Lioco Sativa Carignan 2015
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Wilfred
Wong -
Wine &
Spirits
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Winemaker Notes
This wine pairs well with shepherds pie, bistro burger, and carne asada tacos.
Professional Ratings
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
Offering aromas and flavors of vivid red and bold black fruits, with nuances of blackberries and briar, the zesty yet rewarding 2015 Lioco Sativa Carignan shows that there is more to this grape variety than merely playing a supporting role. The wine's complex presence pairs it well with lightly-seasoned, grilled hamburgers. (Tasted: October 5, 2017, San Francisco, CA)
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Wine & Spirits
This isn’t your run-of-the-mill carignan vineyard: Jim McCutchen farms a patch of unirrigated, 70-year-old carignan vines planted at over 2,000 feet of elevation on Pine Mountain, just north of the Sonoma County line. Lioco winemaker John Raytek fermented the fruit as whole bunches and aged the wine in neutral oak. The result is juicy and satisfying, its racy, dark berry fruit hinting at mint and sage. It’s an honest, vibrant California red for Beaujolais lovers.
Other Vintages
2017-
Robert
Parker
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Wilfred
Wong
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Wilfred
Wong
- Decanter
Lioco was conceived in the alley behind Spago Beverly Hills by wine director Kevin O’Connor and wine salesman Matt Licklider. The year was 2001 -- and the two colleagues, critical of the heavy-handed wines of the day, wondered if it were possible to make some local wines that favored nuance over sheer power. In 2005, relying on nothing more than their palates and their rolodexes, the two embarked on a winemaking odyssey. Europe was the inspiration, as were the more restrained California wines of the 1980’s.
Today, the winery is owned and operated by the Licklider family. Husband/wife duo Matt and Sara Licklider and their small team produce the wines at a state-of-the-art winemaking cooperative in Santa Rosa. All of the fruit is purchased from family-owned vineyards spanning 200-miles and three counties (Santa Cruz, Sonoma, and Mendocino).
The focus is on Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Carignan from sites with older vines, interesting soil, and heritage clones. Sometimes the hunt for Pinot Noir uncovers other treasures like a coastal Syrah vineyard or a rare, mid-century planting of Valdiguie. Room is made for such discoveries.
Responsible for some of the most stunning old vine red wine on the planet, Carignan has an amazing capacity to survive dry, arid climates and still produce lovely, mouthwatering wine. In Spain it goes by the name of Mazuelo or Cariñena and while it may have originated there in the province of Aragón, its popularity lies elsewhere, particularly in Languedoc-Roussillon. Somm Secret—Historically Carignan did not enjoy the respect that it does today. In the mid 20th century, Carignan covered nearly 140,000 ha in Algeria, where it was made into low quality bulk and blending wine to supply mass-market demand.
A large and diverse appellation within California’s North Coast AVA, Mendocino is home to several smaller sub-regions—most notably the Anderson Valley. This scenic region, with rolling hills covered in redwood forests as well as vineyards, is one of the world’s top producers of certified organically-grown grapes. Due to wide geographical and climatic variation, a vast array of wine styles can be found here.