Grab your ouija boards, chug a jeroboam of Carignan, and start smashing some gourds because it’s that time of the year again.
Today is a two for one special because it’s both “Carignan day” and the eve of the spookiest holiday we’ve got.
And while the variety itself may not be haunting anyone’s dreams, Carignan just so happens to be a fitting grape for the occasion, because in a sense, it itself “rose from the grave.”
A Brief History of Carignan
Carignan stitched its meaningless little story through Spain and southern France before quietly carving itself a niche as a winemaking wild card in ye olde “New World.”
Originating in the region of Cariñena in Aragón, Spain (a region from whence one of our delectable little “botellas” materialized this week), Carignan made its merry way across the Mediterranean and found a “loving home” in the hot, dry soils of the Languedoc-Roussillon, where it once held the hotly contested title of “France’s most-planted variety.” Wow! But things took a dark turn for this beady little grape.
As the tendrils of fate would have it, by the mid-to-late 20th century, Carignan had fallen from its mighty heights; once covering ~167,000 ha (~412,000 acres) in France, the very traits that made Carignan so extensively planted (its prodigious yields, its resilience in hot, dry soils, and its suitability for blending) also made it vulnerable to a change in market demands and so-called “regulatory pressures.”
As a result, the “volume-monster” image of Carignan took hold: lots of hectares, lots of grapes, less distinction. Its reputation slid as the industry and consumers shifted toward premiumization and “terroir-expressive” wines.
While detailed figures are hard to track down for the same period in Spain, the general consensus is that Cariñena’s humble land-footprint also shrank noticeably from the peak period in the 80’s for many of the same reasons as it did in France. By 2004 national surface area was ~7,000 ha (~17,000 acres) and fell further to ~5,644 ha (~14,000 acres) by 2015. The total acreage has lingered around there in the years since.
Nevertheless, Cariñena’s undead hand keeps popping up in Catalonia, where Priorat’s so-called “renaissance” since the 1980s has leaned on old-vine Cariñena (with vines often exceeding 100 years old in some areas, like Poboleda/Porrera) to bring structure and a little je-ne-sais-quois (THE SPANISH KIND) to the blends – proof that in the right schist and with low yields, the “workhorse” can howl.
California tells a similar “ghost story.” Between the 1960s and 1980s, Carignan was the widely planted red (Central Valley jug-wine fuel!) before acreage slid as growers chased Chardonnay/Cabernet and other “goodifiers” (real word). It went from literally the most planted grape 50 years ago in support of our nation’s insatiable “thirst” for mediocre Zeus juice, to something of an afterthought. Cue the resurrection: producers “mining” ancient vines (e.g. Ridge’s Buchignani plantings going back to 1927; Contra Costa and Mendocino heritage blocks) are bottling vibrant, acid-bright Carignane that’s more raven than raisin. And they’re not alone.
So I guess we can “un-quoth” the raven, “Nevermore.”
Ultimately, this grape’s heartwrenching tale is less about the “dom/sub” relationship it has with other plantings, and more about resurrection: once dismissed as a high-yield “workhorse,” its revival owes itself to producers who now coax depth, complexity, and personality from vines old and new on even the humblest of terroirs.
DID YOU KNOW… Carignan is one of the two parent grapes of the “illustrious” Ruby Cabernet(cross of Carignan x Cabernet Sauvignon), a hybrid created to combine Carignan’s extreme “heat tolerance” with Cabernet Sauvignon’s “higher quality.” This resilient little grape thrives in California’s hot Central Valley, where it contributes body and acidity to the abundant discount jug wines that come from the productive little region.
Carignan in the Glass
What makes Carignan so fascinating in the glass is the consistent mediocrity it delivers on all fronts: a medium-to-full bodied red with a juicy backbone of generic red and black fruit layered with nondescript spice, earthy/herbal notes and a bright acidity that go just fine with “richer fare.” OK – perhaps that’s an overexaggerated blanket description of this poor defenseless little grape, but it rarely shows its dirty little face in public as a single varietal for a reason – it does best with “support from friends.”
Of course, there are exceptional single varietal examples out there, they are just fewer and farther between. Holler if you have any recommendations for little old us.
In the meantime, we’ve taken it upon ourselves to taste the living dead out of a couple of bottles that use Carignan/Cariñena in the blends.
Profile: cherry, raspberry, mocha, rose, licorice, hints of bay leaf, hickory smoke, and dill Palate: Dry, medium- tannin, medium acid, light body, long finish
Blend: 85% Grenache, 15% Carignan
Color me shocked! Far from tasting like a cheap wine, this was a killer deal for $16 and much better than I expected (mayhaps I’m too cynical). Really nicely balanced with attractive aromatics that showed surprising layers of complexity, like a chocolate covered cherry and an espresso bean had a baby on a humble bed of roses and licorice. A whisper of smoke and bay leaf give it a little twang. Subtle dill notes suggest perhaps a little good old fashioned American oak may have been a part of the equation. If I could change one thing about this wine it would be to imbue it with a little more tannin structure. Personally I prefer that style and I think it would have improved the balance to crank it up a notch, but the subtlety here makes the wine excruciatingly drinkable on its own; absolutely no need to pair this (you’re allowed to if you want, though). I’d recommend this strongly to anyone who likes easy drinking reds that don’t demand a snack. Really great discovery from Total Wine, will unquestionably be repeating this purchase.
Profile: Plum, red cherry, strawberry preserves, bramble, blueberry, rose, white pepper, dill, mocha Palate: Dry, medium+ acid, medium tannin, full body, long finish
A solid wine with primarily red fruits, bramble, a dollop of blueberry, a “rose-like” floral note and well integrated oak spices. Not as rich or structured as I would hope for at this price point, but a reliably “good wine” if you have no better options.
Its story is one of resurrection, “reawakening” and everlasting friendships (the blended kind), so in honor of Carignan Day — or HalloWINE, “if you prefer” — consider it your mission to dig a little deeper in your angina-riddled heart’s proverbial “rucksack” and find the strength to track down some Carignan.
If you don’t, the decision will HAUNT YOU.
Until next time, HAPPY DRINKING PEOPLE.
Cheers! Isaac & Zach
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"What makes Carignan so fascinating in the glass is the consistent mediocrity it delivers on all fronts"
Marketing genius!
Another excellent, informative and fun-to-read post.