoc and southeastern France and is gradually
being replaced with more distinctive and aromatic varieties.
Carignan buds and ripens quite
late, so is not prone to spring frosts, but requires a long
season. A vigorous, though not really hardy vine, it is very
sensitive to downy mildew and powdery mildew (a.k.a. oidium).
Carignan has but a single characteristic to recommend it for
planting: high yields. An acre of Carignan may easily produce
10 to 12 tons of grapes.
The
berries are bluish-black, round and fairly large, with fairly
thick, astringent skins. They hang in large, rather compact
clusters that are short-stemmed, difficult to harvest, and
susceptible to grape worms. They also rot easily.
Like Pinot
Noir, Sangiovese, and Grenache, Carignan is a
somewhat unstable species, with the tendency to
mutate. The French recognize and approve over 25
separate clones.
Carignan mostly produces wines
that have high color, acidity, and tannin, without displaying
much distinct flavor or personality and with very little appeal.
Only a few growers carefully manage vine vigor and limit crop
size to produce interesting, distinctive wines from this grape.
As with many other varietals, older carignan vines seem to
produce wines with generally more character and less brutality.
Thus, Carignan frequently
becomes a wine for blending or, on its own, for inexpensive
everyday consumption. The whole cluster fermentation technique
of carbonic maceration can somewhat improve its tendency
toward harshness. Oak treatments, on the other hand, seem
merely to exacerbate the variety's underlying toughness, while
adding little to either its complexity or interest.
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Typical
Carignan Smell and/or Flavor
Descriptors
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Varietal
Aromas/Flavors:
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Processing
Bouquets/Flavors:
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Fruit:
cherry, strawberry,
raspberry
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Carbonic
Maceration: banana, bubblegum,
cotton candy (spun sugar)
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Floral:
violet, rose petal
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Oak
(light): vanilla, coconut, sweet
wood; (heavy) oak, smoke, toast, tar,
anise, licorice
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Jim
LaMar
